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Colby Rasmus

Odds & Ends: Ortiz, Brewers, Rasmus

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Links for Wednesday, as the playoffs finally begin…

Mozeliak: Rasmus Will Not Be Traded

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Earlier tonight we learned that the Cardinals might increase their payroll in the future, but that's not the only bit of news to come out of the team's social media event. MLB.com's Matthew Leach reports that GM John Mozeliak said that center fielder Colby Rasmus will not be traded, despite the drama between him and manager Tony LaRussa. 

"A lot of times players, out of frustration or for whatever reason, may go into a meeting and come out saying some things they may regret," Mozeliak said. "But a lot of times, you have to understand, these things never get out there. In this particular case, it's been festering for a while. But I can assure you, Colby's not going to be traded. I can also assure you that some of the things he's dealing with are typical growing pains that young players go through. When I look at the talent he brings to the table, and when I think about how I could replace that, I realize that would be a very difficult task ahead."

Rasmus reportedly demanded a trade due to frustrations over playing time, but he later denied that report. The 24-year-old has started every game since that news broke, and is hitting .366/.426/.659 with three homers in 47 plate appearances during that time. Overall, he's hitting .274/.356/.511 with 22 homers on the season, and St. Louis still controls him for another four seasons after this one.

For what it's worth, 57.4% of more than 1,500 MLBTR readers recently said they would not trade Rasmus.

Baseball Blogs Weigh In: Rasmus, Manny, Phillies

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On this date in 1969, the Mets moved into sole possession of first place for the first time in franchise history. They swept the Expos in a doubleheader to move ahead of the Cubs by a full game in the NL East. The Miracle Mets went on to defeat the Orioles in the Fall Classic for the first World Championship in their history, more than eight years after they played their first ever game.

Let's take a look at some links from around the baseball netweb…

If you have a suggestion for this feature, Mike can be reached here.

Stark On Rasmus, Jeter, Gonzalez, Morgan

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If the Cardinals put Colby Rasmus on the trade market, they would “only get 60 or 70 cents on the dollar,” according to one MLB executive who spoke to ESPN.com’s Jayson Stark. Here’s a detailed look at potential suitors for Rasmus, and here are the rest of Stark’s rumors:

  • Derek Jeter and agent Casey Close understand that the Yankees aren’t going to offer an embarrassingly low contract this winter. As Stark points out, the Yankees offered Jorge Posada a four-year deal heading into the season in which he turned 37. Posada was coming off of an MVP-caliber season, so the comparison only works to a point, but as many reporters have pointed out this week, Jeter is going nowhere and the Yankees aren’t going to low-ball him.
  • Adrian Gonzalez probably won’t be on the trade market this winter, according to clubs that have spoken to the Padres. They’ll try to contend in 2011 and consider trading Gonzalez if they aren’t in contention next summer.
  • Two scouts who cover the Nationals say they expect the team to shop Nyjer Morgan this winter. One of the scouts said there’s a “non-existent” chance that Washington keeps him.

Potential Trade Destinations For Colby Rasmus

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Most teams fortunate enough to have cheap, productive players don’t have a whole lot of interest in trading them. The Cardinals, however, may consider offers for Colby Rasmus this winter. Cardinals manager Tony La Russa told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch that his 24-year-old center fielder asked for a trade, and GM John Mozeliak must now decide whether to make one. 

Rasmus denies that he asked for a trade, but has undeniably drawn the ire of La Russa and Albert Pujols. La Russa is a free agent after the season, so the Cardinals could simply hire another manager this winter to avoid clubhouse tension. But Pujols isn’t going anywhere and he says the Cards should trade Rasmus if he doesn’t want to play in St. Louis. Of course Pujols isn’t the one making this decision. Mozeliak would likely have serious reservations about dealing a cornerstone player, regardless of Pujols’ feelings and Rasmus’ reported demand. 

