Scott Rolen Dodgers Trade Rumor

Looking for a trade rumor, and don’t care whether it’s been confirmed in any way?  We got you covered.  A couple of Cards fans have emailed me this thread from Bernie’s Pressbox.  St. Louis Post-Dispatch columnist Bernie Miklasz throws this scenario out for debate:

Wilson Betemit and one of Matt Kemp/Andre Ethier for Scott Rolen.

Now, according to Bernie, there’s nothing concrete and he’s just talking.  Still, it’s interesting to ponder.  Factors to consider:

• Rolen is owed $12MM annually through 2010.
• He’d have to be convinced to waive his full no-trade clause.  Although maybe he wouldn’t mind playing under a different manager.
• Rolen is off to a horrible offensive start; he’s on a popup binge.  He hasn’t hit lefties since his shoulder surgery, and his surgically repaired shoulder bothered him late last season.  You would expect a team to want him to show some signs of life and health before taking his contract through 2010.
• Andy LaRoche is L.A.’s third baseman of the future.  Then again, they signed Nomar Garciaparra to block James Loney.

Now, there’s certainly still a chance Rolen will bounce back.  He was mashing as recently as August of ’06.  But would the Dodgers bank one of their best prospects on it?  I really don’t think so, which is why Kemp seems highly unlikely.  On the other hand, Betemit and Ethier for Rolen seems fair.  That doesn’t exactly resolve the Cards’ offensive woes, but they’d get a ton of salary relief and some cheap players.