By Dustin Sullivan

The St. Louis Cardinals made the one of the biggest in-season transactions in a long time as they trade relief pitcher Chris Perez and a player to be named to the Cleveland Indians for infielder/outfielder Mark DeRosa. DeRosa is the kind of player that fits perfectly in the Cardinals organization and there in no doubt that he will be used as an everyday player.
This kind of deal shows that the Cardinals are building a team that will win a World Championship this season. This deal has been rumored for quite some time, but the Cardinals weren’t the only club interested; the Cubs were also interested in the all-around talented player. DeRosa is the type of player that will make an immediate impact for his new team as he can play in positions that the Cardinals do not have full-time people at, such as second base, third base, shortstop, or any of the outfield positions. DeRosa will also give the Cardinals a consistent hitter to bat fourth, behind Albert Pujols.
Mark DeRosa comes to the Cardinals batting .270 with 13 home runs, 50 RBI’s, and a slugging percentage of .661. DeRosa is exactly the type of player that the Cardinals want for their everyday fourth batter in the lineup and a guy who brings a strong defensive presence to an already strong defense in the Cardinals.
With Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel getting back to full health, look for DeRosa to play most of his games in the infield at either shortstop or third base. Just think, with Pujols, DeRosa, Ludwick, Ankiel, and top rookie Colby Rasmus all in the lineup at the same time what kind of offense the Cardinals will put out every day.
For all you fantasy baseball players out there, let’s hope that DeRosa is on somebody’s roster. If not, I would pick him up no matter what. This is a guy who will produce for you every game, especially now that he is playing in the greatest baseball town in America. It just seems to me that players really enjoy playing for the Cardinals and they seem to produce big numbers when they play for an organization that treats them like family. So, watch out for what DeRosa and the Cardinals bring as we head into the second half of the season with the National League Central up for grabs.