FanHouse DanOdowd

Last week it was starting to look like a trade of Matt Holliday was imminent. The Rockies weren't asking for all that much for their former MVP, and the Cardinals had put together quite an impressive package to get Holliday. As it turns out, though, the fact that we knew that was quite a problem.

Apparently Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak isn't the biggest fan of his trade discussions being known in the media because he's gone ahead and ended any future trade discussions involving Holliday.

Mozeliak insisted Sunday that discussions involving Colorado Rockies left fielder Matt Holliday have ceased and that "nothing is imminent. That one's not happening - at all."

Irritated that details of his discussions with Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd had leaked, Mozeliak did not deny the seriousness of the talks but took exception to momentum assigned them.

"For me to say there were not serious discussions would be inaccurate," Mozeliak said. "But some of the details reported about it were misleading, at the very least. It was never my intention for it to become front-page news."

Now for a general manager to give up on making a trade just because word leaked seems pretty stupid to me, but at the same time, I think this is better for the Cardinals. As Lackey said in his post about the trade, the Cardinals have more glaring holes that need to be fixed, and Holliday for Ryan Ludwick (after taking Matt out of Coors Field) is basically a lateral move.

With each passing day it seems more likely that Rockies outfielder Matt Holliday won't be wearing a Rockies jersey come spring training. After trying to move their MVP outfielder before the trade deadline last season and not finding any deals that worked, Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd is back at it again. With Holliday scheduled to make $13.5 million in 2009, the Rockies feel they'd be better off moving Matt and using that money elsewhere.

Colorado would like to part ways with Holliday so bad, in fact, that it appears they're even going to lower their asking price.

Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd increased the likelihood Matt Holliday will be traded with his admission Wednesday he doesn't have to receive a proven starter in return.

O'Dowd is looking for the best deal, not the best pitchers, with multiple opposing executives predicting that Philadelphia and Oakland are the most likely trade partners.

"There is not much pitching in the market available. Period," O'Dowd said. "And any pitching we get will likely be projection pitching. Not that guy that has been there, done it. We are completely open-minded to anything."

With the Minnesota Twins needing to make room for Francisco Liriano in their starting rotation as they try to make a run at another division title, it meant that somebody would have to go. That somebody was Livan Hernandez who the Twins had signed in the off-season to be the leader of a young pitching staff.

Well, all Livan Hernandez led the Twins pitching staff in was hits allowed, runs against, and most fans cursing his name. Still, as I said when the move was first announced, the odds were that Livan would only be out of a job for a few days and it turns out I was right (the odds of which were 3000/1). Livan is the newest member of the Colorado Rockies.

Livan Hernandez was claimed off waivers by the Colorado Rockies from the Minnesota Twins on Wednesday.

"We've been struggling with our rotation this year," Rockies general manager Dan O'Dowd said. "He's a great addition."

Dan O'Dowd has an odd definition of great, seeing as how Hernandez is 10-8 with a 5.48 ERA on the season, and has allowed five or more runs in nine of his twenty-three starts. Of course with the way the Rockies starting pitching has performed at times this year, I suppose Livan can be an improvement. Maybe a return to the National League where he spent his entire career before joining the Twins this season will be what Hernandez needs.