St Louis Cardinals

After a couple of days filled with reports and rumors of possible trades surrounding Astros ace pitcher Roy Oswalt, things seem to be at a standstill, at least from the St. Louis Cardinals’ perspective.

As a fantasy baseball fan, I pay close attention to the rapidly approaching trade deadline.

For instance, I was thrilled to see Cliff Lee move to Texas, home of the long-ball, since I didn't draft him on any teams this year. Indeed, most trades have some fantasy impact, but there is a pending trade that has the potential to make a major impact—both in fantasy and reality.

In an attempt to shore up their rotation and make a strong push to win the World Series this year, the St. Louis Cardinals have been actively pursuing Roy Oswalt.

Rivalries have always played a huge role in sports, and we all know the fun in rooting against a team we hate.

In the past, rivals have been compared in a number of ways, from who has the best current team to who has won the most championships to who has the best fans.

It was back in December of 2004 that the St. Louis Cardinals first traded Danny Haren.

Now, here in the summer of 2010, the Cardinals may re—acquire the former highly touted prospect.

Ed Price of AOL Fanhouse is reporting that the Cardinals are focused on Haren and the Cleveland Indian's Jake Westbrook.

Haren is signed through 2012 with a club option for 2013. Westbrook is a free agent at the end of the season.

Those two facts alone point out whose price is the cheapest in terms of players needed.

So you know the theory to the idea.

Now, it is time for an actual deal.

First off, we have to create a list of teams that can afford Albert Pujols financially.

Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees, Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Mets, Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox, Philadelphia Phillies, San Francisco Giants, Seattle Mariners, Detroit Tigers.

The St. Louis Cardinals rallied to beat the Los Angeles Dodgers 5-4 Sunday, completing only their second sweep this year. 

Although the Cards won their last two games using statistically non-threatening starters in Jeff Suppan and Blake Hawksworth, they could still use some reinforcements for their injury-ridden starting rotation. 

Kyle Lohse and Brad Penny will not likely contribute much more (if at all) to the Cards' 2010 season, and wins still are not guaranteed from aces Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, and rookie sensation Jaime Garcia. 

The St. Louis Cardinals know a mid-season drought should only be temporary—injuries, slumps, and the like are issues every ballclub encounters.

Although they boast a strong lineup on paper, the Cardinals are in trouble at the 2010 season midpoint: Two starting pitchers and an All-Star outfielder are injured, and the Redbirds' big bats have yet to live up to their potentials.

An obvious cure for injury and lack of performance is to go to the bench, but sometimes the bench simply cannot get the job done. So, franchises make larger adjustments—they make trades.

Strong Start By Carpenter

As Chris Carpenter breezed through the Los Angeles Dodgers lineup on Thursday night, all of Cardinal Nation gave a deep sigh of relief while they celebrated the 7-1 victory.  

For Major League Baseball's General Managers, the trading deadline can be one of the most stressful times of the year. St. Louis's John Mozeliak can breathe a little easier, knowing that he'll have a job for the next three years.

The Cardinals should breathe easier too, knowing that they've retained one of the key pieces in keeping Albert Pujols in a Cardinals uniform, and one of the top front office brains in all of baseball.