from SI.com...

The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a seven-year, $120 million deal with Matt Holliday, SI.com has learned. Holliday will also get a full no-trade clause.

Holliday batted .353 with 13 home runs and 55 RBIs in 63 games with the Cardinals after being acquired in a July trade from the Oakland Athletics. He helped stabilize their batting order by providing a consistent power threat in the cleanup spot behind NL MVP Albert Pujols. When they added Holliday on July 24, the Cardinals led the NL Central by just 1½ games, but by the end of August their lead had swelled to 10 games and they cruised to the division title.

COMPLETE ARTICLE

MLB st. louis cardinals, matt holliday

What a week it was in the Hot Stove League around Major League Baseball…

HALLADAY, LEE INVOLVED IN 3-TEAM DEAL
The rich get richer. The Philadelphia Phillies, a team heavy in left-handed pitching, added one of baseball’s best right-handers, Roy Halladay.  Here are the specifics:

… Seattle gets Lee.

… Philadelphia gets Halladay from Toronto, along with right-hander Phillippe Aumont, outfielder Tyson Gillies and Juan Ramirez from Seattle.

… Toronto gets right-hander Kyle Drabek, outfielder Michael Taylor and catcher Travis d’Arnaud from Philadelphia.

…Toronto has already flipped Taylor to the Athletics for third baseman Brett Wallace.

…The Blue Jays will also send $6 million in cash to the Phillies to help defray Halladay’s $15.75 million salary for 2010.

…In agreeing to a trade to Philadelphia, Roy Halladay has also secured a three-year, $20 million extension through 2013.

MORE
--Boston lands John Lackey and Mike Cameron and now has the sites focused on Adrian Gonzalez

--The Mets are zeroing in on free agent outfielder Jason Bay

--Orioles join Cardinals in bidding for Matt Holliday

--Baltimore signs Garrett Atkins, Mike Gonzalez

--Matsui, Angels Agree To Deal

MLB hot stove league, roy halladay, cliff lee, john lackey, matt holliday

MLBTradeRumor.com's Tim Dierkes projects where the top free agents will fall:

1.  Matt Holliday - Mets.  The Mets could grab headlines by signing Holliday to a six or seven-year deal for more than $100MM.

2.  John Lackey - Yankees.  Last winter's strategy of signing the best two starters and the best hitter available contributed to the Yankees' World Series title.  With rotation question marks after C.C. Sabathia and A.J. Burnett, it makes sense that the Yanks will pursue the best available starter in Lackey.

3.  Jason Bay - Red Sox.  It's been rumored the Red Sox are willing to offer four years and $60MM to Bay.  That seems to be a fair opening bid, given his defensive struggles.

4.  Chone Figgins - Angels.  The Angels have internal options at third base, but he'd be hard to let go after a career-high .395 OBP and excellent defense at the hot corner.

5.  Randy Wolf - Mets.  The Mets regrettably chose Oliver Perez over Wolf a year ago.  As the best available starter aside from Lackey, Wolf is primed to get a three-year deal worth more than $30MM.

MORE PROJECTIONS

MLB mlb free agents, 2009 free agents, matt holliday, john lackey, jason bay

A month ago it seemed as if the Los Angeles Dodgers were hands down the pick to win the National League. However, between pithcing woes and moves by the Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals have made that proposition seem less likely. The Phillies added defended AL Cy Young winner Cliff Lee and the Cardinals beefed up their batting order with the addition of Matt Holliday in a pair of deadline deals. Thus far, the moves are paying off.

Let's look at the impact the two players have made since putting on their new uniforms:

CLIFF LEE (through  4 starts)
4-0, 0.82 ERA, 2 CG's, 33 IP, 34 K's, 6 BB, 3 ER

MATT HOLLIDAY (through 24 games)
.417 BA, 5 HR, 23 RBI's, 17 R, 8 BB

With the Dodgers fading fast, look for the Phillies and Cardinals to continue to soar and one of them will likely be the NL's representative in the World Series.

MLB los angeles dodgers, philadelphia phillies, st. louis cardinals, cliff lee, matt holliday

Once again the St. Louis Cardinals stepped up and got a player that will help put them over the top. The latest acqusition for the Redbirds is A's outfielder Matt Holliday, who was the best bat on the market in most people's eyes.

