The most talked about issue for the St. Louis Cardinals is what is going on at shortstop. The loss of Rafael Furcal to elbow surgery has hastened the future of the lone position on the organization’s map where there is no ideal succession plan in place. It was an issue that was on thin ice all winter, and could be a focus throughout the summer and into next winter as well. The options at shortstop include more questions than answers, and addressing the issue start both at the bottom of the organization all the way to the top of it.

Majors: The injury to Furcal set everything in a different direction than hoped for. While there was always a cautious optimism regarding his status, if not a given assumption that it would be a multiple man job this season. The worst came to be with Furcal never even making it to a spring lineup, and simultaneously activating every backup scenario possible at once for a replacement.

The initial answer to the question will be Pete Kozma, incumbent replacement for Furcal when the injury ended his season last fall. Kozma has been making a statement for his fitness for the spot, hitting .419, through 10 games, but due to his inconsistent past since being made the team’s first round pick in 2007, questions will continue to surround his performance. Defense will continue to be a work in progress for him, but the idea is that his only job is to keep the position stable for the time being.

Behind him, is a mixture of utility men in Ronny Cedeno and Ryan Jackson. Cedeno was brought in to be a support option in case Furcal wasn’t ready, and he has remained in that capacity behind Kozma. He has struggled in the spring, which has gone very noticed by GM John Mozeliak. Despite having a partially guaranteed Major League contract, prolonged struggles could make him this season’s J.C. Romero. Jackson was the first promotion to fill in for Furcal last year, due to his similar range to Furcal in the field, but his greatest advantage with the glove has been offset severely by his limitations at the plate.

High Minors: The minor league ranks have begun to blend with the Major Leagues as of late. Jackson could very well be the odd man out in the chase for a spot in St. Louis, and would be left to continue on in Memphis. He’s got the best glove of any shortstop in the system, but has shown no bat at all in brief stint last season (.118 in 18 at-bats) or this spring (.143 through 10 games). But he did manage to hit over .270 for three seasons while he rose from the Single to Triple A levels, so there’s some medium for him to improve upon…if he regains the chance to do so, due to a new teammate this year.

Greg Garcia is looming as perhaps the best current fit for the long-term picture up the middle. He played the entire season at Double-A Springfield, and hit .284 with 20 doubles and 10 home runs, while managing to have an impressive 80 walks vs. 83 strikeouts. He’ll be 23 this season, and will be the starter in Memphis this season. Garcia’s future is probably more of a Descalso (who he profiles quite similarly to thus far in the minors), but an offensive profile of this sort plays much better at shortstop than at second base. He has shown a steady improvement throughout the system, and is perhaps the lone prospect with a chance to actually fill into more potential as he matures.

Cardinals hitting coach John Mabry stated in February at the Cardinals Winter Warm Up that Garcia would see plenty of opportunities to show what he could do this spring, due to the World Baseball Classic’s impact on the spring roster, but the loss of Furcal has now made auditioning Kozma the top priority, and Garcia’s chances thus far have been less than originally anticipated.

The lone issue at hand is how Jackson fits into the picture now, especially with Kolten Wong being the everyday second baseman at Memphis for the time being. Garcia’s improved stock, combined with Kozma’s increased role and the presence of Cedeno, have thrown his role into question.

At Springfield, Jake Lemmerman, who was the return from the Dodgers for Skip Schumaker this winter, could see some opportunity. The 23-year-old hit has hit .285 as a minor leaguer, but has struggled since reaching Double-A, hitting only .233 in 137 games.

Low Minors: There’s no true emerging option at any of the lower levels of the Cardinal system. Many of players that take on shortstop do it in a moonlight capacity, while making most of their impact at second base. Some could find their future at shortstop due to organizational need, but the clearest sign of the team’s need to draft well up the middle is here. The only player that made a majority living at the position was Matt Williams, who played 126 games as short for the Class-A Quad Cities River Bandits.

Prognosis: If there is any position that the team could have its hand forced in, either via trade or draft, it is at shortstop. There is 0% chance that Furcal will retained after the season, so the page has been turned in real time for the Cardinals. While there are bodies to fill the space now, the answer over the long-term simply is not there, nor is it on the horizon. Even if Kozma, Jackson or Garcia can become an adequate major leaguer, the need to restock the organization’s depth at the spot is well past due. For a team that is full of succession plans, the lack of one at short has hit a dangerous level and isn’t going to be a quick fix.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ bullpen came a long way in 2011, beginning with Ryan Franklin’s blown save on Opening Day and ending with Jason Motte’s final pitch to win Game Seven of the World Series.

