Pujols, Morneau lead midseason awards

Q: The Cardinals traded for Mark DeRosa, and he immediately got hurt. Do you think they need to make another move to hold off the Brewers and Cubs in the NL Central?
— Sarah Comstock

A: Tough break for the Cardinals and DeRosa, who in case you hadn't noticed, put up very good numbers in Cleveland. I think he is a great fit in St. Louis because of his versatility and manager Tony La Russa's uncanny ability to mix and match lineup combinations.

The idea, of course, was to use DeRosa at third base until Troy Glaus' return, and then move DeRosa around the field — second base, third base, corner outfield spots.

But for now, DeRosa is on the disabled list with a strained left wrist. The injury was sustained in his third game after the trade from Cleveland, so his line in a Cardinals uniform is 0-for-9.

As for what the Cardinals will do now, I think they have a legitimate shot to win the NL pennant — but also could miss the playoffs entirely — so they should do whatever is necessary to improve their chances.

Since posting a 16-7 record in April, the Cardinals are three games under .500, and in a 2-9 skid at the end of June, they scored only 20 runs. You have to know teams will intentionally walk Albert Pujols more and more down the stretch, so another bat to protect him remains a necessity. But maybe they’ll just wait on Glaus and DeRosa.

They only took on about $2.8 million of DeRosa’s $5.5 million salary, but adding a bigger salary such as Matt Holliday (just less than half of his $13 million salary remains to be paid) may be a stretch for their budget.

That said, I still think Holliday is a perfect fit in St. Louis, not just for the rest of this season, but for several years. He’s an Oklahoma kid who keeps a low profile, and while I’m certain he could succeed in any market — even New York or Boston — I think St. Louis would be an ideal spot, and La Russa an ideal manager, because both have an intense desire to win.

Also, the prospect of signing Holliday long term has gotten cheaper with the economic downturn and his reduced production in Oakland. Granted, we’re still talking about a Scott Boras client here, but that six-year, $84 million deal the Rockies offered Holliday at one point looks pretty good right now, doesn’t it?

Q: Why do the Oakland Athletics continue to stay with Bob Geren as their manager? The team is not as bad as it shows. I think it's the manager's fault.
— Matt Zwinge, Cotati, Calif.

A: It's hard to properly evaluate a manager's ability when his roster is at a talent disadvantage to the opposition, and that clearly is the case with Geren and the A's.

Let's face it, this won't go down as one of GM Billy Beane's better roster-constructing efforts. First of all, this is a team that relies way too much on rookie starting pitchers. At the halfway point, more than 50 starts were made by rookies.

On top of that, the position-player mix is poor. There are too many past-their-prime types, too many often-injured types, and too many who produce below-average offense for their position. In fact, if Beane weren't signed through 2014 with an ownership stake in the club, he could catch some heat for this effort.

All that said, Geren has his faults as well, as all managers do. But he also is a close friend of Beane's, and is signed through 2010 with an option for 2011, and given the financial restrictions in Oakland, I don't think Geren is going anywhere for at least a year or so.

Q: Are the Yankees working behind the scenes on trading Derek Jeter?
— Mout Laurel

A: That would be quite the scoop, Mout. In my opinion, if there ever was a lifetime Yankee, it's the Captain. And Jeter just so happens to be enjoying one of his better seasons in recent years.

As usual, Jeter was voted in by the fans as the American League starting shortstop, and you certainly can make a strong case for him earning that spot. Tampa Bay's Jason Bartlett — the other AL All-Star shortstop — has a much higher batting average, but spent some time on the disabled list.

But what already has been openly speculated is an eventual position change for Jeter, who is 35. The signing of Mark Teixeira blocked what would have been a logical move to first base, ala Ernie Banks a generation ago.

Second base probably isn't likely, either, with Robinson Cano in place and Jeter's range being more in question than his arm. That leaves the outfield. Left field is the most logical spot, but with the short porch in right field at the new Yankee Stadium, that could be a possibility as well.

If it was my call, I'd put him in left. But I don't see Jeter leaving the Bronx in his career, but if there is a way out for him, it could lie in the fact that his 10-year, $189 million deal will be done after next season, when he will earn $21 million.