Wondering from where and why the recent trade rumors about St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Colby Rasmus originated.
After the late-season news about second-year St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Colby Rasmus’ repeated trade requests became embarrassingly public, multiple attempts were made to smooth over the rough surfaces exposed. The player himself, the team’s superstar, the manager and the general manager were among the many engaged in damage control, among with others behind the scenes.
GM John Mozeliak was among the group that said all the right things, including emphasizing that his young star would not be going anywhere. That would seem to shut off trade speculation while also brushing off fears that Rasmus and manager Tony La Russa, who has been asked back for next year, cannot coexist.
Yet the reality of the Cardinals’ situation for 2011 is that they need more repair than their budget will likely allow via the free agent market. Their available trade chips are few.
As such, on Wednesday, the Post-Dispatch’s Joe Strauss disclosed that there are at least three teams interested in acquiring Rasmus – Atlanta, Toronto and Arizona. Said Strauss:
“The Atlanta Braves have strong interest in Rasmus along with closer-in-waiting Craig Kimbrel. The Toronto Blue Jays are also intrigued. In other words, the Cardinals will have ample opportunity to turn down trade offers on Rasmus in upcoming weeks and months. Given the team’s inability to deal Pujols, Lohse, Holliday and Carpenter due to contractual language and their refusal to deal young arms such as Wainwright and Garcia, Rasmus represents the leading option for an “impact” trade.
“The Arizona Diamondbacks ranked 6th, 9th and 14th in production at the three OF positions and also have interest in ‘Raz’. In a rebuilding mode, the Diamondbacks feature the middle infield of Stephen Drew and Kelly Johnson. Drew is second-time arbitration-eligible and a Boras client. Johnson is a free agent after next season and would likely be part of an expanded deal for Rasmus.
“Rasmus’ low salary also makes him a trading chip for a small-market club that could fill another pressing need.
“For a variety of reasons, Rasmus will almost certainly be in play,” Strauss concluded.
The specificity and strength of wording chosen in reporting the rumors was initially surprising to me. I wouldn’t ask Strauss to identify his source(s), nor would I expect him to disclose it if queried. That doesn’t mean I am not curious.
Perhaps he simply dialed up media counterparts or team contacts with the three prospective clubs and they volunteered their interest in Rasmus, news that had not been reported elsewhere.
Alternatively, perhaps the player’s representatives or even the Cardinals themselves quietly shared the information, knowing it would be amplified across the entire sports world.
Such a disclosure would make it clear to the other 26 teams that Rasmus is in play without the principals ever having to get their hands dirty by saying anything publicly. It also preserves the impression that all is well between Rasmus and the Cardinals, maximizing the outfielder’s external value.
If this is what is happening, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time in history the media played an enabling role in prospective trade activity.
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this was posted just days after the end of the season….might have started a spark in the trade talk department.
http://www.newstalk1010.com/News/Article.aspx?id=237315
If the Cards can get a young starting pitcher AND a impact bat for Colby they would be foolish not to listen to offers.Doesn`t Toronto already have their own Colby in Travis Snider.Toronto does have a bunch of young startiing pitchers.
TB has a bunch of younger starting pitchers also and will be looking for offense if they lose Crawford.
If the Cards do trade Colby they have to have another bat to cover the offense.
I would hate to see Colby traded, as I am sure would many other fans. But if it has to be, then it has to be. I am very tired of TLR chasing good players away. After Mo stated Colby would not be traded, then trading him would cause a stink I am sure. PR people would be busy.
“. . . the team’s superstar, . . . . . were among the many engaged in damage control . . .”
I missed Albert’s damage contoll efforts. Could somebody provide a quote?
I did catch the part where he threw a bucket of gas on the fire the day the story broke.
bb, I believe it was on the plane after the team left the town where the story broke. Albert and Colby spent considerable 1-1 time talking about the issues.
Yeah, I see no centerfielder waiting in the wings to take Rasmus’ place. I see no particular compelling need for the team to trade him away based upon on-field needs.
Rasmus playing every day , is an important key to the success of this team. I’d much rather see a trade of LaRussa for prospects or . . . .
Agree with crdswmn, Nut and Chief. If Colby is traded its because he got run out of town. It would be spun of course. I can’t believe Mo would do it.
