The St. Louis picked up their shortstop for the 2009 season on Thursday as they completed a trade with the San Diego Padres. The Cardinals traded for Khalil Greene and will be sending pitching prospect Mark Worrell to the Padres as well as a player to be named later. The PTBNL will probably be another pitching prospect as well.
Greene will make $6.5 million in 2009, with the Cardinals on the hook to pay all of it. St. Louis would thus be left with approximately $10-15 million more in payroll room to find a second baseman and perhaps another starting pitcher and/or another left-handed reliever. Greene will be eligible for free agency after the 2009 season
Greene struggled in 2008 as he only hit .213 with a .260 on-base percentage and a .339 slugging percentage. It was his worst season in the big leagues but hopefully he can turn things around and have a good 09 season for the Cardinals and stay injury free as well.
Also on Wednesday, the team signed reliever Trever Miller to a one-year contract.