The squad battled through major ups and downs throughout the season, and the final roster hardly resembled the Opening Day roster. All of those changes turned out to be a blessing, however, as the team went on to win the World Series.

The Opening Day bullpen that included pitchers such as Miguel Batista, Brian Tallet and Bryan Augenstein eventually turned into a bullpen with Fernando Salas, Marc Rzepczynski and Octavio Dotel.

The latter group was instrumental in the Cardinals run to the world championship. Manager Tony La Russa used his bullpen more extensively in the playoffs than any manager in the history of the game, and the relievers came through nearly every time in the playoffs.

Veterans such as Dotel and Arthur Rhodes left during the offseason, but the Cardinals picked up left-handed specialist J.C. Romero Dec. 15 and still have a strong core of young arms that will be ready to defend the championship this year.

Plus, the experience those young pitchers got during the stretch run of the 2011 season is sure to help them in future seasons.

After watching Motte nervously bumble his way through relief appearances at times during the previous two seasons, few people could have imagined him all of a sudden shutting down the best teams in the game during the most important stretch of the season, much less coming through flawlessly in the World Series to beat the Texas Rangers.

Yet, there he was on the mound at Busch Stadium throwing some of the most important pitches of the season.
After years of turnover and uncertainty in the Cardinals bullpen, that group could be one of the best parts of the team in 2012.

The Cardinals lost a lot of firepower in the lineup when first baseman Albert Pujols left in December to sign with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim, and they only brought in players who were Pujols’ age or older. The chances of both shortstop Rafeal Furcal and outfielder Carlos Beltran staying healthy for the entire season are very low.

That means the Cardinals will have to rely heavily on their pitching staff. The good news is this year’s pitching staff could be the best the Cardinals have had since 2004 when four starters had 15 or more wins, and that team went to the World Series.

Adam Wainwright will return this season to join what should be a strong rotation that includes Chris Carpenter, Jamie Garcia, Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook.

However, that rotation can only do so much. The bullpen is also going to have to shut down teams regularly late in games. With a strong rotation, the relievers will likely come into games with a lead, and a bad stretch of relief pitching could quickly demoralize the entire team.

Losing games is one thing, but losing because a reliever blew the game late adds an extra sting.

In any case, Cardinals fans should be as confident in this season’s bullpen as it has been in many years. This group is younger than most of the Cardinals’ bullpens during the La Russa era, and it now has experience that should keep them from getting rattled in tight situations.

After having a bullpen that appeared to be one of the worst in the league less than 12 months ago, the Cardinals could go into 2012 with one of the best bullpens in the game. That is quite a turnaround.

Whether you were devastated, relieved, or somewhere in between when Albert Pujols rejected a reported $210 million, 10-year contract offer from team president, Bill Dewitt, and GM John Mozeliak, the fact remains that the departure of the St. Louis Cardinals’ long-time first basement gives the front office a lot more payroll flexibility moving forward.

Photo Courtesy of/Copyright Erika Lynn

Since December 8^th, the day news broke that Pujols was taking his talents to SoCal, the Cardinals have made a number of moves: first re-signing middle infielders Skip Schumaker and Rafael Furcal, then adding an impact bat in Carlos Beltran and a veteran bullpen arm in J.C. Romero. The moves are nothing to scoff at, and the Cardinals likely aren’t done adding pieces to an already loaded World Championship roster for the 2012 season.

Thus far, the Cardinals have committed roughly $45 million to those four players over the next two seasons, and two of the four were carryovers from last year’s squad. The “new money” so to speak for Beltran and Romero will only cost the team about $27 million.

Obviously, the Cardinals weren’t going to blow the Pujols savings all at once, and frankly there’s not a lot of need to at this point. The team, at least for 2012, is pretty well set in most areas. The outfield features Matt Holliday, Jon Jay, Allen Craig, and Carlos Beltran. Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, and Jaime Garcia will anchor the starting rotation. At the corner infield positions you have Lance Berkman and David Freese, and up the middle you have Rafael Furcal and likely a platoon between Skip Schumaker, Daniel Descalso, and Tyler Greene. Could the team use some more arms in the bullpen? Sure. But keep in mind all the young, promising arms that will be returning: Eduardo Sanchez, Fernando Salas, Lance Lynn, Jason Motte, and Marc Rzepczynski just to name a few.

But that doesn’t mean some fans wouldn’t like the team to start locking-in some of that current talent on the roster for the long haul, and there are two big names at the top of the list.