The A's sent Holliday and $1.5 million to the Cardinals and receive power-hitting third baseman Brett Wallace, a top offensive player in the St. Louis farm system; outfielder Shane Peterson and right-hander Clayton Mortensen.

Sure they paid a price, but they are now the clear-cut favorites to win the NL Central and once they get to the playoffs, anything can happen.

Holliday paid immediate dividends on Friday night, going 4 for 5 with a RBI in the Cards' 8-1 drubbing of the Phillies last night. The victory moved St. Louis to a 53-46 record and a 1.5 game lead in the division over both the Cubs and Astros.

FOXSports.com's Ken Rosthenthal thinks it was a good move, but suggests the price could be high.

"They could re-sign Holliday or collect the two high draft picks by offering him arbitration. They also figure to trade infielder Troy Glaus, who is on a rehabilitation assignment after undergoing shoulder surgery, perhaps for another prospect," Rosenthal wrote. "Wallace, who is more of a first baseman than third baseman, more of an AL player than an NL one, had a limited future in St. Louis. Mortensen, according to the scouting reports of one club, projects more as a reliever, "but a pretty good one." Peterson lacks a standout tool, but could be a useful extra player."

That still might be a lot to give up for two months of Matt Holliday, plus two draft picks. Wallace is going to hit; one rival GM describes him as "maybe Nick Johnson without the injuries, maybe better. Definitely a big-league bat, but we don't think he's a star." Other executives hold a higher opinion of Wallace. The profile of him in the 2009 Baseball America Prospect Handbook says, "Think batting champ with the ability to be a big bopper."

ESPN's Peter Gammons firmly believes Holliday will thrive in St. Louis, and that the change in environment will energize his career, just as it did for Jim Edmonds, Mark McGwire, Chris Carpenter and so many players who relocated to The Lou in the past. Holliday was inconsistent in Oakland; some questioned whether he still deserved the “elite” label as a hitter.

If Holliday has something to prove, he’s come to the right place to make it happen.  Though the history represents a very small sample size, Holliday has routinely punished the baseball in games played in St. Louis. His numbers in St. Louis: 49 ABs, 5 HRs, .367 BA, .456 OBA, .776 SLG. On the surface, Holliday and St. Louis appear to be an ideal fit, and this synergy can drive up his market value.

OTHER WINNERS IN TRADE (St. Louis Post-Dispatch)

Fantasy Baseball, MLB st. louis cardinals, oakland a's, matt holliday, brett wallace, shane peterson, clayton mortensen.

From MLB.com:

Baseball's annual General Managers Meetings commence Monday in Dana Point, Calif., and Nationals GM Jim Bowden will try his best to improve an offense that finished near the bottom in almost every statistical category in 2008.

Bowden was not available for comment Sunday, but a National League source said the Nationals are looking for a cleanup hitter and have targeted free-agent outfielder/first baseman Adam Dunn, Brewers first baseman Prince Fielder, Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday and free-agent first baseman Mark Teixeira as possibilities to solve their problem at the No. 4 hole.

******

A better question to me is how does Jim Bowden still have a job. The Nationals are nothing more than a graveyard of "five-tool" players that Bowden covets, but what the team really needs is some pitching and players that can hit in the clutch, something Bowden has never had an eye for.  As for Dunn he's not going to get the $15-$20 million per year that he thinks he is, or at least I hope not. 

MLB nationals, adam dunn, prince fielder, matt holliday, mark teixiera

from the Denver Post:

Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said recently the club has important decisions to make with personnel, but indicated that trades wouldn't start taking shape for several weeks.

The groundwork on deals is typically laid at the general managers' meetings, which will be held the first week of November in Southern California.

Holliday, who will be a free agent after next season, is monitoring the trade speculation. He turned down a multiyear contract offer last spring, and there has been no progress on a new deal since. The usual suspects will be involved for Holliday, namely Boston, the Phillies, Yankees, Angels, Mets and possibly even teams like the Royals and Nationals. 

The paper goes on to suggest that trading third baseman Garrett Atkins is the Rockies' first choice, but he is not going to bring back nearly as much in return as he has yet to prove he is capable of produce consistently outside of Coors Field. 