After all, Rasmus doesn’t hit free agency until after the 2014 season. He has an .849 OPS this year and plays a premium defensive position for the MLB minimum salary. It is extremely difficult to replace that kind of asset, which is precisely why other teams would have interest in Rasmus if the Cardinals decide to trade their center fielder. Here’s a list of potential suitors for Rasmus, but do keep in mind that Cardinals executives have given no public indication that they are seriously considering a trade:

  • The Braves have a pair of disappointing center fielders (Melky Cabrera and Nate McLouth) and a thing for Georgia natives, so they would presumably have interest in Rasmus.
  • The Padres have Tony Gwynn, Ryan Ludwick, Kyle Blanks and others under team control in 2011, so they’d have to get creative.
  • The Brewers would likely have trouble prying Rasmus away from the Cards, since they play in the same division, but an outfield of Ryan Braun, Rasmus and Corey Hart wouldn’t look bad.
  • The A’s traded away a promising center fielder (Carlos Gonzalez) two offseasons ago; maybe they’d seize the chance to acquire an equally promising young player.
  • The Red Sox have a pair of options under contract for 2011, but injuries to Mike Cameron and Jacoby Ellsbury diminished the team’s center field depth. 
  • The Nationals, who are now dealing with their own center fielder’s issues, would likely have interest in Rasmus if the Cards make him available.
  • The Royals don't have a long-term option in center field.
  • The Blue Jays would presumably inquire, as they did when Yunel Escobar fell out of favor in Atlanta.

Other teams would likely have interest, too, since players like Rasmus aren’t often available via trade. Again, the Cardinals will likely make every effort to keep Rasmus in St. Louis before putting him on the market. But if they do decide to trade him this winter, a variety of rival teams should show interest.

Rasmus Denies Making Trade Request

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8:20pm: Rasmus denied making a trade request earlier this season, according to B.J. Rains of FoxSportsMidwest.com.

"I never did that,” said Rasmus following today's game. "I don’t know where that’s coming from. I just want to play baseball and have fun…I love being here. I love the fans. I’m moving forward and just trying to play hard and I’m happy we won today."

Tony La Russa also addressed the topic in today's post-game press conference.  The manager insisted that he doesn't have an issue with Rasmus and that he will see significant playing time down the stretch.

2:04pm: Pujols had even more to say on the matter, writes Passan.

“If he doesn’t want to be here next year, we need to figure out a way to get him out of here and find somebody that wants to be here and play,” said the nine-time All-Star. “That’s a reality.

“That’ll show you right there a young player that doesn’t respect what he’s got,” Pujols added. “He needs to find out the talent and ability that he has and pretty much keep his mouth shut and play the game. Let the organization make those decisions, not himself.”

1:55pm: First baseman Albert Pujols has weighed in on the situation, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports (via Twitter).

"We need to figure out a way to get him out of here," said the nine-time All-Star.

1:26pm: Cardinals skipper Tony La Russa confirmed that center fielder Colby Rasmus has requested a trade, writes Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.  However, La Russa declined to delve much deeper into the matter with reporters.

"What do you want me to say? Ask Colby. Just ask Colby," said the manager. "He can handle it however he wants to handle it. He's capable of explaining himself and what he was thinking at the time."

Despite La Russa's suggestion, Rasmus would not confirm his trade request before taking the field against the Reds this afternoon.  He also declined to say whether he hoped to remain with the club next season.  La Russa seems to think that the center fielder has had a change of heart.

"I think he's thinking probably the grass is not greener other places and that this is a good situation, a great organization, teammates, everything. That's what I think. You can ask him," said La Russa, who also said that the outfielder made a similar request in his rookie season.

Rasmus came to GM John Mozeliak with his request during the Cards' July 23-25 series against the Cubs at Wrigley Field, according to a source familiar with the situation.  After the center fielder arrived late to the park, La Russa threatened to option him to Triple-A in a closed door meeting.  However, when talking to Rasmus, Mozeliak assured him that he would be staying put. 

Poll: Colby Rasmus

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Earlier today, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa confirmed that Colby Rasmus requested a trade earlier this season.  While La Russa seems confident that Rasmus' desire to be relocated has since cooled off, the 24-year-old was reluctant to address the story and would not say whether he wanted to return to St. Louis in 2011.  This also isn't the first time that the talented center fielder has asked for a one-way ticket out of town: La Russa acknowledged that Rasmus requested a trade in his rookie year last season.

