#Stlcards — trade David Freese for C.C. Sabathia?

Hear me out on this one.

Yankee general manager Brian Cashman says A-Fraud, aka Alex Rodriguez, could be out the entire year. Wow. Kevin Youkilis won't hold up there a whole year, there's nobody of value on the free agent list and I'm sure the Yankee farm system is toast.

Food for thought ... Cards and David Freese are reportedly trying to work out a deal beyond arbitration for this year, to get Freese a second year under contract.

Here's a wild trade idea. If the Yankees will eat a fair amount of his salary .... Freese for C.C. Sabathia, straight up. It would give the Cards more flexibility in dealing with any new contract with Chris Carpenter, or with Adam Wainwright, for that matter, while their younger arms continue their development. And, I'd throw in one, maybe two, depending on who, of the Cards' pitching prospects.)

Robinson Cano doesn't have enough contract time left to make a good deal for the Cards. Ditto on Curtis Granderson and Hiroki Kuroda, since they're all free agents after this year. And, the Yankees don't have anybody else that I want.

As for dollar amounts on the "salary eating"? One-third of his total would be plenty. Pricing his contract ahead to out years, I might settle for one-quarter.

Why would the Yankees even consider this?

I'm taking Cashman at his word about cutting salary numbers. A low contract like Freese nails down 3B for a few years and gives him flexibility on resigning Cano and even making a run at resigning Granderson if the numbers are right.

But why Freese? Well, Youk was a desperation move. The Yankees are highly unlikely to bring him back in 2014. And, if you think Joe Girardi wants A-Rod doing much of anything besides DH-ing in 2014 ...