“Yet when asked about the focus of his daily drills, Rasmus replied: “I’m not working on anything right now.”

“He said he is eager for the season to end, for the pressure of high expectations to fade, for a few months away from baseball to dissolve the bitter taste of his final days in St. Louis.”

“I feel like I’ve played the outfield pretty good but my hitting’s been terrible,” he said. “But I wasn’t hitting good before I got here, so I didn’t really put too much expectation on myself to do good.” Rasmus

“So I’m just going out there and playing and just riding it out, and then work on it in the off-season.” Rasmus

“Last off-season I didn’t do anything baseball-wise,” he said. “I didn’t really pick up a bat ’til probably a week, two weeks before spring training.” Rasmus

And you called me bitter.

I love the competition AA is creating in Toronto. Force Snider and Thames to hammer the ball to earn their long-term roles with the club. Force Colby Rasmus to play to his potential or replace him in the future with Anthony Gose. As they play to keep their spots, all of these players also boost their trade values, which in turn gives AA lots of ammo to use on the market.

That, my friends, is the recipe of success in the AL East.

What am I to let go? Chatting about baseball. I hope the best for Rasmus and Toronto. He seems to be a good kid and all. His ability to succeed is not proven. Hence the huge upside.

“Rasmus is the worst defensive player I have ever witnessed starting in center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals.” I’ve witnessed McBride, Mcgee, Van Slyke, Lankford, Edmonds, Ankiel and Rasmus as starting every day center fielders.

Just an observation. I don’t think it a stretch to say Rasmus is the worst in class.

Have you actual witnessed Rasmus play outfield? By the end of this season you will witness him stop running as he approaches warning track on every ball over his head. He then lets ball hit bottom of wall and chase it down. I have never witnessed him touch the wall more or less climb it.

He would not go back to AAA , lose starting position and had four outfielders clearly outperforming him on the team. He had to go. STL put-up for sale sign and Toronto’s offer, nothing to get excited over, but was better than nothing because he was no longer a top prospect.

@MattProk

Gose will be our CFer…but not for at least two or three years. Rasmus will then be either a footnote or a stud corner outfielder – either on our team or another team after AA has fleeced another GM. Colby – like Snider – is an exceptional prospect and IF he(they) make it (many don’t) we’ll be LOADED. IF Colby DOESN’T make it – his upside is high enough, and our depth is so exciting and deep, that what we’ve given in this trade is meaningless.

As to Thames – a guy who before his injury at Uni was expected to be a very high draft choice – he too is an exceptional prospect and will part of a Bautista, Snider, Thames ROTATION (of some sort) between LF, RF and DH. The loser will be EE.

When Lawrie comes up next week or the week after – offensively and defensively the pieces will be in place that give us EIGHT exceptionally talented young(ish) position players/bats.

AA will then be able to turn his genius to the pitching. Not counting any of the pitchers on the team at present we’ve the following near ready (by mid-2012) EXCEPTIONAL prospects: Alvarez, Hutchison, McGuire, Drabek, Molina, Carreno. I really don’t think most “casual” fans have any idea just how much high end talent those 6 guys possess. In addition – further away there are at least another 6 just a sgood – or better. The question AA will have to answer is shoud he trade two or three of them for one serious proven star starter or wait for their arrival. Personally – I’d WAIT – by this time next year our rotation will be Morrow, Romero, Alvarez, Hutchison and either McGowan or Drabek.

At that point we will have a “contending” offense, defense and pitching. We are so very close to repeating what the team did from the early 1980′s to the early 1990′s. This is a seriously good team.

Rasmus is the worst defensive player I have ever witnessed starting in center fielder for the St. Louis Cardinals. His arm is pathetic. I understand your enthusiasm for your team, but if you call trading a fourth outfielder for a few relievers and a starter a fleecing…………..

Why was the Blue Jay/White Sox deal the best the Cardinals could get for Rasmus? Because anyone who actually watched Rasmus play for the past few years wouldn’t give anything for him. Value for value is not mind-bloggling, Trading our crap for your crap and calling it a fleecing, that is mind boggling.