Monday, November 10, 2008

Holliday No Longer On Ice, But Is He Headed to Siberia?

ESPN.com reports that Matt Holliday, the Rockies' slugging outfielder (who also happens to be an excellent base stealer) is about to be traded to the Oakland A's.

That's probably better news for the Rockies, who are going to get some prospects and, as a result, aren't going to have to face trading Holliday at the trading deadline in a contract year (where reports were that they weren't going to be able to re-sign him) than it is for Holliday. The reason: the A's seem to be the Sisyphus of the Majors, just like the mythological character who kept on pushing the rock up the hill, only never to get to the top. Make no mistake, Billy Beane is an excellent general manager, one of the best in the game. The question is: can the A's win the division and get back to the World Series?

At any rate, Phillies' fans could only dream about the prospect of getting Matt Holliday. It would have been great having a lineup that started with Rollins, Victorino, Utley, Howard and Holliday, but it's not meant to be. The Phillies need to devote serious resources to offering long-term deals to Ryan Howard and Cole Hamels, among others. Inking Holliday was a luxury that they just couldn't afford.

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