Shortly before games, outfielder Ryan Ludwick would get so adrenalized, so frothing to play that some other Cardinals coined a nickname for their wired teammate and his contagious energy.

They called it the "Luddy Launch."

There was no Luddy to launch Saturday even when one was needed to shake a stunned clubhouse and its subdued reaction to a three-team trade that landed a starting pitcher but cost a favored teammate. Ludwick, a former All-Star, was sent to San Diego to acquire a prospect used to get righthander Jake Westbrook from the Cleveland Indians. A year ago, the Cardinals' clubhouse was buoyant and energized by the addition of Matt Holliday via trade.

This year, any enthusiasm was tempered by disbelief, and many players chose their words carefully, pausing sometimes to find acceptable answers. Asked if he was surprised by the deal, Chris Carpenter waited 12 seconds before responding.

"The loss of Ludwick is something that surprised me," the ace eventually said. "In turn, you have to give up something to get something. Unfortunately it was Ryan. ... I can only speak for myself and not for everybody else. It's nice to acquire a guy like Westbrook, and it's hard to lose a guy like Ludwick. There's no question."

He paused five seconds.

"It will be interesting to see."

Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak said he did not canvass the clubhouse for reaction but expected it to be "bittersweet." Ludwick was a favorite at many levels for the Cardinals. He and Mozeliak went back to when the GM scouting the outfielder in college, and members of Mozeliak's front office have described Ludwick as a friend. In the clubhouse, Ludwick has been mentioned by young players as both mentor and translator in what can be an imposing atmosphere. Second-year center fielder Colby Rasmus said, "Last year we had some problems in the outfield with a couple guys," and it was Ludwick who helped Rasmus deal with any chill Rasmus felt on the major-league roster.

One reason for the fondness was the Cardinals had watched Ludwick revive his career as a Cardinal, reclaiming the promise he had as a prospect and becoming an All-Star. No right fielder has more RBIs than Ludwick's 253 since 2008.

Luddy launch? While packing for a flight to San Diego on Saturday afternoon, Ludwick agreed that the Cardinals gave him the booster engine.

"They sent me into outer space. They rocketed me and my career into a new atmosphere," Ludwick said. "I'm thankful for that. There are no hard feelings. I understand the business. ... Now, I'm a guy on the map. Before I was just a prospect who was added on to deals. Because of my time here they gave me a chance to change my career."

After the All-Star break, manager Tony La Russa spoke to the team about expecting the front office to try to improve the club but not counting on the front office to pull off a deal. Not all trade attempts happen, La Russa cautioned. The trade the Cardinals did make wasn't covered in the description of the talk the manager gave the media last week in New York.

Subtraction was an unexpected part of the equation.

Several players wondered if the departure of Ludwick was prelude to another deal. A few wondered privately why a team so inconsistent offensively this season would trade its No. 5 hitter. It didn't compute. Others described how a boost to the rotation was still a blow to the clubhouse.

"You're always excited when the front office is trying to make moves, but today we lost a pretty key piece of our lineup from the last few years," Adam Wainwright said. "In return, we get a really, really quality starting pitcher. You have to give to get. ... We'll definitely miss Luddy. No doubt."

Wainwright and Rasmus both spoke about how the play of rookie Jay must have changed the outlook of the team when it came to the outfield. Wainwright referred to Jay and Rasmus, the heirs to Ludwick's playing time, as "two very, very talented young, cheap players. ... Guys who are going to put quality at-bats in against good righthanded pitchers."

Jay tried not to read into the trade.

It's hard to ignore how Jay, who brought a .396 average into his 49th game in the majors, has altered the view of his upside.

"I don't want to get too far ahead," Jay said. "It's only been two months. ... I'm still here. You've just got to believe in yourself. It's just like another job. If you want to be a doctor, people will say, ‘You're crazy. You can't do it.' You just have to believe in yourself, and I have."

There is a belief in what Westbrook brings to the rotation, perhaps one spread by osmosis from a coaching staff that has long eyeballed the sinkerballer as a good fit for the team. Wainwright likes Westbrook's Georgia roots. Carpenter said the team needs him to do "what he's done in the past."

Westbrook's future starts Monday.

"He brings another reputable name to our team who can give us a lot of quality innings for a good pitching coach," Wainwright said. "We're going to be just fine. We're going to be just fine."

The righty paused.

"I'll leave it at that."