Done Deal: Rolen-Glaus lineup checkup
TOWER GROVE — Newest Cardinal Troy Glaus and departing Gold Glover Scott Rolen passed physicals early Monday and shortly before 5 p.m. St. Louis time the commissioner’s office approved the perpetually reported swap of All-Star third basemen between the Cardinals and Toronto.
The Blue Jays will formally introduce Rolen on Tuesday.
The Cardinals, out of deference to Marty Hendin’s visitation, will hold a press conference Wednesday to introduce Glaus.
Glaus came to town as scheduled this morning to meet with Cardinals’ team physicians . According to an article in Toronto this morning, Rolen is also underwent a physical today, in Florida.
That leaves only some tricky financials to complete before the deal is done.
A puree of sources I’ve spoke to and reports around baseball have painted different pictures of the cash involved in the deal that will send Rolen to the Blues Jays and bring Glaus here. There has been speculation no cash is exchanging hands; there has been a report that it exceeds $1 million and could reach $4 million. It’s most likely that cash is going both ways — with the Cardinals handling some of Rolen’s deferred payments and the Blue Jays covering portions of Glaus’ contract related to the dollar exchange rate originally written in when he was traded from Arizona to Toronto.
The money looks nettlesome from here.
What the Cardinals’ lineup will look like is a little more tangible.
Glaus, a former 40-homer slugger, slides instantly in as the Cardinals’ cleanup hitter, one of many radical changes to the 2008 lineup from the 2007 lineup and certainly from the 2006 World Series lineup. Using the same lineup generator that provided the numbers for a blog a few weeks ago, I ran the pencil-and-paper numbers on what this new lineup looks like compared to its recent incarnations.
The stats are for entertainment purposes only.
The generator uses on-base percentage and slugging percentage to calculate production; the numbers I used for each player is written next to the player’s name. (Note: I used a general line — Braden Looper’s – for the pitcher’s stats.)
- The 2006 World Series lineup:
1. David Eckstein, SS, .350/.344
2. Chris Duncan, LF, .363/.589
3. Albert Pujols, 1B, .431/.671
4. Jim Edmonds, CF, .350/471
5. Scott Rolen, 3B, .369/.518
6. Ronnie Belliard, 2B, .322/.405
7. Yadier Molina, C, .274/.321
8. So Taguchi, RF, .335/.351
9. Joe Pitcher, RHP, .259/.226
Runs Per Game: 5.145. Range: 4.573-5.325.
- The 2007 ideal Cardinals lineup:
1. Eckstein, SS, .357/.375
2. Duncan, LF, .356/.528
3. Pujols, 1B, .430/.615
4. Rolen, 3B, .347/.452
5. Edmonds, CF, .357/.475
6. Juan Encarnacion, RF, .330/.445
7. Molina, C, .302/.348
8. Joe Pitcher, RHP, .259/.226
9. Adam Kennedy, 2B, .329/.356
Runs Per Game: 5.117. Range: 4.594-5.198
- The New 2008 Cardinals lineup (order subject to obvious debate):
1. Rick Ankiel, CF, .328/.535
2. Kennedy, 2B, .329/.356
3. Pujols, 1B, .430/.615
4. Troy Glaus, 3B, .361/.506
5. Duncan, LF, .356/.528
6. Ryan Ludwick, RF, .339/.483
7. Molina, C, .302/.348
8. Johnny Pitcher, RHP, .259/.226
9. Cesar Izturis, SS, .300/.319
Runs Per Game: 5.029. Range: 4.554-5.204.
A little surprised, but then the numbers still include some of the heyday from the MV3. Here’s thinking Glaus will add a power jolt to a lineup that we can all agree needs one.
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How many 100-K players are there in that lineup? And no we’re not talking dollars.
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Any thoughts on the new look of the blog, it’s blogroll? That, Mr. Fuhrig, is a tag cloud.
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COMIC INTERLUDE
Went looking for a comic cover that fit the subject here. We’re talking power and looking for thunder in the lineup, so why not go with lightning. Shazam!
And if there are any comic book nuts out there, check out the villain in the fine print. Yes, the worm in the right-hand corner is the bad guy. Mr. Mind is his name, but he looks a whole like the Bookworm over at Yahoo!.
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Derrick Goold said he was going to Mizzou for capital-J journalism, but after growing up in the Time Zone Baseball Forgot he was really drawn to MU sitting between two major-league cities. Goold joined the Post-Dispatch in 2001 after working for The Times-Picayune and Rocky Mountain News, covering sports from LSU to NHL and every level of baseball in between. 
Good Blog
Ugly Line Up
DG-
What’s all this noise I’m hearing about artificial surfaces exacerbating/causing problems? I was under the impression that Field Turf was a massive improvement over the ole “painted asphalt” of Astroturf, since it’s a cushioned surface. Marshall Faulk played a long (for a RB) career on the stuff without too many problems.
And wouldn’t Pujols’ recurring problems with the same injury as Glaus (plantar fasciitis) lend credence to say Glaus’ injury risk may not go down at all? Anecdotal evidence, one case, etc, but please, could you provide some depth here?
