Jackson & Teahan to TOR; Frasor to CWS; Jackson flipped to STL for Rasmus

[Crew2323]

Edwin Jackson and Mark Teahan have been traded to Toronto for Jason Frasor and prospect Zach Stewart. Word is Toronto will ship Jackson to St. Louis for Colby Rasmus. I really hope that goes through

[Invader3K]

Hopefully this gets the trade market kick started with some more moves.

[MarquesJohnson2000]

Bowden doing live chat on ESPN.com, says he can't imagine that the Cards would trade Rasmus for Jackson. If they do, they get his first "F" grade.

[PrinceEatMeat]

Insiders are saying the Cards might also get Dotel and Rzepczynski in the trade.

[PrinceEatMeat]

According to Buster Olney:

 

The trade: Colby Rasmus, Trever Miller, Brian Tallet and P.J. Walters for Jackson, Marc Rzepczynski, Dotel and Corey Patterson

 

Weird trade.

[Baldkin]

Blue Jays: Colby Rasmus, Mark Teahen, Brian Tallet, Trever Miller, P.J. Walters

 

Cardinals: Octavio Dotel, Mark Rzepczynski, Edwin Jackson, Cory Patterson

 

White Sox: Jason Frasor, Zach Stewart

 

Per fangraphs.

[Oldcity]

Oh my goodness. Awesome.

[TooLiveBrew]

The only thing that would make this trade better is if LaRussa makes Patterson the regular CF & leadoff hitter.

[jjfanec]

Posted this in the trade forum, but I can only imagine the uproar this board would be in if Melvin pulled a similar trade. A prospect with the value of Rasmus for a decent starting pitcher and some relievers. Patterson is pretty bad as well

[PrinceEatMeat]

Stupid for the Cardinals to trade Rasmus. The value they got back isn't even close to worth it.

[scrapiron]

Call me more indiffernet than elated about the trade. Clearly Rasmus and LaRussa didn't get along. Rasmus has some upside no doubt, but he doesn't seem to the the second coming IMO. Really, in the short term this year, I think this made the Cardinals a better team. They improved both their pen and their rotation but left a problem in center. It wasn't as if Rasmus was a world beater for them (I have no idea of Rasmus as a defender). With the Berkman revival, Holliday and Pujols, short term the Cardinals won't miss Rasmus all that much. Problem is how do the Cards fix center next year and beyond.

[Glennron]

Does anyone know if STL has any plans of re-signing Jackson after the season?

[TGJforPrez]

The problem is, I think the trade helps them this year. The upgrade from McClellan to Edwin Jackson is pretty big, plus the Cards get some bullpen help. Jay has actually been better than Rasmus this year so unless Berkman is out for awhile, it doesn't really hurt them in the OF.

 

Long term though, they really messed this up with Rasmus. He could become a star hitting in the Sky Dome (or Rodgers Centre).

[TooLiveBrew]

With the Berkman revival, Holliday and Pujols, short term the Cardinals won't miss Rasmus all that much. Problem is how do the Cards fix center next year and beyond.

 

And add another SP via free agency, since Jackson is a FA after this season. I wonder if the Cards can offer arbitration to Jackson & hope for comp picks, though.

[jjkoestler]

I wonder if the Cards can offer arbitration to Jackson & hope for comp picks, though.

Yes. He is a type B.

[MJLiverock]

Rasmus was really in the doghouse with the Cardinals with his attitude and lack of production. My Cardinal fan friend is more than happy to see him gone because his defense has never lived up the billing and his refusal to listen to anyone but his Dad has soured his welcome. He views it as a great deal to get rid of a cancer who is destined to be a platoon player with average at best defense for a decent starting pitcher who pushes McClellan back to his set up role, adds a lefty reliever they needed plus Dotel for the pen and a lefty platoon guy in Patterson who can play defense as well or better than Rasmus and the junk they gave up in relievers.

[scrapiron]

And add another SP via free agency, since Jackson is a FA after this season. I wonder if the Cards can offer arbitration to Jackson & hope for comp picks, though.

I don't disagree, but with Westbrooke and McClellan, that was going to be an issue anyway.

[reillymcshane]

Problem is how do the Cards fix center next year and beyond.

For this year, I believe the Cards will use John Jay in CF. He was sitting behind Berkman and Holiday.

[bjkrautk]

Cardinals get one of the best available starting pitchers for their rotation, and a player in Dotel who I assume will be taking over the closer's duties. Those are two fairly significant holes they've filled in the short-term.

 

The only way this deal makes any sense to me is if the Cardinals have convinced themselves that Rasmus is unlikely to live up to the promise he showed last season; two high draft picks from Type B FA's could be seen as an attempt to sell high, plus they fill holes in the current roster. Even then, I don't see anyone on the roster who can step in and play centerfield down the stretch run. Do they at least have a decent option in AAA?

 

EDIT: I didn't realize how good a season Jon Jay was having, probably because he has a .385 OPS in the games I've actually seen (vs. Milwaukee, in all of 13 ABs).

[Funketown]

I like it when division rivals get rid of "cancerous" 3-4 WAR center fielders with 4 years of control left for a half a season of a #2/#3 SP. Perhaps given that Jackson is actually somewhat nasty the whole "Cardinals" effect wont occur.

[jjfanec]

Strange to trade away an OF with Berkman struggling with a sore shoulder.

[ramssuperbowl99]

I know we are "all in it for this year", but the Cardinals just traded away 3 more years of a 24 year old CF who is a 3-4 WAR guy now and could peak at 5-6 WAR. Beyond this year, they get a LOOGY and type B draft picks.

I think Brewerfan should send Tony LaRussa a thank you card.

[joepepsi]

I fully expect Jackson to pitch like the BrewCrew version of CC Sabathia and Dotel like Brian Wilson. Because that's what happens when average talent is acquired by the Cardinals.

 

Cardinals see this division is up for grabs and they've gambled a bit of their future to win this year. They won't miss Rasmus much if Jay keeps hitting like this. It's a good trade for the Cardinals in the short term.....unfortunately.

[RightFieldCoder]

joepepsi wrote:

---

I fully expect Jackson to pitch like the BrewCrew version of CC Sabathia and Dotel like Brian Wilson. Because that's what happens when average talent is acquired by the Cardinals.

And knowing the Cards, I wouldn't be surprised if Rasmus's best production is behind him. And Patterson will OPS >.850 for the rest of the year.

[MJLiverock]

Or the Cardinals traded a guy who is destined to be platooned or moved to a corner position because his defense is terrible and where is bat really isn't all the special. He has upside but last year's great production with his .354 BABIP could be his peak. Supposedly he swings for the fences, doesn't adjust, and won't listen. Sounds like another young talented CF that everyone was waiting to break out, Carlos Gomez but with worse defense and better bat.