Yadier Molina –
Molina has been a beloved member of the St. Louis Cardinals since his game-winning home run in Game 7 of the NLCS back in 2006. The Gold Glover has made a name for himself with his handiwork behind the plate, gunning out would-be base stealers and picking-off other base runners in critical situations. But Molina isn’t just a threat behind the plate, he had a career year in the batter’s box as well, hitting .305 with 14 HRs and 65 RBIs in 2011. He’ll be making $7 million dollars in 2012, the final year of his contract. Translation: With his numbers on the rise, some team out there will likely be willing to throw at least 4 years, $40 million at Molina next winter if St. Louis doesn’t lock him up.

David Freese –
The World Series MVP made a whopping $416 thousand (yes, thousand) last season, and is due for a significant pay-raise. Like Molina, Freese has a strong connection with the Cardinals fan base… not only for his World Series heroics, but because he’s one of them. Freese grew up in the St. Louis area, and his redemption story has captured the hearts of Cardinals fans everywhere. His free agency clock is also ticking, so it’ll be interesting to see how the front office handles his contract talks as well.

The prospects of keeping Freese on the team long-term look good. As we just discussed, he’s a native St. Louisan, and he has several good friends on the team, including Matt Holliday, whose contract is good through the 2016 season. With Freese’s injury problems in the past, it’s unlikely that he’d command more than 6-8 million per season unless he just goes off in 2012, making him a pretty affordable investment for the Cardinals’ Organization.

So what about Molina? Well, John Mozeliak says the team wants to re-sign him, and Molina reportedly wants to stay a Cardinal, so things should work out great, right?

Where have I heard that story before?

Today at the St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm Up, a slow morning turned rapid-fire with Matt Adams, Brandon Dickson, Daniel Descalso, and J.C. Romero all taking turns in front of reporters in a short span of time.

Adams and Dickson will enter Spring Training trying to break camp with the big league club, having built reputations as important pieces of the Cardinal farm system already. Descalso, after making a name for himself in 2011 as a versatile player whether starting or coming off the bench, expects to be in the thick of the competition for the second base job. And Romero comes to the Cards looking for redemption both personally and professionally.

The afternoon promises to be exciting as well. Former manager (weird) Tony LaRussa has been in the house all morning signing autographs and talking with fans. But he’s not the only star from the 2011 World Series Champions making the rounds today. Jason Motte, Jake Westbrook, Jon Jay, Jaime Garcia, Lance Berkman, and Matt Holliday are among the big leaguers still scheduled to appear. A formidable lineup indeed.

Not to be outdone, the Cardinal alumni will be out in force today as well. Tom Lawless, Chris Duncan, Danny Cox, Todd Worrell, and Tom Henke are just some of the former Redbirds scheduled to appear. And the Cards’ radio broadcast team of Mike Shannon and John Rooney will also be entertaining fans this afternoon.

But the biggest drama to unfold today may be the resolution of just which number new Cardinal Carlos Beltran will wear. Historically, Beltran has worn #15 and on last year’s Cardinal team, that number belonged to Rafael Furcal. Even though Beltran has a little more tenure as a Major Leaguer (which may normally sway a player to give up his number), Furcal has obviously been a Cardinal longer. And yesterday, the Cardinal shortstop told reporters he was not giving up #15…after all, he did win a World Championship with the number on his back. Apparently that information made it to Beltran because last night he tweeted (@carlosbeltran15) a request for input on what his new number should be. So perhaps Beltran will make his decision before his scheduled Winter Warm Up appearance Monday, or maybe he and Furcal can come to some kind of agreement on a swap. Or maybe someone will solicit a decision from former Cardinal Jim Edmonds (@Jedmonds15), clearly the franchise’s most famous #15 from the last decade.

Help me decide 3,8,13,40,43????

January 14, 2012 9:33 pm via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@carlosbeltran15

Carlos Beltran

Oh, the suspense. Stay tuned.

Chris Reed is covering the 2012 Winter Warm Up all weekend for I-70 Baseball. Follow him on Twitter @birdbrained.

ST LOUIS (January 11, 2012)– The 16^th annual Cardinals Care Winter Warm-Up, the Cardinals Caravan, the 53^rd annual St. Louis Baseball Writers Dinner, as well as two events benefiting Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation (ARF) highlight a busy Cardinals-themed holiday weekend that continues the 2011 World Championship celebration while also unofficially kicking off the 2012 baseball season.

The Winter Warm-Up returns to the Hyatt Regency at the Arch Saturday, January 14^th through Monday, January 16^th (Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Day) with appearances by a variety of current and former Cardinals players.

