Troy Rolen For Scott Glaus?

Normally, when I use terms like swap and third base in the same sentence, I'd be referring to my Friday night, not men in their early thirties. However, Kenny Ken Ken (Rosenthal) is reporting that the Toronto Blue Jays and the St. Louis Cardinals are close to swapping third basemen.

I'm not sure if I read it on a ridiculous message board (is there any other kind), but I remember hearing about this proposed deal earlier in the offseason. Back then my first reaction was "Why? Aren't those guys the same players?"

From a St. Louis perspective I understand how this deal might be appealing. Tony LaRussa and Scott Rolen get along about as well as Tony LaRussa and a drunk tank, which is to say not very well. Rolen is also coming off shoulder surgery and a dramatic loss of power last season.

Glaus for his part, looked lethargic in the field last year, suffering through heel and foot injuries that resulted in season ending surgery in September. Rosenthal mentions that while Glaus enjoys playing in Toronto, the turf in the Rogers Centre has caused more than it's share of wear and tear and he may be better suited to the natural grass at Busch Stadium.

In exchange for Glaus, the Blue Jays would receive a player whose career numbers at the plate are marginally better in almost every aspect (except for home runs). While he also has better foot speed and fielding, make no mistake, Rolen is a risk.

Ol' Scotty boy has missed 176 games over the last three seasons and injury worries are just as much, if not more of an issue as they were with Glaus.

With Lower Case X playing shortstop, the Jays now have the left side of an infield that won a World Series. Unfortunately, that was two years ago.

A best case scenario has a healthy Rolen making up for Eckstein's lack of defensive range and adding his higher OBP and speed to a lineup that struggled last season. A worst case scenario has me thinking about a John McDonald and Marco Scutaro platoon and wondering how Curtis Thigpen would transition to third base.

This move would also seem to fall in line with the Eckstein addition, in that Rolen is a gritty player. Heis playing style is that of the guys that get dirty and play hard visibly. I asked this question after the Jays new shortstop was signed and I'll ask it again. Is J.P. actually listening to those guys who phone into Wilner's radio show saying that the Jays need more heart?