The Cardinals took a chance on Jeff Brantley and lost.
Needing a closer, the Cardinals traded a prime prospect, Dmitri Young, to the Reds for Brantley, even though the pitcher had spent most of the previous season on the disabled list.
Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty made the deal 20 years ago, on Nov. 10, 1997, when he got assurances Brantley had recovered fully from surgery to repair injuries to his right shoulder and rotator cuff.
The Cardinals, though, should have been as skeptical as columnist Bernie Miklasz, who, at the time of the trade, wrote in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, “The Jeff Brantley trade makes me nervous; a 34-year-old pitcher coming off shoulder surgery?”
Brantley flopped with the 1998 Cardinals. Claiming his arm hurt, Brantley pitched poorly, clashed with pitching coach Dave Duncan, was removed from the closer’s role and got traded after the season.
The Cardinals’ misjudgment of Brantley set back the organization in significant ways. The Cardinals had to continue to scramble to find a closer and they had to do so without one of their strongest trade chips. Young, who became a productive hitter, was given away to a division rival without St. Louis getting full value in return.
Price is right
When closer Dennis Eckerlsey opted for free agency after the 1997 season, the Cardinals went in search of a replacement.
Wanting to avoid getting involved in bidding for free agents, Jocketty looked to make a trade. He was willing to part with Young, a first baseman and outfielder, because the Cardinals had top talent at those positions. Mark McGwire was the first baseman and Ron Gant, Ray Lankford and Brian Jordan were the outfield starters.
Though Brantley, 34, had not pitched since May 19, 1997, he appealed to the Cardinals. Brantley had earned 44 saves for the Reds in 1996.
“We knew we had to act quickly because other clubs were interested in him,” Jocketty said to Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch.
Given orders by ownership to cut player payroll, Reds general manager Jim Bowden was eager to deal Brantley, who was under contract for salaries of $2.8 million over each of the next two years.
The Reds had another capable closer, Jeff Shaw, on their roster and he was paid less than Brantley.
The $5.6 million owed Brantley over 1998 and 1999 didn’t dissuade the Cardinals from pursuing a deal for him. “Guys who might be available in free agency would have cost twice as much,” Jocketty said.
Special hitter
When Jocketty offered Young, 24, to the Reds, Bowden accepted.
“This deal was made for financial reasons,” Bowden said to the Associated Press, “and is consistent with our commitment to get younger and cheaper.”
Asked by Jeff Horrigan of The Cincinnati Post about Young, Reds manager Jack McKeon replied, “He has a great attitude and a great upside … We might have something special here.”
Young, a switch hitter, was the top pick of the Cardinals in the 1991 amateur draft. He led the Class AAA American Association in batting average (.333) in 1996, producing 153 hits in 122 games.
Young debuted with the Cardinals in August 1996 and hit a key triple for them that fall in Game 4 of the National League Championship Series against the Braves. In 1997, Young hit .258 in 110 games for St. Louis.
Projecting Young to be best-suited as a designated hitter, Jocketty said, “Dmitri is going to be a very good hitter. He’d be a good American League player.”
Regarding Young’s potential role with the 1998 Cardinals, manager Tony La Russa said, “There was a way to wedge him onto the team, but it was not a good fit.”
The acquisition of McGwire by St. Louis in July 1997 “kind of put a damper” on the Cardinals’ plans for him, Young told Mike Bass of The Cincinnati Post. “I didn’t have a clue what the Cardinals were going to do with me,” Young admitted.
Asked his reaction about joining the Reds, Young said, “The only thing I know about Cincinnati is the Isley Brothers are from there. I wouldn’t say I’m a big fan, but I like their music.”
Not the same
Before the deal became official, the Cardinals sent Brantley to Birmingham, Ala., for an examination by Dr. James Andrews. With Cardinals trainer Barry Weinberg witnessing the exam, Andrews declared Brantley physically fit to pitch.
“I didn’t have any doubts that it wouldn’t be a problem,” Brantley said to the Post-Dispatch. “I’ve been throwing for over two months.”
Brantley told The Cincinnati Post that Andrews “gave me a 100 percent clean bill of health.”
Brantley, though, wasn’t effective. He was 0-5 with a 4.44 ERA for the 1998 Cardinals. He had 14 saves _ three after June 30. Booed by Cardinals fans, Brantley was especially bad in home games: a 6.38 ERA in 24 appearances at Busch Stadium. The Cardinals traded him to the Phillies after finishing in third place in the NL Central Division at 83-79.
Young was successful with Cincinnati. Primarily playing left field, he led the 1998 Reds in batting average (.310) and doubles (48) and tied with future Hall of Famer Barry Larkin for the club lead in hits (166).
In four seasons with the Reds, Young batted .304 and had an on-base percentage of .353.
Overall, in 13 big-league seasons with the Cardinals, Reds, Tigers and Nationals, Young had a .292 batting mark and an on-base percentage of .351.
I absolutely hated that trade.
Perhaps the worst trade of the Walt Jocketty era as general manager.