ESPN.com's Buster Olney is reporting that the Indians are ready to trade Mark DeRosa after the Cubs swept them this past weekend.
The Indians, like other struggling teams, are looking to build for the future; in other words: build a younger team.
The Cardinals could very well fulfill those needs in Cleveland. St. Louis has multiple young players on their current active roster. They also have some talented players devoloping at the AAA level (keep an eye on outfielder Mark Shorey).
Olney later stated that the Mets and Yankees are interested in DeRosa. Let me tell you why he wouldn't fit with either team:
DeRosa, who has played third base most of this season, would have to move to second base if traded to the Mets. Even then, he would have to beat Luis Castillo for the everyday role, and Castillo is hitting .270 with just 16 strikeouts.
If the Mets decided to move DeRosa to the outfield, he surely wouldn't be an everyday player. Gary Sheffield, the starter in left, still has some power. Carlos Beltran is arguably one of the best hitters in the Met lineup. Ryan Church is another solid .275 hitter.
Bottom line: The Mets just don't need Mark DeRosa.
What if DeRosa were to go to the Yankees? That, in my opinion, would be an even worse fit. However, knowing the Yankees, they'd still probably go after DeRosa.
DeRosa would never beat A-Rod out for third base. Robinson Cano, the Yankee second baseman, has emerged as one of their better hitters this year (.305, 12 HRs, 42 RBIs).
DeRosa could possibly become an outfielder in the Bronx; that is, of course, if he can beat out Johnny Damon, Nick Swisher, or Melky Cabrera. DeRosa's average is only better than that of Swisher.
Now, he has hit more home runs than Swisher or Cabrera, but where would DeRosa hit in that Yankee lineup. Seventh? Eighth? He's not a better hitter than Cano, Damon, A-Rod, Derek Jeter, Mark Teixeira, or Hideki Matsui. That would put DeRosa in the seventh spot. He has hit seventh before, but, let's face it: DeRosa is a No. 6 hitter. He's hit there a lot in his career—and he's hit well there.
So, I don't think DeRosa would be a good fit for either team in New York. Obviously, being a Cardinal blogger, I'm going to want to see DeRosa in a Cardinal uniform. However, regardless of my bias views, doesn't St. Louis seem like the perfect fit?
The Redbirds need another strong bat in the lineup. Their everyday third baseman has not played a game all year. Joe Thurston, Troy Glaus' replacement has cooled off dramatically, hitting a mere .226.
We've recently seen Khalil Greene play some third base. Now, I'm a big Greene fan and I want him to do well after his recent severe anxiety disorder case, but I just don't see him breaking out for a big year. He's had a serious problem, and I'm not so sure that he can contain that. Like he's said, "It's uncontrollable."
Honestly, DeRosa would be an upgrade from Greene anyways. However, if the Cards were to acquire DeRosa, they'd have to contradict what I stated earlier. DeRosa is a No. 6 hitter. What the Redbirds need is a clean-up hitter to give lineup protection to Albert Pujols. The Cardinals should try hitting him in the four-spot. DeRosa hits just .217 in the cleanup spot—however, he's only hit there a handful of times.
This is the move that the Cardinals have been waiting for. This is the move that Cardinal Nation has been dreaming of. Now, it's closer than ever. And it's all up to GM John Mozeliak. The heat is on, and Mo knows.
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