He's two years removed from a season in which his bat produced 27 homers, 97 RBI and a whopping 74 extra-base hits. And he's a quality defensive shortstop.
Khalil Greene isn't Derek Jeter or Ozzie Smith, but he does give the St. Louis Cardinals a nice upgrade at the most demanding position — and at a decent cost.
Greene, 29, was acquired by the Cardinals on Thursday in what looks like a low-risk trade with the Padres landing Mark Worrell, a reliever who spent most of last season at Triple-A Memphis, and a player to be determined later.
It's a classic example of a team buying low. Greene had a miserable 2008, hitting .213 and 10 homers in 105 games and missing a big chunk of the season after breaking his left hand while punching a storage chest. The Padres tried to recoup about $1.5 million in salary, causing some hard feelings on both sides.
Greene replaces Cesar Izturis, whose glove is fine but whose bat is a black hole in the batting order, and there is a decent change that a change in scenery may revive his bat. Greene lacks plate discipline, but he can still be an offensive contributor in the lower part of the batting order. He has posted decent numbers away from Petco Park, the best pitchers' park in baseball.
Next on the Cardinals' agenda? Upgrading second base ...
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