OK Brian. I misunderstood what you meant by damage controll. I was thinking public statements. Behind the scenes damage control is equally valid. Of course, we don’t know what that one on one consisted of.
As to jrocke’s link, e-gad, Toronto! I doubt that’s what RC has in mind, but I guess it doesn’t matter too much where you do your arb time, so long as Tony, Albert and the boys are not there.
If Colby does go somewhere, I hope it’s Atlanta. Considering the reports I’ve heard about Ankiel treating Colby very poorly last year, I’d like to see him roll into town and put Rick out on the street. . . . again.
By the way Brian, if you happen to hear anything about how Chris Duncan’s surgery went, what his plans are, is he still with Nationals org, etc., could you pass it along. Since he cleaned out his locker in Syracuse in the middle of the night, I haven’t been able to find anything out.
The first cause of trade rumors was RCW making posts hinting at how nice it would be to see Rasmus in another uniform.
After this happenned yet again this summer, TLR became the guy to really make it public. Usually, TLR is good about keeping stuff inside the Clubhouse, where it belongs. It seemed unusual and significant for TLR to point reporters toward Colby to explain himself.
For his part, Albert suggested Colby play ball and man up. I loved it. Albert was no bonus baby. He has risen to the pinnacle of his profession by unusual commitment.
If the Cards do trade Rasmus, it will not be a give away. Another team will have to give up a lot, because we have 4 more years of control. If we get good talent in return, there is no harm in trading him.
If he’s unhappy, this is his choice. Not everyone in life is satisfied in every respect. After he earns free agency, he can choose another team.
I missed the news about the Cards picking up Trevor Miller’s option.
On another note, I understand the plan is to try and make Matt Adams an outfielder next year at minor league camp. I have seen him play collegiate summer league, he can really smoke the ball.
Miller’s option vested based on appearances and him remaining healthy.
Now I remember hearing that, thanks.
There has been some comment board chatter on the Atlanta Journal-Constitution site for quite a while about a possible Rasmus trade to the Braves. Somebody posting as ‘RC’, who sounds like RC, has made some low key but encouraging comments. Encouraging to those posters who would like to see it. I’ve also seen somebody posting as ‘Colby Rasmus’, criticising Albert and expressing dislike for the Cards. Of Course, its not actually Colby, but my point is somebody has been fanning the flames.
Scott Rolen had 10+ years in the majors, so we honored his request to be traded. He had earned respect. Ditto with Jim Edmonds.
When a bonus baby asks, its silly. Its too bad Rasmus did not spend a second full season at Memphis during 2009, to work at improving baseball skills and on growing up.
I dont know we would trade Rasmus this winter, but in the long run, I hope the Cards move him, as they did J. D. Drew for Adam Wainwright or Boston getting rid of Manny Ramirez. Its good to weed out malcontents.
Its great to see Rick Ankiel hit a game winning HR.
A bunch of fair-weather Cards fans gave up on Ankiel. He was brilliant in 2007 at Memphis and then in the majors, and terrific during the first half of 08 before a muscle injury. Ankiel did not bounce back in 2009 and moved to KC in the off season. He has only collected 200+ at bats during 2010, so must have had more injuries. When healthy, Ankiel has an unusual combination of power and arm. Its great to see things come together for him in the playoffs.
Did Edmonds request to be traded? I remember Rolen’s feud with LaRussa, but I don’t recall Edmonds wanting out of town. I thought that the Cards just dumped him because he was making too much money to play at a sub-par level.
Colby (or at least his family) may not always respond in a positive fashion, but at least he’s a quality player who didn’t just give up and freak out when things got tough, like your boy Ankiel, Jumbo, who only fell to the second round because of his own outrageous signing bonus demands. Ankiel needs to go away forever.
Jumbo, the Cardinals organization gave up on Ankiel. Otherwise, they would have signed him. The Royals gave up on him, too, having to pay Atlanta $1M just to take him for the rest of the season. It was a huge hit for Ankiel last night, but he is just 2-for-8 in the series and made a couple of his patented bad reads on balls in the field, so one at-bat hardly is a signal that it has come together for him. The only reason he is with the Braves is that Nate McLouth inexplicably flopped and Melky Cabrera has been disappointing, creating a short-term need.
