Transactions and indecisions

Baseball news at this time of the year is not on the same interest level as the NFL playoffs, college basketball, or even the presidential debates. With that being said, it is not a completely dead time as teams are continuing to make moves to shape their rosters with Spring Training about a month away. There are teams who are proactive and their are teams who are stalled in hesitation. We have had both over the last couple of days.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Toronto Blue Jays have agreed to swap third basemen, although the deal regarding Troy Glaus and Scott Rolen is pending physicals. Both teams give something in order to gain something, with the edge going to St. Louis for a few reasons.

Troy Glaus will be heading to the Cardinals and that immediately solves the clubhouse problems that have been brewing in the Midwest. Tony LaRussa and Scott Rolen burned the bridge on their relationship, and it was ruined beyond repare. Ridding themselves of that headache might be enough to make a big difference come Spring Training in Florida when the media hordes flock the Cardinal clubhouse and will, for once, not have some confrontation to talk about in LaRussa's office.

Glaus, who has one less year than Rolen on his current contract, will be a difference maker in a lineup that is centered around Albert Pujols and not much else at this point. Glaus will have to assume a larger role, the role of protecting Pujols, but he can be a dangerous threat feasting on fastballs in the National League Central. If Glaus puts his foot injury behind him and is on the field for 140+ games next year, he can turn in a 35+ homer year. For what it's worth, Glaus is admittingly a worse defender than Rolen. The difference between Rolen and Glaus is huge, mainly because Rolen is a defensive wizard and perennial Gold Glover, but I think people have the right idea in mind but are attacking it from the wrong perspective.

It really doesn't matter how much worse Glaus is at defense than Rolen. Yes, the Cardinals will be "worse" defensively, but the question is how bad is it to have Glaus at third base? I don't think Glaus is the horrible defender that he is made out to be, and therefore I do not think his prescence will be a downfall for St. Louis. It is like comparing the defense of shortstop Ozzie Smith, who was the best at that position, and Derek Jeter, who is a superstar that is overrated because of it. Jeter is absolutely worse than Smith, but a longshot, but is he really that horrible compared to the avergae defender? No. The Yankees are doing just fine.

Rolen on the other hand will bring his defensive prowess to the AL East, but unless he saves a ton of runs, the offense he will bring will not make this deal that good for the Jays. Rolen is a good hitter on the decline, and one who is hampered by recurring injury no less. And that is the case with Rolen facing National League pitching. Factor in the difference with the pitching staffs in the AL East that Rolen will be facing on a regular basis and I'm afraid his offensive season could be less than mediocre.

In a smaller scale transaction, the Milwaukee Brewers signed free agent center fielder Mike Cameron to a one-year deal worth $7 million. Once we get past the fact that Cameron will be sidelined for the first 25 games of the season due to a failed drug test, we will find that this is a good deal for the Brew Crew. Not only are the Brewers becoming immensely better on the defensive side, but they also add a veteran bat who is still capable of popping 20-25 homeruns a year.

Cameron, a superb defender in center, will cut down the gaps in the spacious Milwaukee outfield. More importantly, his presence moves Bill Hall to third base and forces NL ROY Ryan Braun to switch to leftfield. With this switch, Braun will bring excellent punch to a spot in the field that is not normally reserved for the Lumber Elite. As long as Ben Sheets stays healthy and leads the pitching staff, the Brewers have as good a chance as anyone to win the NL Central.

In what has been one of the most interesting story lines of the offseason, we yet again return to the Yankee front where there still is no Johan Santana sighting. That doesn't mean there is not talk. Hank Steinbrenner continues to put the package on the table, one which is centered around right hander Phil Hughes, and then take it off about a week later. The Twins seem determined to pry another prospect away from the Yankees, and Hank seems determined to deny that proposal.

If this is the case, it is time for he Yankees to officially walk away from these trade talks. It is apparent that they aren't desperate for Santana or else they would have uped the ante by now. The fact is, the Yankees can be fine with the rotation they have and there really is no reason to break the bank on Santana. But Steinbrenner cannot keep playing these games with the Twins, because he is coming off as an indecisive owner who acts by way of waffling. If I were the Yankees, I would want a healthy and confident Phil Hughes in Spring Training with the goal of being a staple in the rotation for years to come. I just wonder at what point do all these wishy washy rumors involving the young star start to have an impact on his feeling towards the loyalty of the organization. Baseball is a business, I get it. But a business is run efficiently and effectively. This is turning out to be a trading horror film.