Colby Rasmus is available and apparently for a reasonable price.  Yes, he makes sense for the Mets.

Here’s the link from Danny Knobler of CBS:

It’s still not clear whether the Cardinals will trade Colby Rasmus. But there’s no doubt that the Cardinals are very willing to talk about Colby Rasmus.
…
For the Giants, Rasmus appears to be strictly a backup plan. Carlos Beltran remains the Giants’ top target.

The Nationals could be a more interesting team to watch, because they have long been searching for a center fielder and Rasmus fits the prototype favored by Nationals general manager Mike Rizzo. Also, the Nats have pitching that they could trade (starters Jason Marquis and John Lannan have been mentioned by other teams as being available, as well as reliever Tyler Clippard).

For the Cardinals to trade Rasmus, they would likely need to get immediate pitching help in return. The bullpen continues to be a problem (the Cards have 19 blown saves, tied for second in the majors). Either a starter or a reliever (or relievers) could help, because the Cards could move Kyle McClellan from the rotation to the bullpen.

I’m going to get into the Beltran stuff later today, but lets keep this about Rasmus and the goofy idea he would be traded for a package headed by Jason Marquis, John Lannan or Tyler Clippard.

Rasmus is 24, he’ll be 25 on August 25, is very good at baseball, but doesn’t get along with Tony LaRussa.  It’s now affecting his performance on the field.  His WAR by year: ’09-2.8, ’10 – 4.3, ’11 – 1.4.  He’s still hitting .245/.332/.421 this year with a .284 BABIP and a line drive and walk percentage that look similar to a year ago, but the lowest HR/FB rate of his career.  He’s been unlucky and should bounce right back.

Number of Mets outfielders, not named Carlos Beltran, with more WAR than Rasmus in 2011? ZERO.  Oh, and Rasmus 24, and should be getting better.

Tuesday, La Russa went out of his way to criticize Rasmus to a local TV station for failing to listen to his coaching staff.  Also, here’s the obligatory scout-counting story from a game at Busch Stadium which also mentions that the Cardinals are looking for pitching, and specifically a left-handed reliever.

Can the Cardinals be serious about a return from the Nationals centered around Lannan and Marquis, who have been, respectively, the third and fourth best starters on the last-place team in the NL East?  The 32-year old Marquis is in the second year of a 2 year/$15 million dollar deal.  He’s bounced back from a dreadful 2010 (-0.3 WAR) to post  a season in line with his 07-09 run, worth 1.7 WAR so far with a 3.95 ERA, in line with his 3.85 xFIP.  The 26-year old Lannan is much more affordable as he’s one a one-year deal worth $2.75 million that he signed to avoid going to arbitration.  He’s a useful enough pitcher as his 3.51 ERA, 4.10 xFIP and 1.2 all suggest.  He’s cheap, but with a 5.07 K/9, it’s fair to say this is what he is.

Why not Pelfrey, Capuano and Byrdak?

Capuano’s 3.75 xFIP is better than his 4.26 ERA, and better than the xFIP of either Lannan or Marquis.  His 1.0 WAR is in the same range as Lannan. He’s on a one-year deal for $1.5 million.

Yes, Mike Pelfrey (4.73 ERA, 4.47 xFIP, -0.1 WAR) has been a big disappointment this year.  Still, he’s coming off a 2009 and 2010 where he combined for 4.5 WAR, or better than every pairing of two seasons of Jason Marquis’s career but one.  Marquis’ 2008 with Chicago 1.9 WAR and his aberrant and excellent 2009 with Colorado (3.8 WAR) are his best back-to-back seasons at 5.7 WAR.  He’s never exceeded 2.0 in any other season.  Pelfrey too is on a one year deal that was signed to avoid arbitration worth $3.925 million.

Doesn’t Mike Pelfrey seem like the perfect Dave Duncan project?

Tim Byrdak has been solid overall, and better against lefties (.233/.288/.383) with 21 strikeouts in 67 plate appearances.

Now look, I really don’t expect the Cardinals to move Rasmus for Pelfrey, Capuano and Byrdak.  But if they’re listening, the Mets should be offering, even if the price is significantly steeper than three eminently replaceable pitchers.  Rasmus offers a chance for the Mets to acquire their cost-controlled centerfielder of the present and future and a true building block.

Wednesday edit

There’s some action on Twitter this morning that the Blue Jays are getting involved in trying to pull Edwin Jackson from the White Sox and flip him to the Cardinals as the centerpiece of deal for Rasmus.