The St. Louis Cardinals have attempted to address their question at shortstop by acquiring one of the league's largest enigmas.
Hours after formally agreeing to a one-year deal with free-agent reliever Trever Miller, the Cardinals traded for San Diego Padres shortstop Khalil Greene last night, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has reported. The Cardinals have yet to confirm the deal, but Greene is believed to have cost the Cardinals two players, at least one a right-handed reliever.
Greene experienced a production meltdown last season, one year after crashing 27 home runs for the Padres. Greene batted .213 with just 10 home runs while striking out 100 times in 105 games in 2008.
Desperate to reduce payroll, the Padres were believed determined to unload Greene before next week's winter meetings in Las Vegas. The New York Post first reported the deal on its Web site last night.
Greene, 29, is entering his final year before free agency and inherits a position manned by defensively adroit but offensively challenged Cesar Izturis last season.
A career .248 hitter, Greene appeared to lose confidence as a hitter last season, managing only 27 extra-base hits and 35 RBI after producing 74 extra-base hits and 97 RBI in 2007.
Greene is due $6.5 million next season. It is unknown whether the Padres assumed any of his remaining salary in the deal.
Greene would become the Cardinals' fourth starting shortstop in six seasons, following Edgar Renteria, David Eckstein and Izturis.
A righthanded hitter, Greene missed the final two months of last season with a fractured left hand. Greene suffered the injury when he punched a storage chest July 31.
- PEDROIA LOCKED UP: American League Most Valuable Player Dustin Pedroia and the Boston Red Sox agreed to a $40.5 million, six-year contract.
The deal includes a club option for 2015. He would not have been eligible for free agency until after the 2012 season.
Pedroia led the AL with 213 hits, 118 runs and 54 doubles in helping the Red Sox win a wild-card berth. He batted .326 with 17 home runs and 83 RBI and also stole 20 bases to become the first AL second baseman to win the MVP award since Nellie Fox in 1959 with the Chicago White Sox .
The 25-year-old second baseman earns a signing bonus of $1.5 million and a salary of $1.5 million in 2009, followed by salaries of $3.5 million, $5.5 million and $8 million in what would have been his three years of arbitration eligibility.
He would earn $10 million each in 2013 and 2014.
- PERCIVAL HAS SURGERY: Tampa Bay Rays closer Troy Percival had back surgery this week and is expected to be ready to return to the AL champions before opening day.
The 39-year-old right-hander went 2-1 with a 4.53 ERA and a team- leading 28 saves this year but also missed 42 games while spending three stints on the disabled list because of hamstring and knee injuries.
