Report: A's trade Holliday to Cardinals
Oakland Tribune staff and wire reports
Posted: 07/24/2009 10:35:41 AM PDT
Updated: 07/24/2009 10:43:31 AM PDT
The A's have reportedly traded outfielder Matt Holliday to the St. Louis Cardinals in a four-player deal that sends highly touted prospect Brett Wallace to Oakland, ESPN reported Friday morning.
Oakland will also receive two other minor leaguers in outfielder Shane Peterson and right-handed pitcher Clayton Mortensen, sources confirmed to ESPN.
In addition, the A's will reportedly send $1.5 million to St. Louis to complete the trade.
Holliday, who will be eligible for free agency after the season, has been enjoying a resurgence with the A's lately and is hitting .287 with 11 home runs and 54 RBI overall.
Wallace, a first-round draft choice last year from Arizona State, has been the A's main target for months in a Holliday deal. The third baseman is hitting .293 with six home runs and 19 RBI in 62 games for Triple-A Springfield. Overall, the left-handed hitting Wallce is batting .289 with 11 home runs and 35 RBI this season.
In a much-debated move, the Sonoma-born Wallace was bypassed by Oakland in favor of infielder Jemile Weeks in the first round of last year's draft. Wallace, who grew up as an A's fan, also expressed some disappointment at not being selected by Oakland.