Is Colby a malcontent or a young player caught in organizational politics or a mixture of both? People have strong opinions, but not actually being there, their views are developed through what they read. Sometimes it is a challenge to sort through the posturing. I can’t help but wonder what it would have been like had the internet existed when Carlton tussled over a few coins and Reuss balked over being told to shave his mustache or else by Gussie.
Nutlaw, Edmonds made it clear that he did not want to be a part-timer with the Cardinals so that facilitated his trade away.
Nutlaw, Ankiel via Boras did something unusual for the time, 1997, by challenging the suppressed signing bonuses for American amateurs. This helped lead to a much changed bonus situation. Many teams now routinely go “over slot” with signing bonuses. Think of it this way: was Curt Flood a bad guy for challenging MLB before advent of free agency, though free agency is customary now? Is it ok for Reds lefty Chapman to accept $30MM from the Reds, but Rick was uppity to seek $2.5MM? Why should a Cuban lefty collect more than 10 times the bonus of an elite American southpaw? Does MLB discriminate unfairly against American lads?
Domeboys, the Cards went in a different direction. This made sense, with Holliday, Rasmus, and Ludwick in the picture. The Royals saw Ankiel as a plausible candidate to help them in 2010. Injuries prevented his rebound. Last night, Ankiel got the start in CF over Nate McLouth, who had an even rougher 2010. Ankiel is better suited to RF or LF than CF. Chipper Jones, who knows a thing or two about injuries, says Rick is nice guy. I bet Ankiel never asked to be traded while playing in the Friendly Confines.
The Card recently did give up on Jack Clark, as a broadcaster. Good riddance. We need broadcasters with healthy outlooks.
Is Colby a malcontent? I do not know. I think his family has not done him any great favors by writing odd comments on web sites. And something prompted TLR to bring the issue out of the closet.
Is Colby a young man? Yes. Should we expect young (or old) athletes to have normal human imperfections and misunderstandings? Yes.
Is DeWitt smarter than Gussie Busch? Yes, its no contest.
In 1977 Al Hrabosky was having success as the mad hungarian. That routine was part of his success, psyching him up and batters out. Vern Rapp came in replacing Red and threw a wrench into it with his no facial hair policy. Al looked less mad without the fu manchu, but he manned up and carried on. He played elsewhere the next year.
Brian, its worth remembering that Colby played his formative years for his dad. Its possible that could have impacted his baseball worldview.
While i admire Ankiel`s efforts to become a full time position player……………………..after several failed stops (STL,KC and now ATL) it appears RA is now a part-time OF who will be a vagabond Free agent every year.
Ankiel will be a NRI for some team in a couple of years IMO.I think his stock has fallen very quick.
52: Ankiel succeeded in switching to position player. During his introduction in 2007, his OPS was good, 850+. It remained high in 2008, before muscle/sports hernia problem.
Then like Chris Duncan, Ankiel did not bounce back in 2009. He had a poor year. Maybe he stopped receiving HGH to tone up the muscles. TLR said his batting problems could be fixed and the GM of the Royals Drayton Moore explored this.
Ankiel should be in LF/RF. If healthy, he could do well as a slugging corner OF for a few years, if paired up with a right swinging platoon partner. He could be an inexpensive sign to help a budget conscious team. Right now, its nice to see Ankiel launch a clutch bomb for the Braves. There is some justice that the kid who lost control against the Braves in 2000, helps them in the playoffs a decade later.
Last year, Matt Holliday had the misfortune of losing sight of a fly ball that hit him. This years victim of losing a ball in the lights was Jay Bruce of the Reds. Its an occupational hazard that can happen at inconvenient times.
How is it justice when the Braves were the beneficiary both times?
I wonder if the problem was the lights or the waving of white towels in the stands. The batters eye is protected in every MLB park, yet the fielders are left on their own to deal with visual distractions. Another thing MLB should investigate but probably won’t…
Ankiel was put in a challenging situation, with a bad catcher, in the 2000 playoffs. The justice is he got back in the playoffs a decade later and was able to come through with a titanic blast. The justice is in relation to Rick’s life, not to a corporation, whether Braves, Cards, or Giants. If Ankiel is able to make some more plays, his story will get more media attentions. Readers love redemption.
