The Matt Holliday to St. Louis trade rumors got us thinking…
Just how large of a haul has Billy Beane raked in via Mark Mulder’s balky shoulder? The answer may surprise you, and make you rethink whether the Cards should be party to increasing the haul.
As you’ll find below, the (now) ill-fated Mulder deal was just an antecedent for more trades and more flipping by Beane to come.
Oakland sends Mark Mulder to St Louis for Dan Haren, Daric Barton, Kiko Calero .
Oakland sends Haren, Connor Robertson to Arizona for Carlos González, Brett Anderson, Aaron Cunningham, Greg Smith, Dana Eveland, and Chris Carter.
Oakland sends Carlos González, Huston Street and Greg Smith to Colorado for Matt Holliday.
Follow all of that? Let me clean it up for you.
Oakland A’s GM Billy Beane turned Mark Mulder, Connor Robertson, and Huston Street into Daric Barton, Kiko Calero, Brett Anderson, Aaron Cunningham, Dana Eveland, Chris Carter, and Matt Holliday.
So far.
Not impressed? Anderson, Cunningham, and Carter ranked second, third, and sixth in a deep Oakland organization coming into the 2009 season, according to John Sickels at Baseball America. Oh yeah, that Holliday guy can hit a little bit as well.
Now Beane wants Brett Wallace (and maybe more) for Holliday? Just say no, Mo.
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Mark Mulder, Connor Robertson, and Huston Street (and some cash, to be fair)
for
Daric Barton, Kiko Calero, Brett Anderson, Aaron Cunningham, Dana Eveland, Chris Carter, Brett Wallace, Clayton Mortensen, Shane Peterson.
Unless Holliday decides to spend the rest of his baseball life as AP’s side kick, this will go down as the worst trade yet in my mind. I’m still shocked that the first thing I saw today upon waking up was a Cardinals trade that made me utter a very bad word.
Boy do I hope I’m wrong.
I didn’t agree with Wallace straight up for Holliday as a slam dunk to make. I’m certainly not sold on the THREE guys leaving for him.
Word is that they’ll play the Big Mac/Edmonds/Rolen “sell him on St Louis, then get the extension” game with Holliday.
Sure hope it works.
Regardless, as a fan, this is the hand we’re dealt. It may suck in a couple of years, but boy is the rest of this one going to be exciting!
It’s safe to say nobody knows their own prospects better than the Cards themselves. That was the case when they traded for Mulder too, but one has to think they were extra careful this time around. I’ve got to say I really like the deal for St. Louis.
Seems clear that the Cards didn’t see a future for Wallace at third base, doesn’t it?
Big bat, no position. Reminds me of the book on another Card recently traded…
Nick,
You hit it on the head again. Wallace wasn’t going to be the savior we wanted him to be and was instead dangled for the highest bidder. The Blue Jays were interested but only as part of a bigger package.
I truly want this to work out for all parties because Holliday has always been one of my favorite opposing players. I saw him tear up Marquis (fittingly with the Rockies now) and wondered what he would look like in the Cards’ line-up.
How this trade is viewed in Cardinal history is dependent on two things, and they can be exclusive.
1. Do they win the World Series?
2. Do they sign Holliday to an extension?
Simple as that. Whether Wallace is a successful big-leaguer or not can be completely mitigated if the Cards accomplish either of the above, IMO.
I reckon that only leaves those pesky other two players that were included in the deal…………
Well we can mark #2 completed satisfactorily.
#1 remains. As currently constructed, the 2010 Cards have a great shot at it.
Isn’t it interesting Beane coveted Wallace, but then sent him to Toronto for Michael Taylor?
I agree they’ve put themselves in a good position to return to the playoffs, which in turn is a bit of a crapshoot.
I still think that for all of the back and forth about whether they overpaid Holliday, if they win a ring with him on the team, likely worth it.
Could it be that the Cards were just the first to recognize that Wallace is a bat and not much else? Perhaps even a bat they don’t see translating well to the big leagues? I certainly don’t wish ill-will on the guy, but it’s curious to say the least.
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