Around the horn: Trading time
Kerry Wood in Busch?
In his Best fits by ballpark post, Ben Jedlovec suggests that Cub reliever Kerry Wood might work in Busch Stadium:
Relievers Kerry Wood and Leo Nunez, both fly-ball pitchers, would be good targets for St. Louis, as Busch Stadium has the second-lowest three-year home run park factor in the National League (82, behind Petco’s 78).
While it’s true that Wood is a flyball pitcher, throwing them at a rate of 47.1 %, it’s also true that he is a bad-control pitcher: So far in 2011, he has a walk rate of 5.04, and ZiPS projects that he’s not going to be much better the rest of the way, at 4.71. The Cardinals could use some bullpen help, but Wood isn’t the pitcher they should be looking for. Nunez, on the other hand, has both flyball and control tendencies. Too bad the Cardinals already have enough righties who fit that profile.
Trading time
So if not Wood or Nunez, for whom should the Cardinals trade? Matt Meyers has a list of Five NL trades that should happen (subscription required), in which he covers trades for Cardinal rivals like the Reds and Brewers, but none for St. Louis. Allow us to propose something: Lance Lynn, Matt Carpenter and others for Wandy Rodriquez. The Cardinals’ package could include different near-ready prospects at positions where they already have some depth — third base, outfield, right-handed pitching.
Rodriguez has two more years with an option in 2014 on a very reasonable contract ($7, $13, $13 million, respectively). He has been one of the top pitchers in the league and would give the Cardinals a legitimate front three in the rotation against the Phillies in a possible NL pennant series, not to mention go a long way toward helping the Cardinals win the division. Alternatively, the Cardinals might pursue a cheaper option (and one which the Astros would be more likely to do) and trade for Brett Myers. Myers would shore up the rotation and, come playoff time, could make an interesting option out of the bullpen.
News of the impossible
Sluggish bats hand Jaime first loss to Reds — MLB.com headline
Look out below!
Cards drop heartbreaker on walk-off in ninth — MLB.com headline
That’s four more years than OJ got
Cards lock up Garcia for four more years — STLToday headline
I know that dude!
Royals recall LHP Duffy to start vs. White Sox — ESPN headline
They were mad about losing the NBA championship
Heat hits Halladay as Cubs beat Phillies — Reuters headline
Who’s in first?
The Pittsburgh Pirates woke up today to a strange sight: Their name alone at the top of the standings. How strange was it? They haven’t been in first by themselves this late in the season since 1992, when they won the division title (though they came close in 1997, in first place as late as July 17). A less kind blogger would point out that, taking their Pythagorean record into account, the plucky Pirates (49-45) are actually third in the division, behind the Reds (51-45) and Cardinals (50-45). That would of course be the height of ungraciousness, given that the Pirates haven’t had much to cheer about in a couple of decades. While we’re talking about the Pirates, though, perhaps they would consider trading the Cardinals a certain switch-hitting second baseman…