Holliday Travel

It has been nearly nine months since the Colorado Rockies traded Matt Holliday to the A's and I penned this heart-breaking refrain set to Death Cab For Cutie's "Cath..."

No, I still haven't quite gotten over it. (Counseling has helped). But the story today takes an interesting twist.

News broke this afternoon that Holliday has been traded from Oakland to St. Louis, where he will (allegedly) provide ample protection to one Albert Pujols. Never heard of him.

Now, looking back, who benefited most from November's Holliday-to-Oakland trade? The Rockies or Matt Holliday?

Holliday's numbers have dipped well below his production in 2007/2008 in Colorado, as he is currently batting .286 with 11 HR and 54 RBI (although he has been on a bit of a tear recently).

Meanwhile, the chief figure in Oakland's package for Holliday, closer Huston Street, is tied for the NL league in saves (24) and has a quality 2.61 ERA. (OF Carlos Gonzalez, another piece of the trade, has also contributed to the Rockies' surprise run, while P Greg Smith remains in the minors).

And while Holliday struggled in the cavernous Oakland-Alameda Port-a-Toilet, he now goes to a more hitter-friendly park in Bush Stadium, and now finds himself on a division leader - in as good of a baseball town as you'll find in America.

But do you suppose Holliday would have preferred to have stayed in Denver, where he'd be playing for a another playoff contendor in the friendly confines of Coors Field?

Meanwhile, Colorado has performed just fine without their former slugger. Would the Rockies even want Holliday back considering the performance of Street and the high potential of Gonzalez?

And this deal brings another exciting possibility to mind:

With the Cards up just 1.5 games on Chicago in the NL Central, and the Rockies currently leading the NL Wild Card chase, could we potentially see a Wild Card standoff between Holliday and the team that raised him from Rookie ball? Better yet, a Cards-Rockies NLCS?

Ooh, I feel another poem coming on...