Phil Rogers Article

[DBAHO]

Good article,

NEW ORLEANS -- Walt Jocketty is an excellent general manager.

 

He didn't get much of a chance to show it in 2003 when the St. Louis Cardinals' ownership left him without funds to patch the gaping holes in his pitching staff, but he's back in the game.

 

Jocketty demonstrated his acumen Saturday, nudging the Cardinals back toward the top of the National League Central with a trade White Sox GM Ken Williams must envy.

 

By dealing J.D. Drew and Eli Marrero to Atlanta, Jocketty addressed the pitching shortfall that was responsible for the Cardinals finishing three games behind the Cubs last season.

 

Not only did St. Louis land three good arms in the deal—starter Jason Marquis, left-handed reliever Ray King and Adam Wainwright, the Braves' top pitching prospect—but it also saved itself about $6 million.

 

Warning bells should have sounded in Chicago and Houston when this trade was announced.

 

"We're not done yet," Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said. "We're still working to add a starter who can pitch with the two other guys on top of our rotation. What we did today gives us a chance."

 

Hello, Greg Maddux.

 

The financial flexibility created by trading Drew and Marrero, who are a year away from free agency, allows Jocketty to pursue the best free-agent starters still available.

 

If Jocketty succeeds in landing Maddux to pitch alongside Matt Morris and Woody Williams, the Cardinals would be much more viable in a race against the Cubs and the improved Houston Astros.

 

With four All-Stars in the lineup, St. Louis was second in the NL in runs scored last year, outscoring the Cubs by almost a run per game. But its thin pitching staff didn't do a good enough job of keeping opponents from scoring.

 

"Obviously, this is a difficult trade from the Cardinals' standpoint, giving up two players the caliber of J.D. Drew and Eli Marrero—two players who have grown up in our organization and had good careers with us," Jocketty said. "But this accomplishes a big part of our off-season priority—improving the pitching depth."

 

La Russa put it bluntly.

 

"If we didn't improve our pitching, we weren't going to have a chance," he said.

 

Marquis, 25, got to the big leagues quickly but never hit stride in Atlanta, where he came to clash with manager Bobby Cox. He started only two games for the Braves last year but will be counted on as a part of a St. Louis rotation that could include Chris Carpenter, Dan Haren and Jason Simontacchi.

 

King, 30, upgrades a bullpen that previously had Steve Kline and Cal Eldred as the only veterans behind closer Jason Isringhausen. It was the inclusion the 22-year-old Wainwright, a 6-foot-6-inch right-hander with a mid-90s fastball, that sealed the deal for the Cardinals, who are running thin on pitching prospects of their own.

 

Drew showed hints of greatness in his early days in the big leagues but never could stay healthy with the Cardinals. He goes to Atlanta as a replacement for Gary Sheffield, whose deal with the Yankees should be announced in the next few days. Marrero will play some first base, outfield and catcher for the Braves.

 

This is the exact kind of trade that Williams has been pursuing for two months. The Cardinals dealt surplus offensive players for less expensive pitchers, filling holes and giving themselves an opportunity to take advantage of a buyer's market for free agents.

 

Williams could have done this a month ago if he had declared Carlos Lee to be his surplus player. The Los Angeles Dodgers would have done a deal, as would Baltimore and several other teams. But Williams tried dealing Paul Konerko, Billy Koch or even Frank Thomas instead and thus remains gridlocked.

 

It's possible he's overvaluing Lee, whose diminished patience at the plate combined with an increased number of at-bats to yield the career highs in home runs (31) and RBIs (113) in 2003. It's also possible that Williams places such a high value on Lee because he thinks he might get him signed to a four-year, $20 million contract, making him affordable over the long haul.

 

But if you ask me, he would have a better chance to win next year if he dealt Lee and kept Magglio Ordonez, even if he is going to leave as a free agent after the season. It appears Williams has concluded his best chance to win is to spread Ordonez's $14 million salary around to four or five players—a couple of pitchers from a trade and two or three free-agent bargains.

 

According to sources, he asked Seattle for 24-year-old right-hander Rafael Soriano, an elite prospect, along with Freddy Garcia. That's exactly the kind of deal he needs to pull off, but he is running out of potential takers who can handle an Ordonez-sized salary—perhaps Anaheim, Baltimore or the Mets, and that's about it.

 

Williams can't say it's impossible to add arms and gain financial flexibility. The Cardinals just did it.