Cards Swap Rolen for Jays' Glaus
Teams Hope a Change of Scenery Will Be Better For All Involved
Jan 13, 2008
The St. Louis Cardinals and the Toronto Blue Jays hope that a change of scenery will be enough to its respective woes at the third base position.
It was reported this week that the Cards have agreed to a trade that would send former All-Star, Gold Glove third baseman Scott Rolen to the Blue Jays for free-swinging slugger 3B Troy Glaus. A fresh start for the two players is the only reasonable explanation for the deal; the move seems superfluous if one didn't understand the conditions Rolen and Glaus left their previous teams.
First off, both players have had injury concerns as of late. Glaus played in 115 games in 2007, while Rolen saw work in 112. Glaus' injuries seemed to be consistent with the general trend of brittle players on the Jays in '07, while Rolen's injury history has been well-documented -- he only played 56 ballgames in 2005.
It could be inferred that Glaus' injury trouble was only going to get worse were he to stay in Toronto. The artificial surface and the Rogers Centre spelled foot problems for the hulking 6"5, 250 lb slugger.
Meanwhile, Rolen desired to get out of St. Louis because of infighting. The five-time All Star publicly feuded with manager Tony La Russa. Whether Rolen can co-exist better with hothead Jays skipper John Gibbons remains to be seen, but the Cards saying goodbye to Rolen is a refreshing move for both the player and the organization.
When it comes to evaluating the deal, we'll have to see how Glaus and Rolen hold up physically. But, at face value, what the Cardinals lose in infield defense, they gain in power hitting.
Although Rolen is a seven-time Gold Glove winner, he's struggled to find his pop lately, only hitting 35 home runs in the last three (injury-plagued) seasons. The last few seasons are an aberration compared to Rolen's earlier career; his first eight seasons saw him belting 25-30 bombs consistently.
When healthy, Glaus is good for 35+ big flies. He has a long, looping stroke that has often required opposing pitchers to break out the binoculars to admire Glaus' handiwork in the past. However, the long swing also means that Glaus strikes out at alarming rates. Glaus whiffs almost twice as often as Rolen does, so that's something St. Louis will have to account for. Glaus and Rolen will likely post similar numbers in terms of batting average and RBI.
With the addition of Rolen and the earlier addition of SS David Eckstein, the Jays will have a formidable infield defense. Rolen is very strong with the glove, and Eckstein will pair with incumbent SS John McDonald, one of the most overlooked defenders in baseball. Improving the defense is a wise priority for a team that should have little trouble scoring runs.
All in all, the trade of Glaus and Rolen saw two fairly similar players at a fairly similar point in their careers change teams. While they should both bring a slightly different dynamic to their new clubhouses, perhaps the most important element for St. Lou and Toronto is exchanging two talented three-baggers that simply wanted a fresh start.