Jumbo, I have no problem with players getting whatever money they can for their services, beyond the fact that games end up too expensive for people to attend with their families, which tends to hurt the future of the sport because it can’t grow new fans.
I just find it chuckle worthy to read you rip on Rasmus for being a bonus baby in one second and elevate Ankiel to hero in the next.
“. . . Braves were the beneficiary both times…”
I’m confused again. Are you talking about something besides Matt’s drop against the Dodgers.
Sorry for being unclear, bb. I was responding to this happy ending from Jumbo in comment #23.
“There is some justice that the kid who lost control against the Braves in 2000, helps them in the playoffs a decade later.”
My point is that Ankiel helped the Braves both times. I don’t see the justice in that.
From Ankiel’s personal perspective, I bet the specific teams he faced in the 2000 playoffs was immaterial.
Seems clear enough now. Jeesh, rough day.
Nutlaw, one difference between Rasmus and Ankiel is Rick got along well with the Cardinals through the years and did not have family openly campaigning for a trade. After Ankiel got discouraged with pitching, it was the Cards who proposed he try hitting. Ankiel stuck at it and achieved the rarely accomplished feat of performing in the majors as both player and pitcher.
“…….did not have family openly campaigning for a trade.”
What did they do, picket the FO?
I’d rather have a good player ruffle a few feathers than give up and play at a sub-optimal position. Ankiel can go enjoy obscurity as a fourth or fifth outfielder on some other team. He could have been an ace starter on the Cardinals. He gets no warm feelings from me.
crdswmn, at least since early last season Colby’s dad has been a regular presense on line. My interpretation of the basic message is that Colby and the Cards are not a good fit, and both would be better off if Colby was traded.
“openly campaigning for a trade” is a good description IMO.
Since the regular season ended, I’ve been seeing lots of Colby/Tony/Cards related comments following baseball stories at the Atlanta Journal site. No telling if any ‘family’ have anything to do with any of it. The style of some of it seems familiar though. The Braves are the team Colby’s dad has mentioned as a destination for Colby, being close to the family’s home turf.
IMO, if Colby can’t or won’t or doesn’t play up to his potential in St. Louis, its a big black mark against Tony. All the organization can do is find and develop the tallent. The manager has to employ it and make sure the workplace environment is condusive for the tallent to thrive. A good job was done of that in the case of Albert. Not so with Colby. Why is a good question.
At this point, does anyone really think TLR cares about getting “big black marks”?
IMO the big black mark is on Rasmus.He`s the one whining.He`s the one who doesn`t listen to coaches,He`s the one who can`t take constructive criticism.He`s the one who admits he has a laid back way of doing things.
So if Colby wastes the chance in STlouis he`s the one with the black mark.Wasted potential because of so-called less than steller work habits is a big black mark.
bling, Colby’s family has been posting mixed signals for maybe 3 years now. This stuff dates back a while. Early on, I tried to encourage him early on not to offer his personal opinions on the inner workings of the team. In retrospect, I think this was solid advice and well intended from me, in the best interest of Rasmus.
However in fairness, the son is not responsible for the parents, so we should keep an open mind about what Colby himself thinks. If the father likes the manager of Tampa Bay, Joe Madden, and wishes Joe was Colby’s manager, so be it. Dad’s get to have their own opinions too.
Should one of the longest serving managers aim to make a young player happy? I am old school and would say heck no. Its up to the young man to fit in with his team-mates and show them respect. The manager should not be just a cheerleader. This seems a problem within the fan base, to my surprise. Some think TLR is hard on young players. I am not one of those fans.
Bw52, black marks don’t keep managers with TLRs resume or pretty much any breathing player from getting nice contracts. That is especially true in the latter case. Otherwise a guy like Milton Bradley would have been working the drive-up window at Taco Bell starting about ten years ago.
I don’t think Tony cares about it at all.
