RetroSimba

Seeking to bolster their rotation and add a role model to mentor their young starting pitchers, the Cardinals wanted to bring back Matt Morris.

Confident in the offer they made to the Giants for Morris, the Cardinals were astonished when he was traded instead to the Pirates.

At the trading deadline on July 31, 2007, the Cardinals did acquire a starting pitcher, Joel Pineiro, from the Red Sox. At that time, though, Pineiro was in the minor leagues and his career appeared to be trending downward.

Morris would have been a more prominent acquisition.

As it turned out, Pineiro became a productive starter for the Cardinals. Morris was out of the big leagues less than a year after the Cardinals had tried to acquire him.

Learning to lead

The Cardinals, who had won the World Series championship in 2006, had a 49-53 record at the trade deadline on July 31, 2007. They were in third place in the National League Central, 6 games behind the front-running Brewers.

Still, the Cardinals determined they might make a run for the division title if they could improve their starting rotation.

Morris, who would turn 33 in August 2007, was their primary target.

He had pitched eight years for the Cardinals, posting a 101-62 record, before signing with the Giants as a free agent after the 2005 season.

Morris’ record with the 2007 Giants was 7-7 with a 4.35 ERA. The Cardinals saw him as someone who still could pitch effectively and help in the development of starters such as Adam Wainwright and Anthony Reyes.

“With us, he learned from guys like Darryl Kile about how to be a leader on a pitching staff,” Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty said to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette. “He was always a guy we felt was good with young pitchers and led on the mound and off the mound. He was a guy who would provide whatever assistance and advice he could with young pitchers.”

Caught by surprise

The Giants, in last place in the NL West, were willing to deal Morris. The Cardinals and Mariners were the most aggressive suitors.

Jocketty told the St. Louis Post-Dispatch the Cardinals had agreed to send two minor-league players to the Giants and would absorb most of Morris’ contract. “From our standpoint, money was never an issue,” Jocketty said.

On the afternoon of the trade deadline, Jocketty said, he was confident the Cardinals and Giants had a deal. At the 11th hour, though, the Pirates contacted the Giants and offered to take on Morris’ entire contract. With bonuses, Morris had $13.8 million remaining on his total package.

“Pittsburgh stepped up to take the player as is, with the contract,” said Giants general manager Brian Sabean.

The Giants sent Morris to the Pirates for outfielder Rajai Davis and a player to be named (minor-league pitcher Steve MacFarland).

When Sabean “called back to say he had moved Morris, Jocketty was stunned,” the Post-Dispatch reported.

Said Jocketty: “We were never told we had to take the whole contract.”

Oquendo approves

The consolation prize for the Cardinals was Pineiro. The Cardinals sent Sean Danielson, a minor-league outfielder, to the Red Sox for him.

Pineiro, 28, had made 31 relief appearances for the 2007 Red Sox, posting a 1-1 record and 5.03 ERA, before he was sent to the minors. At Class AAA Pawtucket, he made two starts and had a 2.25 ERA before he was acquired by the Cardinals.

Before joining the 2007 Red Sox, Pineiro had been a starter for the Mariners. He was 14-7 in 2002 and 16-11 in 2003, but had losing records for the Mariners in each of the next three seasons.

At the World Baseball Classic in 2006, Pineiro pitched for Team Puerto Rico. His manager was Jose Oquendo, a Cardinals coach, and his catcher was Yadier Molina. Oquendo recommended Pineiro to the Cardinals.

“He has a good arm,” Oquendo said. “What he probably needs is a philosophy about pitching.”

Dave Duncan, Cardinals pitching coach, figured to be an ideal candidate to help Pineiro develop that philosophy.

“I think this is a good situation for him,” Duncan said. “I’m expecting to see good things … Yadi will be catching him and I think that works in his favor, too.”

Pineiro produces

In his second start for St. Louis, Pineiro pitched seven shutout innings and got the win against the Padres. That was the game Rick Ankiel returned to the Cardinals as an outfielder and hit a three-run home run.

Pineiro was 6-4 with a 3.96 ERA in 11 starts for the 2007 Cardinals. He was 7-7 with a 5.15 ERA in 2008 and 15-12 with a 3.49 ERA in helping the Cardinals win a division title in 2009.

After that, Pineiro became a free agent and signed with the Angels. In three seasons with the Cardinals, Pineiro was 28-23 with a 4.14 ERA.

Meanwhile, Morris struggled with the Pirates. He was 3-4 with a 6.10 ERA in 2007 and 0-4 with a 9.67 ERA the next season before he was released late in April 2008.

Previously: How Mike Matheny helped lure Matt Morris to Giants