TOWER GROVE — The forensics on the hot corner deal between the Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays hints at the decisions the players — rather, one player — had to make along the way.

As discussed in today’s article, Blue Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi first approached the Cardinals about the deal at the winter meetings. It was discussed, but didn’t get much tractions. The Cardinals were talking with Milwaukee and had engaged the Los Angeles, but found the first deal lacking and the second party relatively uninterested at the price. The Brewers, a fit for Scott Rolen that actually came up in private conversation during the 2007 season, and Dodgers were teams to Rolen’s liking … contenders, NL, etc.

During the holidays, Ricciardi and Cardinals GM John Mozeliak spoke again about the trade, but it wasn’t until the last week that it snowballed into a deal.

Could be that about that time Toronto gained approval from Rolen.

Or Troy Glaus agreed to play 2009 in St. Louis.

Whichever.

Both player still has an escape clause.

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Major League Baseball’s current collective bargaining agreement with the players erases a previous agreement that gave veteran players an out, a trigger in the fine print that colleague Joe Strauss directed me to. But players with multi-year deals signed before Oct. 2006 were grandfathered into this CBA and still have the right to escape a deal at the end of the season.

From Cot’s Baseball Contracts, the newest member of the blogroll:

A player with 5 years of service who has been traded in the middle of a multi-year contract may, during the off-season, require his new team to either trade him or let him become a free agent.

So both Rolen and Glaus, as at least five-year vets, have this right. Next winter, Rolen, for example, could tire of the artificial turf, the American League or any other number of reasons and tell Toronto he wants another trade. He has that right. The procedure, as detailed in the CBA:

– Within 15 days after the end of the World Series, said veteran player alerts his current team that he wishes to use his “right to require assignment”.

– The player can offer a list of six or more teams that he will WILL NOT accept assignment to.

– His team must attempt to deal him to a team not on the list or make him a free agent.

Exercising this right of forced trade/forced free agency does not come without penalty to the player.

Naturally, the player won’t be permitted to pull the same trick with his next team. He also, regardless of the length of his existing contract, surrenders three years of free agency. That means the team he is being dealt to will have arbitration rights and renewal rights for the years after the contract that does not reach three years after the deal. The player is bound by CBA to accept arbitration with that team. (Again, using Rolen as an example: His deal lasts until 2010, a forced trade would be 2009 and 2010 and his new team would be able to trigger.)

Oh, and the player won’t be a free agent until March 15.

Becoming a free agent in the middle of spring training could make for an interesting market, to be sure. Or, the player could on that day just say psyche, retract his trade demand and head back out for bunt drills.

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In addition to guaranteeing him a suite on the road (according to a couple reports), Glaus’ contract includes an interesting clause: The team is on the hook for some equestrian expenses. Glaus’ wife competes in equestrian events. The two live in Florida’s horse country. And, as part of his contract originally signed with Arizona, the team is required to cover some equestrian expenses for Glaus’ wife — $250,000 a year, or $1 million total over the original length of the contract.

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One of the best quotes from Rolen’s press conference in Toronto yesterday came from Ricciardi when asked if Rolen’s “defensive prowess” was a big part of the deal.

“He’s a plus defender,” Ricciardi said. “We like the total package. We like the work ethic, the grit, the grime. Look at our division. Boston has a bunch of dirt bags. The Yankees have a bunch of dirt bags. We have some, but we need more. The complete player is what interested us.”

Rolen, witty and dry as ginger ale throughout his press conference Tuesday, smirked and said: “Enormous compliment there, buddy.”

Sounds sarcastic. But it wasn’t.

Rolen has a distinct definition for what he believes a baseball player should be. Had a long conversation with him a few years ago about this subject and he said the highest compliment he can give a peer is to call him a “player”. He thought the word was holy. One of the people he used as an example of this supreme compliment will be familiar to both Cardinal and Blue Jays fans.

He’ll be standing to Rolen’s left this coming season.

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COMIC INTERLUDE

Can’t imagine that this guy would have been called a “player”, not by his spandex-sporting peers or anyone else, but he is one of the great superheroes from my childhood and from the bargain bins at comic shops. Plus, it’s a title that had some of the best covers going:

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