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Cardinals Will Give Vina A Medical Exam Today
Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch
December 20, 1999
Potential new Cardinals acquisition Fernando Vina is expected to be in St. Louis this afternoon to undergo a physical examination that could complete a trade, according to a source close to the Milwaukee Brewers.
The deal is expected to be announced no later than Tuesday if Vina passes the medical tests.
In exchange for second baseman Vina, the Cardinals would send righthanded pitcher Juan Acevedo and two minor-leaguers to the Brewers.
Vina, 30, who hit .266 in 37 games for the Brewers last season, was set back by a leg injury suffered May 9. He collided with Brewers right fielder Jeromy Burnitz while trying to catch a popup. Vina suffered a deep bruise to his left quadriceps. He rushed his rehabilitation and developed patellar tendinitis in his left knee.
Vina played only seven games the rest of the season, all in August.
At baseball's winter meetings, agent Sam Levinson said Vina was "100 percent" healthy. Vina has been working out in Sacramento, Calif., where he lives, with trainers from the Sacramento Kings. He's expected to pass the physical exam, unlike free-agent pitcher Mike Jackson, who wound up signing with the Philadelphia Phillies.
Vina, a double-play specialist who has developed into a good leadoff hitter, was acquired by the Brewers from the New York Mets after the 1994 season. He had his best season in 1998, when he made the All-Star team, hitting .311 with an on-base percentage of .386.
Last year, the Cardinals had tried to acquire Vina but were reluctant to give up pitchers Manny Aybar and Jose Jimenez, both of whom were traded to the Colorado Rockies this offseason. This year, Vina is more expendable because of the development of Brewers second baseman Ron Belliard, who hit .295 and drove in 58 runs in 1999.
Vina, a free agent after next season, appears to be a bargain. He will make only $2 million next season, the option year of his three-year contract. Milwaukee already picked up the option. If traded by the Brewers, he will collect an additional $100,000.
Acevedo, 29, has shuttled from closer to setup man then from setup man to starter then from starter to setup man. He had an awful '99 season, going 6-8 with a 5.89 earned-run average. As a starter, he had a 6.49 ERA.
In 1998, however, Acevedo found success as the team's closer, saving 15 wins in 16 chances.
The Cardinals reportedly had preferred to send righthander Garrett Stephenson to Milwaukee, but the Brewers held out for Acevedo, also a former Mets player.
The acquisition of Vina could ensure that Joe McEwing, Craig Paquette, Adam Kennedy and Placido Polanco would be utility players or players for other teams.
The insertion of Vina as the No. 1 hitter would create this potential order: Vina at second base, Edgar Renteria at shortstop, Mark McGwire at first base, Ray Lankford in left field, Fernando Tatis at third base, Eric Davis in right field, J.D. Drew in center field, Eli Marrero at catcher and the pitcher.
Renteria is expected to be more effective as a No. 2 hitter, rather than in the leadoff spot, where his on-base percentage is only .334.
In the offseason, the Cardinals have acquired starting pitchers Darryl Kile and Pat Hentgen, reliever Dave Veres and catcher Mike Matheny, in addition to bench help.
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
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