Mark DeRosa & 3-Team Trade That Never Was, Yet Really Is
TOWER GROVE — On this past New Year’s Eve, the Chicago Cubs made a deal that surprised the industry and may have tripped one of the early dominos in their struggles to play up to their clear talent this season.
The Cubs dealt infielder/outfielder Mark DeRosa to Cleveland for three minor-league pitchers.
DeRosa, a fan- and clubhouse-favorite in Chicago known in the nickname currency of the day as “D-Ro”, had been an essential member of back-to-back playoff teams, the first back-to-back playoff teams for the Chicago Cubs franchise since, oh, about the time the Missouri School of Journalism was founded. (Hint: 2008 was the august school’s centennial anniversary.) As you’ll hear often in the wake of DeRosa’s arrival in St. Louis as the newest Cardinal, DeRosa had a career-high in homers and RBIs last season, but he also was a glue guy, a nomadic glove and a go-to quote who could take the press heat even on the ugly days.
But the Cubs were looking to trim payroll, whether it was to add Jake Peavy via trade (didn’t happen) or augment the exposed righthanded-heavy lineup with some lefthanded pop (did happen: meet Milton Bradley). To make moves the For-Sale Cubs needed some financial flexibility. That meant moves. That’s what general manager Jim Hendry said to a handful of reporters at the Winter Meetings.
Just as dealing Jason Marquis to Colorado helped, Dealing DeRosa shaved $5.5 million of the payroll.
It also started a chain of events that essential means the Cubs traded DeRosa to … the Cardinals.
Follow the trail: The Cubs sign former Cardinal Aaron Miles to a two-year, $4.9-million deal. That made DeRosa expendable. So the Cubs, looking to slice some payroll, moved DeRosa to Cleveland for three minor-league pitchers. On Saturday night, the Indians dealt DeRosa to the Cardinals for Chris Perez and a player to be named later (hereafter, PTBNL). The three minor-league pitchers, the Cubs got in the deal were:
- Chris Archer, RH starter … 2-2, 3.19 ERA in Low-A.
- Jeff Stevens, RH reliever … 0-3, 2.52 ERA in Triple-A.
- John Gaub, LH reliever … 3-1, 2.83 ERA in Double-A, now up in Triple-A.
Miles, the switch-hitting utility infielder, is hitting .203 with four RBIs for the Cubs this season. DeRosa has 13 homers and 50 RBIs for Cleveland this season. The deal wasn’t a straight swap at all, but over at MLB.com the lede of the news story about trading DeRosa nailed the actuality of the moves: “It won’t show up in the transactions as an even Aaron Miles-for-Mark DeRosa swap, but that’s what the Cubs essentially did on Wednesday.” That sort of sums up what happened Saturday night — the Cardinals completed a three-team with DeRosa as a PTBNL.
The tale of the transactions, told as if they were parts of a trade:
- Cubs acquire Miles from Cardinals, and three minor-league pitchers from Cleveland.
- Cleveland acquires Chris Perez and PTBNL from Cardinals.
- Cardinals acquire DeRosa.
Guess it will take some time before it’s clear who got the best of the three-team de facto swap. But for now, consider it the first (unofficial) trade before the division rivals Cardinals and Cubs since pitcher Jeff Fassero came south in a deal on August 25, 2002.
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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. 
What’s the deal with these trade rumors about Wallace for Holliday?
Brock brought up a good question. I too have seen reports where the A’s would want Ludwick, a big league releif pitcher, and to put the topping on “THEIR CAKE” all talks start with the PTBNL Brett Wallace. No way we make that deal…I hope! Besides, I don’t trust Billy the Bean stalker.
Um, DG, wouldn’t that now be closer to “an (Aaron Miles plus some pitchers)-for-Mark DeRosa swap”
Please for the love of the Cards, do NOT put Luddy in the lineup on any type of regular basis. He has done nothing to deserve starting every game. Last year was a fluke. Only one player deserves that “right”
Thanks, DG. This sounds like a pretty good deal for the short term. I think it will be important to extend him to justify giving up a pitcher like Perez (or I guess a significant playoff run would do). If the cost for Holliday is what Dave in Topeka is saying, then I’d just as soon let Billy Bean go take a long dip in the Bay. That is way too much for one pretty good hitter. Well, let’s see if DeRosa and Pujols can help the rest of the bats get going.
Holliday on the backburner now. Oakland, as was reported, wanted the world for the left fielder. Doesn’t mean it won’t happen — certainly doesn’t mean he won’t be traded somewhere, but the market/demands have to change. They certainly did for Cleveland. The cornerstone part of the DeRosa deal did not seem to change (Motte/Perez and had been for awhile), what went up was the names on the PTBNL. Some reasons: As Mozeliak said Sunday DeRosa’s play improved and that changed the price, also Cleveland’s reality set in, and finally more teams got involved. There were several suitors for DeRosa.
DG,
Do you care to give an educated guess on who the second player in this deal is? (Please, please not Jesse Todd) …
Second question, do you suspect that from the start of the year Perez was considered expendable; which would explain Todd’s move from the rotation to the bullpen? Or is that too much of a stretch to connect these events?
….and speaking of Mulder, how’s his rehab going?
Re: Todd’s move to the bullpen. Too much of a stretch. Be careful when you think in terms of Perez as “expendable” and Motte as the Cardinals pick for the “higher ceiling.” Remember, Cleveland has a say, too. Maybe the Indians thought Perez had the higher ceiling and the bigger upside.
One report has Todd as on the PTBNL a list. Francisco Samuel is believed to be on it as well.
“One report has Todd as being on the PTBNL a list. Francisco Samuel is believed to be on it as well.”
Yes. I have a feeling it’s going to be Todd. This would swing the deal in Cleveland’s advantage, in my opinion.
Dg, thanks for the answer.