With what appears to be a serious rift, one would imagine that the Cards would look to deal their unhappy outfielder.  However, GM John Mozeliak is obviously less-than-thrilled about the prospect of parting with a 24-year-old star in the making.  Rasmus has followed up a strong 2009 debut with an even better 2010.  In 117 games, the left-handed hitter has a slash line of .264/.349/.495 with 19 homers.  While his -7.0 UZR/150 this season doesn't impress, his 13.5 UZR/150 from his rookie campaign shows that he is capable of playing better in the field.

There's no question that Rasmus would yield a strong return for the Cardinals, but St. Louis would obviously prefer to keep the burgeoning hitter.  With his dissatisfaction now public, it may not be advantageous for the Cardinals to move him this offseason.  Albert Pujols says he should go, Tony La Russa won't say much, but we want to know what you have to say.

If you were in the position of GM John Mozeliak, would you trade Rasmus this offseason?

Click here to take the poll, and here to view the results.

Cardinals Notes: Pujols, Ryan, Schumaker, Rasmus

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The Cardinals have slipped to eight games back of the Reds in the NL Central race, and the division title is looking increasingly out of reach for St. Louis. So rather than focusing on this season, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch previews the coming winter, asking a few questions about what the team's future holds. Here are some highlights of Strauss' piece:

  • Locking up Albert Pujols is the club's top priority; the Cards will likely have trouble adding another impact bat until they know what sort of money they'll be committing to their top hitter for the next several years.
  • "Strong opinion exists" at the major league level that the Cards' Triple-A and Double-A affiliates won't produce an impact position player for at least the next couple seasons. Strauss points out that the team hasn't signed many minor league free agents in recent years, and that the organization might have to rethink that strategy to provide depth and insurance for the big league roster.
  • The Cards may need to look into acquiring more offense at its middle infield spots, since Brendan Ryan (.573 OPS) and Skip Schumaker (.680 OPS) have contributed very little at the plate.
  • It's still up in the air whether Tony La Russa will be back to manage in St. Louis next season. If he does, there are questions about his relationship with Colby Rasmus. According to Strauss' club sources, Rasmus requested a trade earlier this year due to his frustrations with the Cards' skipper.

Roy Halladay Rumors: Thursday

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7:08pm: T.R. Sullivan of MLB.com says the Rangers have had discussions with the Blue Jays about Halladay, but sources call it a "long-shot."

5:13pm: Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch says the Cardinals are now downplaying a potential Halladay trade, mentioning that they have too little pitching and won't include centerfielder Colby Rasmus in a deal.

3:56pm: The Blue Jays told the Yankees and Red Sox they'd prefer to deal Halladay outside of the AL East according to Jon Heyman.

1:21pm: MLB.com's Todd Zolecki heard from a Phillies source who says Halladay's $14.25MM salary is nothing and won't be an issue. The inclusion of Vernon Wells in any trade would be a dealbreaker, however.

12:15pm: One exec told Jon Heyman of SI.com that he would trade Joba Chamberlain for Halladay, but wouldn't give Rick Porcello up for him.

11:07am: We heard that the Angels and Cardinals may have trouble piecing together an offer for Roy Halladay, but assembling an appealing group of players would be even harder for the Tigers. Here are details on Halladay, the Tigers and other suitors for baseball's best available pitcher:

  • MLB.com's Jason Beck says the Tigers have the financial might to pursue Halladay, even if their young talent begins and ends with Rick Porcello and Ryan Perry.
  • The Tigers don't have a stable fifth starter, so Halladay would be a massive upgrade for them, but money will not be enough to pry him away from the Jays and the Tigers don't have top prospects in the minors.
  • I discussed Halladay and other players the Tigers could look to acquire in a Q&A at EyeOfTheTigers.com.
  • Bill Madden of the New York Daily News says the Yankees need to give up the top prospects to acquire Halladay if the Blue Jays are willing to deal their ace within the division.

Odds and Ends: Pitt, Manny, White Sox

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