************

Does it make sense for the Reds to make a run at Holliday? They might not be able to compete with Boston and the Yankees in a bidding war, but they certainly have some young players that could lure the proven veteran. Reds' GM Walt Jocketty has a track record of pulling off deals just like this, but I don't think the Reds should come off a Johnny Cueto-type young arm to get Holliday, who could be a free-agent at the end of the season. 

MLB reds, rockies, matt holliday, garrett atkins, johnny cueto

In an effort to try to be less negative about the Cincinnati Reds, I am going to break up Reds Musings into two segments:  Positives and Negatives.  That way, I do not bring everyone down like I have the previous few posts.  With that said, let's start the experiment:

POSITIVES

• Dusty Baker's in-game managing has actually been pretty good.  Some people are always critical of moves (stolen base attempts, bunt attempts and hit and runs) that do not work, but those failures are part of the game.  Not every call he makes is going to work during the course of a season.  More impartantly, he rarely calls for a position player to bunt before the seventh inning, he is yanking pitchers at appropiate times, and is creating decent matchups both offensively and with his pitchers.  Again, this statement only applies to IN- GAME managing.
  
  
• With Colorado already out of the playoff picture, Matt Holliday is rumored to be on the trade market.  He is not a free agent until the end of the 2009 and is looking for a mega deal probably in the $16 - $18 million a year range.  He is a perfect replacement for Adam Dunn who seems to be heading out of town by August.  He is a better runner, defender and even a more productive hitter than Dunn and his cost is not a lot more.  He would answer the question, "Who, besides Jay Bruce, is going to play outfield for the Reds next year?"
  
  
• Speaking of Bruce, do not lose faith in him after his month long slump in June.  He is the Reds best player right now because he can hurt opposing teams in so many different ways and at any time.  Only Brandon Phillips comes close to Bruce.  If Phillips had better plate discipline (22 BBs in 322 ABs is awful), then he might be better than Bruce.
  
  
• John Feinstein's new book, Living on the Black, is an must read for any baseball fan who likes to know what goes on behind the scenes.
  
  
• I have been by readers to write Reds Musings on a more consistent basis.  Instead of posting it on Friday one week and Tuesday the next week, I'll just consistently do it on Thursdays from now on.  Is this a positive or a negative?

NEGATIVES

• George Grande gets constantly ripped because he is so bland, but that is not his worst quality as a broadcaster.  His worst trait is that he adds nothing to the broadcast.  It is as if he shows up at gametime, tells you what you see and no more, and then leaves as quickly as possible.  He may be a great guy, but he seems to be just collecting a paycheck.
  
  
• Speaking of Reds broadcasts, the pre game and post game radio shows are commercial fests.  The pre game is uniformative and repetitive and therefore, worthless.
  
  
• Baker's in game moves may be smart, but his lineups have cost the Reds many games.  It is hard to measure how many games his lineups actually have cost the Reds but there is some statistical evidence to this.  Any stat from Corey Patterson tells you that he should not EVER stand next to home plate.  His current line, .189/ .220/ .340, is one of the worst performances by a Red of all-time, particularly with all of the at bats he has had.  Secondly, Reds hitting in the third slot are last in the National League in OPS.  This, of course, points to Ken Griffey Jr. who sadly is having a terrible year (.240/ .345/ .399).  Nobody has come out and publically stated this, so I will be the first:  with Jeff Keppinger and Jerry Hairston Jr. now healthy, it is Griffey who should be riding the bench.  Lastly, Dunn's worst position in the lineup by far is the third slot.  Historically, he has hit in the low .200s when he has hit third... DO NOT BAT HIM THERE!
  
  
• With every game that Patterson attempts to hit and/ or Griffey bats third, Baker loses more credibility with Reds fans and his own players.
  
  
• Hal McCoy of the Dayton Daily News recently quoted a NL scout as saying, "(the Reds) are a very low- energy team."  We have also heard from radio and television broadcasters all season about how there is a lack of leadership in the clubhouse.  Without naming any players, these media members have basically said the veterans on the Reds do not care enough about winning and are not a great influence.  The scout's quote does not reflect well on the coaching staff, especially when Baker continues to insist how hard his players are trying.

