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Jays on the verge of acquiring Rolen

JEFF BLAIR

Globe and Mail Update

Latest comment posted at 1:30 PM EST 14/01/08

Toronto to send Troy Glaus to St. Louis in swap of third basemen ...Read the full article

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  1. Gary Bushwell from Auckland, New Zealand writes: If true, JP is an alchemist. How he can turn zero value into anything tangible, I'll never know.
  2. JOHN PALANDRA from Toronto, Canada writes: This is a great trade for the jays, i really love what Rolen brings defensively and he is a more patient hitter at the plate, with slightly less power. Glaus will be missed but he was a diminishng asset
  3. David P from stuck in Calgary, Canada writes: So JP's trading an oft-injured disgruntled 3rd baseman for an oft-injured 3rd baseman who has a history of feuding with his manager (see Philly before St. Louis)...great, so we can watch Gibbons get the stuffing knocked out of him by Rolen who could probably throw better punches than Ted Lilly...

    Nice one JP - at least the fight night ratings will go up as fans will want to tune in to see someone beat the snot out of Gibbons...doesn't matter how much talent you think you have - if you don't have a manager who can pull it together, you're spinning your wheels...
  4. mike r from Southern Ontario, Canada writes: Both are injured yes, and Rolen doesn't have quite the power that Glaus has, but the improvement on D has sold me on this one! Considering the turf kept reaggrevating the Glaus injury he was becoming a liability more than anything else, so might as well grab someone else who was in need of a change in sceneary. Here's hoping that Rolen stays healthy, if he does I think the Jays win out in the end (even in Glaus explodes offensively with the Cards, still doesn't have the D).
  5. J L from Thunder Bay, Canada writes: This potentially good be a good trade for the Jays.They've definitely helped themselves defensively and Rolen can hit for average with some power.,Still awaiting a trade for a catcher.they need one who can hit consistently and for average. at that position,Still think they need a Third or Fourth Starter as well, in the pitching rotation.
  6. Luke P from Vancouver, Canada writes: Rolen's probably a better fit for this lineup anyway. With Glaus, you were limited to batting him fifth (or fourth if Thomas wasn't playing) because he doesn't hit for average. Rolen's a .300 hitter (.315 to .325 if he's healthy), so you can slot him anywhere between second and sixth, depending on how the rest of lineup shakes out. That's handy when you're trying to balance a streaky lineup like the Jays have from time to time (for example, if Wells struggles again, move him down to 6th, with Rolen 2nd, Rios 3rd, and Overbay 5th).

    Oh yeah, Rolen also hits right handers well, something Glaus couldn't do with a tennis racket.
  7. Mike M from Toronto, Canada writes: Luke P - Rolens never hit higher than .314. How is he a 315-325 hitter when healthy? He's also only hit .300 once, so the statement that he's a .300 hitter is rather optimistic too.

    I still like the deal, but you're out with Reed Johnson in left field on this one.
  8. Kyle L from T., Canada writes: I like this deal if it goes through. Rolen is a better asset for our batting order than Glaus. I'll miss his power, but injuries were beginning to become more frequent.
  9. L. W. from Greener Pastures, Canada writes: Given the two players, I would rate this as a tit for tat trade. This trade is more about two GM's trying to accomodate two players wishes. Not much to get overly excited about here.
  10. BB Freak from Canada writes: david p form calgary said it all... big gamble this one...another JP head scratcher... what I'd give for a GM with a plan!
  11. John S from Donkeyburro, Canada writes: Yeah tit for tat...Glaus has more power but Rolen hits for higher avg. That should keep a few more rallies going. I'm just going by memory but wasnt Glaus' defence okay? I know he couldnt have missed more than one throw to 1st all season. On the injury thing I'm not so sure either can play 162 games which is why I like Johnny Mac. He should get lots of playing time between short and 3rd and hopefully Denboe can get him hitting a few ticks higher.
  12. John S from Donkeyburro, Canada writes: And I'll take Gibbons in the cage match. Rolen has the reach but Gibby has the weight advantage.
  13. Billy Biroux from Polar Bear Pit, Nunavet, Canada writes: To me everything the Jays do is motivated by what will sell tickets.
    They know standing pat will make people forget about them.
    So they have to make some kind of noise to get people interested.
    Glaus for Rolen is trading six of one for half dozen of another.
    But its a new face, and he may sell a few more seats.
  14. Oh Canada from Canada writes: Horrible...

    Rolen is basically like Hillenbrand, who we traded out for more homeruns...

    Do we really want to count on Frank the Big Mistake Thomas?

    If Riccardi is still thinking of moving Rios...

    This is why I didnt go to a Jays game last year.
  15. BB Freak from Canada writes: it warms my heart to see how many BB fans on this board are hip to JP's smoke and mirrors routine...
  16. Andrew Stoeten from Toronto, Canada writes: It amuses me quite a lot when Jays fans get so indignant about the way JP operates. I think you're right to be cynical about some of his moves (though wrong about Rolen being brought in to sell tickets or no different that Glaus), but why get upset about it? You know how to read him (at least a little bit), so use that constructively instead of just throwing your hands up in the air and professing your distrust of him.

    I'm not sure what makes anyone think Rolen will sell tickets if Roger Clemens didn't. I also don't know how anyone can talk about Frank "The Big Mistake" Thomas when he was the team leader in HR, RBI, BB, OBP, and second to Matt Stairs in OPS.

    And not to pick on "Oh Canada", but Rolen is hardly like Shea Hillenbrand-- unless I missed the fact that Shea Hillenbrand was one of the best defensive third basemen in the history of baseball-- or at least the last 30 years. Rolen also hits righties much better than Glaus.

    Yes, the injuries are a big concern, but they would have been for Glaus too. The best way I can explain the say it is like this:

    If I'm going to have a third baseman with health questions who may no longer be the hitter that he used to be, I definitely want the one with the seven gold gloves, the feet that can stand playing on artificial turf, the ability to score from second on a double, and no steroid distractions.

    The D is especially important because three or four of the Jays starters (Halladay, Burnett, McGowan and to a lesser degree, Litsch-- if he's in the rotation) are groundball machines.

    Guys, this is a good trade. You were going to have questions about the health of the third baseman regardless-- possibly even more with Glaus because of the turf. You've vastly improved your defense (necessary because Eckstein is no Johnny Mac), and even though you've lost some power, you get a guy who helps you more than Glaus with one of your glaring weaknesses-- hitting righties.
  17. Andrew Berthoff from Toronto, Canada writes: Rolen and Eckstein are gamers and the Jays will benefit hugely IF they can stay in the lineup. Add them to the hustle of Hill, and the infield is looking very good.

    Glaus had decent stats, but his numbers didn't come close to his salary. He's also not Mr. Charisma: when he slumped, he slumped terribly, usually looking mystified at everything at the plate and often taking it on the field.

    I think both players and teams will benefit from this move. I also think Rolen knows how to help convert a Wildcard spot into World Series glory.

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