Cardinals Make Move for Holliday

The Cardinals currently lead the NL Central by a game over the Cubs and Astros, and are pushing hard to increase their lead. They've made several deals over the last few weeks, with the big blow coming today. Matt Holliday is coming over from the Oakland Athletics, and at a price. The A’s receive hard-hitting third baseman Brett Wallace, outfielder Shane Peterson and right-hander Clayton Mortensen.

First, let's discuss who the A's got in this deal. Brett Wallace was their #1 pick in the 2008 draft. His current position will likely change (probably to Left Field) before he hits the majors, but he has flown through minors. Playing 62 games with Triple-A Memphis he racked up a .293 batting average with 6 HRs, 11 Doubles, and 19 RBIs. According to MLB.com, however, "in 27 games in the cleanup spot between Quad Cities and Springfield, he went 38-for-100 (.380) with eight homers and 29 RBIs." They rank him as the 42nd best prospect in baseball.

Mortenson was a supplemental 1st round pick in the 2007 draft , and also went through the Minors quickly. He's struggle against hitters in the high Minors. He sports a record of 7-6 with an ERA around 4.4. His K/BB ratio is better than 2/1, though.

Shane Peterson was a 2nd round pick in the 2008 draft. Like Wallace, he bats from the left side of the plate and shows a lot of promise, though he's still probably a few years away from the Bigs.

On to St. Louis. Holliday was one of the most coveted trade targets of the off-season, and has been more or less a disappointment in Oakland. He is batting .286 with 11 HRs and 54 RBIs, all lower than his numbers this time last year. However he's been better of late, with 3 HRs and 11 RBIs in the last 8 games.

The bigger emphasis here may be on how the Cardinals look opposed to their line-up a month ago. Along with the Mark DeRosa deal, Holliday may give Pujols the protection he needs to avoid getting intentionally walked 3 times a game. The Cards have added power, OBP, some speed, and two smart baseball players. Those two additions (made primarily to protect Pujols) have most likely added 5-7 wins to the Cards total this year, assuming Holliday keeps improving on his poor start.

This should make the Cardinals the favorites to win the NL Central, a division which will almost assuredly only get one team in the post-season. They may have mortgaged a good chunk of their future in doing so, as Billy Beane rarely makes big mistakes when it comes to prospects. Overall, this deal is a wash. The Cards improved for today, and the A's improved for the future.