Mozeliak To Dial Area Code 4-1-6
MILWAUKEE - Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak on Thursday refused to discuss specifically the team’s interest in Toronto Blue Jays ace Roy Halladay but allowed that he would be contacting Jays general manager J.P. Ricciardi about a potential talent match.
“I’m not going to get into a conversation about another team’s player. It’s my policy not to. But as I said recently, we’re going to take stock of where we stand then more forward accordingly,” Mozeliak said. “Without getting into specifics, it’s fair to say there will be a call to Toronto well before the [non-waiver trade] deadline.”
The Cardinals are among a cluster of teams intrigued by the perennial Cy Young Award contender. And in some ways, they represent a good fit for a player who is under contract through 2010 and enjoys full no-trade protection. The Blue Jays are believed more likely to deal Halladay to the National League, and Halladay is known to have a favorable opinion of St. Louis. Cardinals ace Chris Carpenter is among Halladay’s closest friends. St. Louis also offers a more neutral stadium in addition to a less caustic fan base than rumored front-runner Philadelphia.
Mozeliak said the team’s recent trade of reliever Chris Perez and a player to be named for Cleveland Indians infielder-outfielder Mark DeRosa does not necessarily inhibit the club’s ability to make a huge deal. “Another deal would be completely independent and, in my mind, no less possible because of [the DeRosa acquisition].”
The Cardinals, however, are more likely to aim lower, pursuing a set-up reliever and bench help. The timetable for DeRosa’s return from a torn tendon sheath near his left wrist will also affect whether the club believes another front-line hitter necessary.
(12 votes, average: 4.58 out of 5)
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The Halladay trade can be made, & it can be done without losing the players that St. Louis will need to replace spots on the roster in 2010 & 2011. The big money issue on Halladay would be playing him his pro-rated contract for the remainder of 2009, as enough money will be freed up by free agents to pay Halladay in 2010.
St. Louis sends to Toronto a 5-player offer, giving Toronto a choice on each spot::
Player 1: SP Joel Piniero, SP/RP Todd Wellemeyer, SP/RP Brad Thompson.
Player 2: SP Blake Hawksworth, SP Mitchell Boggs, RP Fernando Salas.
Player 3: OF/1B Chris Duncan, OF Jon Jay, OF Daryl Jones.
Player 4: OF/1B Chris Duncan, OF Nick Stavinoha, 1B Mark Hamilton.
Player 5: SS Brian Barden, SS Tyler Greene, SS Pete Kozma.
St. Louis would lose Halladay after 2010 and get the Player A type free agent draft picks that come with it. St. Louis would then have Halladay’s contract off the books giving them the money to make Albert Pujols a Cardinals for life.
I guess the old saying of you can never have enough pitching is true!! This would be great! I wouldn’t want to trade too many guys off the current roster, only because it could screw up chemistry! And if we gave up Colby, who would play CF? Ankiel? I think not! I do like the fact that they are still thinking of grabbing some more guys! I would think a hitter would still be the first priority!! Lets try to keep our fingers crossed that one or all of the hurt third basemen will return!
I hate to say this but for all you who keep listing Carp, Halladay, you must know that Halladay becomes our #1 starter hands down. Maybe 2.5 years ago you could make the argument that Carp is better but not today. But it would be an amazing argument to have lets all get on our knees and pray for this deal.
er, “Brian Fuentes (ca. 2008),” anyone???
Wow, this would be an awesome rotation……..we would be on our way and the envy of the division, I think we better hurry for someone like Jocketty beats us to it, this seems like something he would pull…………GO MO!!!
Getting Mark DeRosa was GOOD. No one can help that he got hurt. I still think the Cardinals need to trade for MATT HOLLIDAY to go with LUDWICK & RASMUS in the outfield. Roy Halladay would be nice, but he would pitch 15-17 games the rest of the year. Also he has been hurt & is just comming back,remember Mark Mulder?? Great trade at that time till he got hurt again. Matt Holliday would play 70-80 games. The Cardinals need a BAT more than they need pitching. I do hope they sign B.J.Ryan and send him to Memphis.
Watching the Cardinals game this afternoon, Al Hrabosky said that MO told him the reason the Cardinals kept running Todd Wellemeyer out there as a starting pitcher is we dont have anyone better in the minors or on the major league roster as a # 4-5 pitcher?? What happened to Mitch Boggs,Blake Hawksworth,P.J.Walters,Clayton Mortensen,Jesse Todd,Trey Hearne? Pedro Martinez could be signed for the rest of the year.
Perhaps Mo has no intention at all of trading for Halladay, but is instead trying - by feigning interest in Halladay - to smoke out a hitter from another team who may grow concerned that the Cardinals best prospects are about to be dealt away in a potential Halladay deal.
Michael Scrivan……Mitchell Boggs and Daryl Jones have too much value to the organization. Both have the chance to be be productive on the big league team.
Personally, I’d the team to after a nice, big bat instead. A stronger offense would make our entire pitching staff better. Overall, this pitching staff is pretty solid.
A big bat in a trade, and DeRosa coming back healthy, changes the lineup drastically.
GOOD point itty bitty baseball. Oakland are you ready to trade Matt Holliday yet? Rockies how about Garrett Atkins? I did read somewhere that the Blue Jays were going to try to make any team trading for Matt Halladay take outfielder Alex Rios or Vernon Wells,BUT the Blue Jays would have to pay a LOT of there cxontract.