I disagree with the lineup for next year.
1. Schumacher/Barton
2. Ankiel
3. Pujols
4. Glaus
5. Duncan
6. Molina
7. Kennedy
8. Pitcher
9. Ryan
with a lot of ABs for Ludwick
I think that offers significantly more speed and potentially more power than the last couple years.
Chris
The lineup could be:
1. Rasmus
2. Ankiel
3. Pujols
4. Duncan
5. Glaus
6. Molina
7. Kennedy
8. Jimenez
9. Pitcher
Clearly Shazam beat that throw. What a crock. Kill the ump! Swallow the Worm!
What happens to the numbers if you slide Kenny Lofton into the leadoff spot and slide Ankiel over to platoon over in RF with Ludwick?
What happens if you insert Jack Wilson at SS? Do you believe Wilson’s 2007 numbers (.350 / .440) or his career averages (.312 / .378)?
Lofton helps even at 41. Wilson not so much unless he’s really figured out plate discipline.
I like what Mo has done in his first couple of months on the job. I would like to see another SP, but could live with things as they are assuming Mulder and Carp are going to contribute as expected.
I live in Round Rock and look forward to seeing Rasmus, Hoff and several of the young pitchers when they come to town in April. I hope to be in StL. in June to see Rasmus again. This will be a year of changes for the Redbirds and the beginning a bright future.
Assuming you have the starting 8 correct (no Rasmus, Schumaker, Ryan) I like it this way:
Ludwick
Duncan
Pujols
Glaus
Ankiel
Kennedy
Molina
Pitcher
Izturis
Duncan will get on ahead of Pujols a lot more often than Ankiel.
Pick the lineup anyway you want….. Unfortunately, the cards wont finish closer than third, second at best ( doubtful ) in the division. The cubs seem to be heading in the right direction, and we ( the cardinals ) are heading in the wrong direction! One sure move would have been getting rid of LaRussa…. Right or wrong…. its my opinion… But, I’m willing to bet that I am right!
TLR just got rid of Rolen … and now you want to pair La Russa with Kenny Lofton? It would end in a murder-suicide. Please.
I believe career averages, over a season average — especially a season average with a wildly unexpected hot streak. In the cases above I went with three-year averages as a guide when available.
Gotta agree with Mr. Media here. Lofton. La Russa. “Transition” year. Bad mojo.
Played a little Make The Lineup with a few people this evening, some in baseball, some in media, and one said it would probably be best to go Ankiel in No. 2, as many of the comments above offered. Protection from Pujols. The green-light to rip and really tap his power without fretting. That leaves Skip Schumaker as the best in-house bet for leadoff, perhaps against RHP with Aaron Miles sliding in at the top against LHP.
dg
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As someone who analyzes talent and makes decisions for a living, I elect the following players to start in my lineup:
1) Albert Pujols 1B
Randy Flores BIG P
2) Aaron Miles SS
3) $4.5 million Jason LaRue C
4) Yadier Molina CF
5) Adam Kennedy 2B
6) Brian Barden 3B
7) Brian Barton LF
9) John Gall RF
Jason Isringhausen holds the best batting average of all our bench players so he’ll pinch hit if we get behind. I like baseball cause I don’t get yelled at after calling timeout and I can blame my personnel for my failures.
Jon,
Sorry I missed your question. That’s a fine question. Field turf — especially the stuff at Edward Jones — is supposed to be a kinder, gentler turf for the athlete. A vast improvement of the green asphalt of yesteryear. Still, in talking with Glaus’ agent, other players and some baseball officials, the going believe is that the grass with be better for his feet than the rigid turf there in Toronto. The Jays have said Glaus was bothered by the foot injury as early as spring training. His agent said it really became difficult to deal with May, after he’d had some time on the turf and was ruining his legs by compensating for the plantar fasciitis.
Will Carroll, med guru over at Baseball Prospectus, made an interesting point about your secont question. He suggested that the Cardinals’ experience with Pujols will actually help Glaus get through his foot trouble. His surgery was supposed to end the pain, but management may still be necessary — and Pujols has prepped the Cardinals for that. A couple seasons ago, Pujols had sonic treatment on his foot and he’s said that it hasn’t caused him the same difficulty as it did a couple seasons ago.
Not like his elbow.
Or his hamstring.
dg
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Wow,a suggestion of Kenny Loftyego on our team?Does anyone remember his ignorant outburst in the playoffs when he was with San Fran years ago?Against us?Why don’t we pick up Clemenstine and Bailbonds while we’re at it?All I have to say about our lineup this year with all the young pups is 162.That is what I envision as the potential different combos Tony will utilise,as he bemoans a veteran laden team.
1. Schumacher/Rasmus
2. Miles
3. Pujols
4. Ankiel
5. Glaus
6. Duncan
7. Molina
8. Ryan
9. Pitcher
I don’t care what they’re paying Adam Kennedy. He’s the worst defensive AND offensive 2B in MLB. Almost seems like some sort of twisted joke that Mozeliak went out and signed the worst defensive and offensive SS in MLB to match. Hopefully neither of these guys make the roster.
