Joe Strauss, of the Post Dispatch, stirred up the seemingly always simmering pot of crazy Colby Rasmus chili with a report stating that the Cardinals were in deep talks to trade their former top prospect to the Chicago White Sox for starting pitcher Edwin Jackson or reliever Matt Thornton.

Five reasons why this deal might happen:

1. Colby’s a head-case. He’s always sad about being picked on because of something, and while he may not deserve all the flack he gets, the center fielder never seems to handle it well.

2. Kenny Williams likes to make trades. The guy is a trading machine, at one point basically admitting that he’s always looking to deal.

3. Edwin Jackson is a pending free agent who’s having a so-so year. A 6-7 record with an ERA of just under 4.00, Sox fans aren’t too upset to see the starting pitcher go especially in exchange for a guy with a lot more upside than the struggling Alex Rios.

4. The Cardinals need starting pitching. Starting pitching could improve the bullpen as well and pretty much everyone on the coaching and front office staff have admitted their desire for a back of the rotation starter. Edwin Jackson is certainly that guy.

5. There are rumblings that even with Rasmus’ talent, he’s an annoyance to the club and coaching staff, so removing him might be a Brendan Ryan-esque addition via subtraction. In addition, the coaching staff’s budding infatuation with Jon Jay makes any move even easier.

Five reasons why this deal will die:

1. Colby Rasmus is only 24. As annoying as he might be, he’s still very young, is expected to keep getting better and under club control for years to come.

2. Edwin Jackson isn’t enough of a return. While we’d love to have Jackson in the back end of our rotation, he’s a rental and an average pitcher, meaning that’s not enough for Colby Rasmus (see #1). Strauss mentioned a third team might get in the mix, and that should help, but even with a prospect thrown in, this deal doesn’t seem like there’s enough coming back to St. Louis.

3. We need a reliever. Matt Thornton’s name was also mentioned as return (instead of Jackson) in the piece, but he was recently re-upped and has also had a year that could easily be described as “average at best”.

4. We fell for this “Jon Jay is going to be awesome, we promise!” thing last year when we shipped off Ludwick to the Padres last year. Jay was killing it in part-time duty, but after getting chance at the starting job, he looked over-exposed and over-matched.

5. Maybe we aren’t offering enough. You aren’t just trading Colby, you’re also trading his pain-in-the-ass, “Please everyone look at me! I want to be famous too! I’m the best high school coach ever! Gotta go call in to a talk radio show or chat on this random sports website” dad. …ok, throw in Theriot. He’s this year’s Aaron Miles!

We think the writing is on the wall for the end of the Rasmus era in St. Louis. After more anonymous player venting, and the whole “Daddy teach me how to hit” crap came up yet again, it’s clearly time for him to go, but we’re not sure this is the deal to do as it stands right now. Maybe talk to the Rays, see if we can get James Shields or a lesser pitcher with B.J. Upton, or get than mysterious third team to throw something worthy back our direction. Either way, Edwin Jackson and a one of the White Sox farmhands aren’t enough for even the whiniest of 24-year old center fielders.

via STLToday

The quirky Cardinals shortstop that’s had a permanent reservation at Tony LaRussa‘s dog house appears to be on his way out of St. Louis. After the Cardinals acquired ex-Cub Ryan Theriot from the Dodgers, the writing has been on the wall for Brendan Ryan, the mustachioed gentleman in the photo to the right taken a year ago when one of the local clubs had its douchebag collection on public display.

Is this really it though? Can’t Brendan sill rock out defensively, even though he can’t hit above his weight? Tell us Derrick Goold of STLToday!

The motive for moving Ryan is even more spurious. It seems like the Cardinals are willing to trade him not just because he had a down offensive year and remains a confounding riddle at the plate, but because his personality (his perceived personality) isn’t a fit. That is a flimsy reason to give up on his potential and give away his glove.

There you have it. Brendan is really out because there’s something about him that got under people’s skin, and clearly, as the photo above suggests, he was a bad influence on young Colby Rasmus. A dismembered Mickey Mouse shirt AND the flat bill hat with untucked chain?! You’re lucky you can hit Colby. Tony don’t play that.

If only Brendan was a little less weird and much crappier defensively, only then could he have most certainly become a Tony favorite like Aaron Miles. Alas, it wasn’t meant to be and it appears Ryan will be long traded before spring training begins.

In the meantime, you hard-core Brendan Ryan fans can buy his locker nameplate from the 2010 season:

Don’t all go rush to MLB.com at once now.

“I love Detroit.”

That was former Kansas City Royal, Oakland Athletic, Boston Red Sox, New York Yankee and current Detroit Tiger Johnny Damon yesterday after turning down a chance to be traded back to the Boston Red Sox team he helped bring a World Series Championship to in 2004 after sweeping the Car…ugh. Blockquote to break the painful memory anyone?

The Red Sox claimed Damon on waivers this week, but he had the right to veto a move to Boston because of a no-trade clause in his contract.

“These guys really like me here,” Damon said Tuesday, adding that he spoke to each of his teammates individually to be sure he was wanted in the Tigers’ clubhouse.

Jesus. Everyone knows you’re a liar and just don’t want to go back to Boston because the fans were mean to you while rocking pinstripes. Wanna know why? Because Detroit sucks dude. Totally sucks. As in “worse than St. Louis” sucks. When people visit Detroit they always step on their tip-toes like they are trying to quickly walk through a puddle. Going downtown has got to be like driving around in Grand Theft Auto but with less people on the street to hit.

