Cardinals Could Really Use Colby Rasmus Right Now

Jul 31, 2013; Oakland, CA, USA; Toronto Blue Jays center fielder Colby Rasmus (28) reacts after being stranded at third base against the Oakland Athletics during the second inning at O.co Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kelley L Cox-USA TODAY SportsNOT IN A TRADE THIS OFFSEASON JUST TO MAKE THAT CLEAR.

Colby Rasmus used to play for the St Louis Cardinals.

Everyone knows the main reason he’s a Toronto Blue Jay is because of his bad relationship with former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa.

The Cardinals won the World Series the same season Rasmus was traded to the Jays. And they’ve at least been to the National League Championship series every year since.

Including this season where they’re scheduled to play the Dodgers.

But hey the Blue Jays got Colby Rasmus!

That’s no small consolation prize if Rasmus keeps up with what he did this year especially if the Jays sign him long term.

What still amazes me about the Rasmus trade is La Russa retired at the end of the season.

Why not just send Rasmus to the minor leagues for the rest of the season? He was struggling all season anyways so it would have made total sense.

Give him the old Travis Snider treatment.

And the Cardinals probably have more depth than any team in baseball. They could have easily acquired a couple of shutdown relievers without giving up Colby Rasmus.

Of course it would be ignorant of me to ignore the fact that Rasmus would still have a lot of pressure on him in St Louis. He was the Cardinals top prospect for a long time and with Pujols gone he would have had even more pressure on him to succeed.

And in always win-now mode St Louis Rasmus would have got a lot of flak for his weaker 2011 and 2012 seasons.

But enough about the past in the present day the Cardinals center fielder is Jon Jay.

He put up a 276/351/370 slash line with 7 homeruns and put up a 1.9 WAR this season. Rasmus put up a 276/338/501 slash line with 22 homeruns and put up 4.8 WAR.

The Jays got the better center fielder as we speak but the Cardinals make the playoffs every year so who cares.

Of course the playoffs are just short series so who’s to say who’d perform better right now Jay or Rasmus.

But hey if I’m a Cardinals fan I’d rather bet on Colby Rasmus right now.

This post might seem petty but I’m a Blue Jays fan, this is the closest thing I’ll ever get to bragging.

Also I think if I had to rank the players that hit the most beautiful homeruns I’d have to go

1.Ken Griffey Jr
2.Barry Bonds
3.Colby Rasmus

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