MLB reds, dusty baker, adam dunn, jay bruce, matt holliday, brandon phillips.john feinstein, george grande, corey patterson, jeff keppinger, jerry hairston, ken griffey, hal mccoy

STUDS OF THE WEEK
The Rangers have been scoring runs galore of late and one of the major contributors has been Milton Bradley. The outfielder is batting .461 with 6 HR's and 12 RBI's over the past seven days. Jonathan O. Sanchez won his third straight start as the Giants beat the Washington Nationals 6-0 on Saturday night. Sanchez (5-3) allowed four singles, walked two and struck out four in seven innings. This marks the fifth consecutive start for Sanchez in which he lasted at least six innings and has given up two earned runs or less in each.


DUDS OF THE WEEK
Blue Jays' closer BJ Ryan had a week he would like to soon forget as he blew both of his save opportunities while posting an 0-2 record with a 33.25 ERA and an unheard of 5.45 WHIP. Fantasy owners may be a little gun shy to put him back in the line-up this week. The Cubs continue to win and lead in the NL Central, but they haven't had much help lately from 1B Derrek Lee. Over his last 7 games the slugger is batting just .167 with 0 HR's and 2 RBI's.


KEY INJURIES
David Ortiz (wrist): out until at least early July
Matt Holliday (hamstring): began rehab assignment; returns this week
Jake Peavy (elbow): hopes to return next week from DL
Chone Figgins (hamstring): sidelined to at least mid-June
Daisuke Matsuzaka (shoulder): ready to throw off of flat ground
Ryan Zimmerman (shoulder): placed on 15-day DL 6/4
Travis Hafner (shoulder): out until mid-to-late June
Carlos Pena (finger): disabled until early July
Jeremy Bonderman (back): will miss the rest of the season
Rafael Furcal (back): still struggling to get back on field


TWICE AS NICE
Here are some two-start pitchers to consider this week:

AL
Must-starts:
Josh Beckett – BAL (Daniel Cabrera), @CIN (Homer Bailey)
Cliff Lee - @DET (Armando Galarraga), SD (Wilfredo Ledezma)
Joe Saunders – TB (Edwin Jackson), ATL (Tom Glavine)

Sleeper Picks:
Mike Mussina – KC (Luke Hochevar), @HOU (Wandy Rodriguez)
Jesse Litsch – SEA (Erik Bedard), CHC (Ted Lilly)

NL
Must-Starts:
Edinson Volquez - @FLA (Mark Hendrickson), BOS (Justin Masterson)
Randy Johnson - @PIT (Zach Duke), KC (Luke Hochevar)
Matt Cain - @WAS (Tyler Clippard), OAK (Rich Harden)

Sleeper Picks:
Aaron Cook – SF (Pat Misch), @CHW (Jose Contreras)
Clayton Kershaw – @SD (Greg Maddux), @DET (Nate Robertson)


WAIVER WATCH (from leagues played at CBSSports.com)
Five most added:
C Jorge Posada(+30% roster change)
SP Homer Bailey (+27%)
RP Rafael Soriano (+27%)
SP Pedro Martinez(+25%)
C Ryan Doumit(+20%)

Five most dropped (non-injured):
SP Aaron Laffey (-10%)
C Mike Napoli (-10%)
SP Oliver Perez(-9%)
SP Greg Smith (-8%)
SP Andrew Miller (-8%)


GAMES PLAYED
Let's take a look at how many games each team will be playing this week:

American League
7: CHW, CLE, DET, KC, MIN, NYY
6: BAL, BOS, LAA, OAK, SEA, TB, TEX, TOR

National League
7: ARI, CIN, FLA, PIT, SF, WAS
6: ATL, CHC, COL, HOU, LAD, MIL, NYM, PHI, SD, STL

Fantasy Baseball milton bradley, jonathan o. sanchez, bj ryan, derrek lee, david ortiz, matt holliday, jake peavy, chone figgins, daisuke matsuzaka, ryan zimmerman, travis hafner, carlos pena, jeremy bonderman, rafael furcal, josh beckett, cliff lee, joe saunders, mike mussina, jesse litsch, edinson volquez, randy johnson, matt cain, aaron cook, clayton kershaw, jorge posada, homer bailey, rafael soriano, pedro martinez, ryan doumit, aaron laffey, mike napoli, oliver perez, greg smith, andrew miller

STUDS OF THE WEEK
Few players in the history of the game have had an career opening as great as the one that the Reds' highly-touted Jay Bruce just turned in following his call-up on Tuesday. The Reds' slugger had 13 hits and six walks in his first 28 plate appearences. He has scored 10 runs and stole two bases while driving in six and going yard twice, including a game-winning walk-off homerun on Saturday. The Rays' Scott Kazmir has been lights out since returning from a stint on the DL with an elbow injury, including two stellar performances this week. Kazmir logged 14 innings in two starts, stirking out 16 and walking just three as he posted a 0.64 ERA and picked up two wins in the process.