“I feel like we’re not out of it yet,” he said. “At least we can make some kind of run.”

No Johnny, Detroit is not going to make the playoffs.

Damon said he’d like to play in Detroit next year too, but “there’s no guarantee.”

…that Deroit will even been there next year? First smart thing you’ve said all day. We hear their homeless are nearing completion on their Homeless Deathstar made out of shopping carts, old coats and used condoms. There’s one exhaust duct you can shoot to destroy it, but its all gross and you’d have to get up close. Just give them Detroit.

[Editor's Note: Some posts are actually about St. Louis, while others are about us looking down our nose at shittier cities. It's called variety. You're welcome.]

Photo: Johnny Damon’s Wife. Ah! Now you get it.

via ESPN Boston

According to the Cincinnati Reds’ Twitter feed, they have just acquired former Cardinal Jim Edmonds.

This move continues ex-Cardinal GM Walt Jockety’s quest to rebuild his old Cardinal team in Cincinnati that currently includes Scott Rolen, Jason Isringhausen, Russ Springer and Miguel Cairo.

We hear a waiver deal possibly involving Fred Bird is next, but until then expect an Edmonds appearance later on in the upcoming series vs the Reds.

Update: It’s on ESPN now too.

A few hours before the Major League Baseball trading deadline passed, the Cardinals brass pulled the trigger on a three-team deal that brought back a pitching prospect from the San Diego Padres and veteran starting picture Jake Westbrook from the Cleveland Indians while sending right-fielder Ryan Ludwick to the Padres in return.

Everyone is pissed. Well not everyone…Jake Westbrook is stoked.

“I’m excited to go to a club that’s contending for a playoff spot and pitch in some meaningful ballgames,” Westbrook said. “That’s why you play the game, to get a chance to play in the playoffs and I look forward to doing that.”

Well that’s nice. Good for him. Get really for a cold clammy welcome Jake!

Compared to the views within the walls of Busch Stadium, those fan tweets are nearly cheers.

Asked if he was surprised by the deal, Chris Carpenter waited 12 seconds before responding.

“The loss of Ludwick is something that surprised me,” the ace eventually said. “In turn, you have to give up something to get something. Unfortunately it was Ryan. … I can only speak for myself and not for everybody else. It’s nice to acquire a guy like Westbrook, and it’s hard to lose a guy like Ludwick. There’s no question.”

He paused five seconds.

“It will be interesting to see.”

Cold vibes coming from Carpenter, but the off-the-record Cardinal quotes Joe Strauss got are much better:

(more…)

According to our sources the St. Louis Cardinals have had internal discussions about trading injured so-so shortstop Brendan Ryan to the New York Yankees for All-Star third baseman Alex Rodriguez.

It is not clear whether the Cardinals have brought this idea to the attention of the Yankees. Even if the Yankees were actually to consider this offer it might be a difficult to one to work out as A-Rod is a good contributor and has recently bonded with the New York fans after reclaiming the World Series title in 2009.

We asked a Cardinals’ official about these internal discussions who responded only with “What?! This is completely stupid…wait, how did you get this number?”

Money could be a possible issue on this deal as Rodriguez makes a staggering $27.5 Million dollars a year, but the issue is side-stepped as the Cardinals’ internal discussions involve the Yankees picking up all of the money owned to Rodriguez for some reason. Also the internal discussions involve the Yankees would deliver muffins to the Cardinals on the completion of the deal.

This news may well echo the recent news of the Phillies internal discussions involving a trade of Ryan Howard to the Cardinals for reigning MVP Albert Pujols.  Speaking of that deal, here’s what Buster Onley, the story’s author, had this today in his blog (ESPN Insider required):

About the Howard/Pujols story the other day: What was written was dead-on.

I did not write that there were ongoing discussions between the two teams.
I did not write that the Cardinals had an inclination to deal Pujols.
I did not write that the Phillies are looking to dump Ryan Howard.

Internal discussions are part of the sport. It’s how the Phillies got to the point that they pursued Mike Lowell and Halladay, in spite of their flat denials. I once wrote a story about their serious interest in Lowell, and club executives shot it down as untrue; an assertion that was, in itself, completely untrue.

Internal discussions are how the Cardinals got to the point that they made a deal last summer for Matt Holliday. Quite frankly, if the Phillies’ executives didn’t have those kinds of conversations, they wouldn’t be doing their jobs.

And as a reporter, when you have confirmed information that the Phillies have discussed internally an avenue through which they might pursue the best player in baseball — and you know exactly who said what to whom, and how sturdy the intent was — that is news.

The only difference was, in this case, that the internal conversations were about two superstars. And while it may be inconvenient to some, it’s credible.

Not only that, but Buster was also a guest on 101 ESPN’s Burwell and Someoneelse show. Don’t get shocked now, but Burwell didn’t exactly ask the important questions as much as verbally fellate Olney over the WXOS airwaves. The “interview” consisted of them bashing everyone for not reading the Olney piece and then Burwell saying that he “feels Olney’s pain.”

Look guys, yes there were those that, for some reason, read Olney’s piece and thought a trade was in the works, but I think they are the minority.  The real question is: How is this even news?  Buster himself even says in his reply

Quite frankly, if the Phillies’ executives didn’t have those kinds of conversations, they wouldn’t be doing their jobs.

And I think we can all agree that probably every MLB team at one point or another, has said internally “How the hell do we get Pujols on his team.”  So once again we ask, how the hell is this news?  We usually like Buster Olney, but later this season, please don’t tell us all about the internal discussions the Phillies have about where to go to lunch.