But we all know that Tony’s “The best 25 guys make the club” line is total BS.
Mr. Goold,
Thanks for the work, as always. When is this organization going to put a premium on OBP? This team has no proven player, by the numbers, that should be allowed to hit 1 or 2. You are looking at a team with honest 3, 4, & 5 hitters (Pujols, Glaus, Duncan), and then a glut of 6, 7, & 8 hitters. The only way this team will score runs is if one of the following, Ryan/Schumaker/Barton, are able to come out of spring training with an everyday job.
This won’t happen, because LaRussa will not have players that young making that kind of impact on this team. That is why he doesn’t typically develop marginal young players. It is easy with guys like Pujols, Molina, and Wainright. These guys are sure to be stars. To accomplish what DeWitt is trying to do, you have to develop solid depth/specialty players in-house. That is where you save money. Buying that type of player on the free agent market is expensive, and it is no better a guarantee of performance.
Prepare for a rough year. Below average starting pitching, and a lot of strikeouts from the batting order does not make for fun baseball.
Thanks
Why do these line ups have the pitcher hitting 8th. I hope TLR does not resort to that. Lead off is going to be the crucial part of this line up. I could see Schumacher or Rasmus if he has a killer spring. Given likely rookie woes this is too weak a line up to support Rasmus through the ups and downs. I think given Glaus’ defensive liabilities you got to look at Iszturis at SS for defense.
1. Rasmus/Schumacher
2. Ankeil
3. Pujols
4. Glaus
5. Duncan
6. Yadi
7. Kennedy/Ryan
8. Iszturis/Ryan
9. Pitcher
Ludwick can platoon at all OF spots and get plenty of AB’s. If it is going to be a mediocre year may as well get Rasmus some feel for the game at the highest level.
How about:
1. Ryan
2. Ankiel/Duncan
3. Pujols
4. Duncan/Ankiel
5. Glaus
6. Molina
7. Kennedy
8. pitcher
9. Rasmus
Nice cover. I have a lot of the 70’s “Shazam!” comics, but not this particular one.
Mr. Mind, of course, has been around since the 1940’s and the original run of “Captain Marvel Adventures”, as has the tiger in the picture, Mr. Tawny, who (naturally) is depicted wearing a Detroit uniform.
What DC was doing about that time was having Captain Marvel (in his alternate identity as Billy Batson, TV reporter for WHIZ-TV), travel the country - obviously, that month they were in Detroit. I seem to recall that they visited St. Louis, too (I know they visited Indianapolis and Cincinnati), but I’ll have to check on that.
The “TV Comic” logo refers to the fact that CBS was running a Saturday morning live-action series featuring Captain Marvel.
No improvement at third, just another big dollar, no production name!
I like Rasmus in the lead off spot if he makes the team. He’s got speed and pop, just like a sizemore/soriano. Also I would rather see Brendan Ryan at SS. More speed and grittiness to add to the line up. 2009 projected lineup:
Rasmus CF
Ryan SS
Pu-daddy 1B
Glaus 3B
Ankiel RF
Duncan LF
Molina C
Pitcher
Miles 2B
Whoops I meant 2008 projected lineup
RE: No. 20
Troy Glaus is big dollar, no production??? Where are you getting your facts from? If you know something the rest of the baseball world doesn’t, perhaps you would be kind enough to share your information. Ask Mr. Goold, and he can enlighten you about Glaus’ production over the last 5 years, compared to other MLB 3rd basemen.
1. Miles
2. Ankiel
3. Pujols
4. Glaus
5. Duncan
6. Schumacher
7. Molina
8. Izturis
9. P
No matter who is in 2008 lineup there is no speed what so ever. Lots of strikeouts, double plays, and a few HR’s to wake up the fans. I guarantee Juan Pierre will have more SB’s by himself than the entire Cardinal team combined. People are bringing up Lofton’s name, why not sign C. Patterson who is a 28 year old free agent. He cut down on his strikeouts, steals a significate number of bases [37 last year], can pop a HR [16 last year} and when Rasmus is ready could slide to either corner.
Opening Day 2008
1. Skip “AAAA” Schumacher
2. Young “HGH” Musial
3. Albert “I’m not 33 years old” Pujols
4. Chris “Gimmie some more chaw” Duncan
5. Troy “at least I’m not Rolen” Glaus
6. Yadi “Pay the man now” Molina
7. Brendan “Give the @#*& job” Ryan
8. Adam “I’m the staff ace?” Wainwright
9. Aaron “Hotel Hostage” Miles
Should be a fun season.
correction on #7 insert the word “me” between give and the. Thanks
I couldn’t get the old blog to appear at work; this new blog, even though it looks identical to me, appears to be loading just fine. Kudos on giving me a new weapon to combat my daily boredom.
Juan Pierre! … Lofton … Patterson?
[...] to be generous, lacking something last season. Positing Glaus in the fourth spot, Derrick Goold ran the numbers through a lineup analysis tool (I’m assuming the one over at Pinto’s Baseball Musings. [...]
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