CARDS DEAL FOR MULDER
The St. Louis Cardinals acquired pitcher Mark Mulder from the Oakland Athletics for pitchers Dan Haren and Kiko Calero, as well as catcher Daric Barton.
What does it give the St. Louis Cardinals
Finally. Finally, the Cardinals have their ace starting pitcher in Mulder, who should lead the staff for several years to come. Adding the left-handed Mulder to a rotation that already featured Chris Carpenter, Matt Morris, Jeff Suppan and Jason Marquis can only help a St. Louis club that was overmatched in the pitching department this past October against the Red Sox.
What does it give the Oakland Athletics
Surprisingly, Oakland GM Billy Beane chose to deal not one, but two of his "Big Three" starters this week. After sending Tim Hudson to Atlanta, he now moves Mulder to St. Louis. What's not surprising is what the A's get in return: A young, cheap starter that should blossom in Oakland (Dan Haren), a cheap, effective reliever in the "Moneyball" mold (Kiko Calero) and a catching prospect who will most likely switch positions in the A's organization because it's his bat that will carry him to the Major Leagues (Daric Barton).
Fantasy impact