Colby undoubtedly has his share of negative attributes, some of which might have arisen because he played for his dad his whole life until going pro. A guy like Albert would be easy to coach. He pretty much coaches himself I would think, and always has. Bill doesn’t need to spend a couple million a year for a skilled and experienced coach to coach Albert. Bill needs somebody who can effectively coach the Colbys and all the other young, less than Albert-like, tallent that they are pushing out the end of the pipeline. Tony is absolutely not that guy.
Anonymous remarks on the internet hardly constitute open campaigning. RC has been pretty clear on this blog that he would like to see Coby traded. No offense Brian, but I doubt remarks made here constitute an open campaign. The trade demand incident was not made public by Colby or any of his family. I suspect TLR leaked it to cover himself, but that is just my opinion. Colby has a bright future and he can outlast TLR if he has the stomach to do it. The Cardinals would be crazy to trade him unless they can get the sun the moon and the stars for him.
crdswmn, if the remarks were anonymous, they would be 100 percent irrelevant. Who cares what JumboShrimp writes? Not me. RC is Colby’s dad Tony, briefly a minor leaguer in the 1980s, later a very successful high school baseball coach and math teacher.
For perspective, RC urged Anthony Reyes be traded, so he would get a chance elsewhere. This seemed a kind thought. Mo thought the same thing and sent Anthony to Cleveland.
It gets a bit iffier to suggest a son be traded to the Padres, Tampa Bay, or the Braves, on grounds he wants to have more fun, while TLR is too serious.
The Cards have had off-field funlovers. Josh Hancock partied into a fatal car accident. Scott Speizio got hooked on coke. Freese had some DUIs. Do I mind if TLR tries to uphold some discipline and seriousness? No. After Rasmus earns free agency, he will be free to seek more fun in another town.
The Cards have been helped a great deal by Wainwright. Adam was acquired in a trade for J D Drew. If Mo recieves generous offers for Rasmus, it would be irresponsible not to consider them carefully.
crdswmn, you are not offending me, as I did not make the “open campaign” comment in this thread. I do agree with the others who have characterized it that way, however. The initial efforts preceded this blog and received wide attention at the time. There is a complicated backstory that caused people to feel justified in acting the way they have. As people use the media to help deliver their messages, it has been very difficult for me to sort out “right” from “wrong”.
Jumbo’s final comment above is especially topical to me. I ran across an old article yesterday that caused me to write a post on the subject that I may use tonight/tomorrow here. Nothing earth-shattering; just kind of interesting…
Brian says its been difficult to sort out “right” from “wrong.” I agree. I do not hold Rasmus to blame for public comments from family. And, parents have a right to express themselves. I often find Tony Rasmus amusing or to make sense.
I doubt the Cards will trade Colby anytime soon, because he fits their lineup. If they do trade him, however, it will either because they got a good deal in terms of talent or there is stuff behind the scenes that Mo does not find encouraging.
http://dummidumbwit.files.wordpress.com/2010/05/wildlife-monkeys-hear-no-evil-see-no-evil-speak-no-evil.jpg
Brian, I was referring to the idea that your blog was not a widely known public outlet. That is why I made the remark.
. I have a tendency to be less than clear in my remarks sometimes. Regardless of what has been said by Colby’s family, the decision lies with management and trading him because he is unhappy or because TLR is an ass and wants his way is irresponsible in my opinion. TLR is the manager and he is being paid to manage not make personnel decisions. Colby is a player and is being paid to play. MLB is not recess. That said, I think TLR needs to lighten up and Colby needs to develop a thicker skin. These are my opinions–maybe naive–but what I think.
In general, for the overall good of the game, owners and the player’s union would likely agree that they do not want players expressing wishes in public about wearing a different uniform when under contract to another. This could undermine public confidence in fair competition and its not helpful for ticket sales. Even Rolen did not make his request for a trade public, it was TLR who disclosed this.
Of course guys can want to play for their favorite teams. This is human. Mark Buehrle mentioned how he would like to play for the Cards, however, when push came to shove, Buehrle signed a big contract to remain with the White Sox and never went into free agency. Jason Isringhausen, in contrast, used free agency to head home. Or Ken Griffey starred for the Mariners, but then wanted to move home to Cincinnatti. One of the great advantages of free agency is it gives veterans the right to make their own choices. This right has also led teams to become generally more respectful of players.