DUDS OF THE WEEK
Over the past few seasons the Dodgers' Jonathan Broxton has been amongst the game's top setup men. However, the big right-hander just turned in a week that he would like to forget. He blew his third save of the week on Saturday against the Mets and has posted a 0-1 record, 5.79 ERA, and 1.71 WHIP in that span. The Marlins' Dan Uggla had a rare off-week as he managed just 5 hits in 28 at bats and struck out 12 times in that span. Uggla still is sporting a .300 average and has hit 16 HR's on the year, making him on of fantasy's best second baseman.


KEY INJURIES
David Ortiz (wrist): set for MRI; risky play this week
Conor Jackson (concusion): likely out until June 6-8 series
Jake Peavy (elbow): Expect a mid-June return at best
Daisuke Matsuzaka (shoulder): placed on 15-day DL on 5/30
Chone Figgins (hamstring): disabled until at least mid-June
Travis Hafner (shoulder): out until mid-June or later
Eric Byrnes (hamstrings): On DL w/tear in both hamstrings
Matt Holliday (hamstring): Eligible to return June 10
Rafael Furcal (back): Return up in air; slow to recover
Troy Percival (hamstring): placed on 15-day DL on 5/29


TWICE AS NICE
Here are some two-start pitchers to consider this week:

AL
Must-starts:
Roy Halladay - @NYY (Joba Chamberlain), BAL (Daniel Cabrera)
Ervin Santana - @SEA (Erik Bedard), @OAK (Rich Harden)
Andy Pettitte - @MIN (Livan Hernandez), KC (Brian Bannister)

Sleeper Picks:
Kevin Slowey – BAL (Steve Trachsel), @CHW (Gavin Floyd)
Matt Garza - @BOS (Justin Masterson), @TEX (Scott Feldman)

NL
Must-Starts:
Carlos Zambrano - @SD (Shawn Estes), @LAD (Derek Lowe)
Aaron Harang - @PHI (Adam Eaton), @FLA (Burke Badenhop)
Oliver Perez - @SF (Freddy Sanchez), @SD (Shawn Estes)

Sleeper Picks:
Adam Wainwright – PIT (Tom Gorzelanny), @HOU (Shawn Chacon)
Kyle Lohse - @WAS (Odalis Perez), @HOU (Wandy Rodriguez)


WAIVER WATCH (from leagues played at CBSSports.com)
Five most added:
OF Jay Bruce (+33% roster change)
RP Dan Wheeler (+26%)
RP Jesse Litsch (+22%)
SP Jake Westbrook (+22%)
SP Matt Garza(+21%)

Five most dropped (non-injured):
DH Billy Butler (-13%)
3B Edwin Encarnacion (-13%)
SP Ian Snell (-10%)
SP Brian Bannister (-9%)
SP Jeff Francis (-8%)


GAMES PLAYED
Let's take a look at how many games each team will be playing this week:

American League
7: BAL, BOS, CLE, MIN, NYY, TEX
6: CHW, DET, KC, LAA, OAK, SEA, TB, TOR

National League
7: ATL, CHC, CIN, FLA, LAD, NYM, PHI, PIT, SD, STL
6: ARI, COL, HOU, MIL, SF, WAS

Fantasy Baseball jay bruce, scott kazmir, dan uggla, jonathan broxton, david ortiz, conor jackson, jake peavy, daisuke matsuzaka, chone figgins, travis hafner, eric byrnes, matt holliday, rafael furcal, troy percival, roy halladay, ervin santana, andy pettitte, kevin slowey, matt garza, carlos zambrano, aaron harang, oliver perez, adam wainwright, kyle lohse, dan wheeler, jesse litsch, jake westbrook, matt garza, billy butler, edwin encarnacion, ian snell, brian bannister, jeff francis