“This year’s Warm-Up will be even more special as we celebrate our 11^th World Championship and look forward to the 2012 season,” said Michael Hall, Vice President for Cardinals Care and Community Relations. “The event is a fun-filled weekend that really has something for everyone.”

This year fans will get their chance to take a picture with the Cardinals 2011 World Series trophy as well as get their first opportunity to greet new acquisitions Carlos Beltran and J.C. Romero, who are scheduled to appear on Sunday and Monday respectively.

For complete Warm-Up information visit www.cardinals.com/winterwarmup.

In addition to the Warm-Up, on Friday night Cardinals fans can enjoy a special program at the Peabody Opera House as Tony La Russa and Bob Costas will discuss the 2011 season. Saturday night La Russa’s annual “Stars to the Rescue” event will take place at the Peabody and both events will benefit the former Cardinals manager’s Animal Rescue Foundation.

The 54^th annual Baseball Writers Dinner will take place at the St. Louis Millennium Hotel on Sunday night. Fans will enjoy a night of fun and entertainment as the dinner will celebrate the 2011 World Championship, pay tribute to the 30^th anniversary of the 1982 World Series Champion Cardinals and include the presentation of several 2011 awards and recognition.

Below are the complete highlights of the 2012 Winter Warm-Up:

Friday, January 13, 2012

• Tickets: The Will Call ticket window at the Hyatt Regency will be open from 12:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.
• Cardinals Caravan Kicks Off: Stops in Springfield, Mo., Champaign, Ill., Decatur, Ill., Mexico, Mo. and Jefferson City, Mo. kick off the 2012 Cardinals Caravan.
• La Russa Discusses the 2011 Season: Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation will host “A Champs Perspective,” a viewing of the 2011 Championship season at the Peabody Opera House with special guest Bob Costas. Join La Russa as he gives his unique commentary on this historic season.

Saturday, January 14, 2012 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

• 2012 Cardinals Autographs: Chris Carpenter, Tony Cruz, Tyler Greene, Fernando Salas, Adam Wainwright and more.
• Cardinals Alumni Autographs: Andy and Alan Benes, Glenn Brummer, Cal Eldred, Rex Hudler, Rick Horton, Brian Jordan and more.
• Dugout Presentations: “Collecting Sports Memorabilia” with sports collector Dave Jackson at 10:30 a.m.; Learn how to shoot a Cardinals game with team photographer Scott Rovak at 12:00 p.m.; Weatherbird live demonstrations with St. Louis Post-Dispatch artist Dan Martin at 2:00 p.m.
• Clubhouse Presentations: Cardinals Farm Director John Vuch discusses the organization’s minor league system at 11:00 a.m.; Cardinals Vice President of Sales and Marketing Dan Farrell discusses the team’s sales, marketing and broadcasting at 1:00 p.m.; Brian Finch of the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame Museum will discuss the history of the Cardinals with 10 items from the museum at 3:00 p.m.
• Main Stage: Cardinals Senior Vice President and General Manager John Mozeliak will host a question and answer session at 12:30 p.m, while a panel discussion with three members of the Cardinals local media will to follow at 1:00 p.m.
• Auctions: Silent Auctions: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.; Live Auctions (Main Stage): 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Items that are won at auctions must be paid for at the close of each auction.
• Cardinals Caravan: The Cardinals caravan makes its way thru Cardinal Nation with stops in Joplin, Rolla, Hannibal, Columbia, and Moberly, Mo. as well as Quincy, Ill.

Sunday, January 15, 2012 (9 a.m. – 5 p.m.)

• 2012 Cardinals Autographs: Lance Berkman, Mitchell Boggs, Daniel Descalso, Jaime Garcia, Matt Holliday, Jon Jay, J.C. Romero, Jake Westbrook and more.
• Cardinals Alumni Autographs: Danny Cox, Chris Duncan, Curt Ford, Tony La Russa, Red Schoendienst and more.
• Dugout Presentations: “Collecting Sports Memorabilia” with sports collector Dave Jackson at 11:30 a.m.
• Clubhouse Presentations: Brian Finch of the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame Museum will discuss the 2011 World Championship season at 10:30 a.m.; an exclusive launch of the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum’s new website with the group’s registrar Jennifer Jackson at 12:00 p.m.; “Caring for the 2011 World Champions” with team physician, Dr. Wendell Becton at 1:00 p.m.
• Main Stage: A panel discussion with members of the 1964 World Championship team and the 2011 World Championship team from 2:15 p.m. – 3:15 p.m.
• Auctions: Silent Auctions: 9 a.m. – 12 p.m. and 1 p.m. – 3 p.m.; Live Auctions (Main Stage): 11 a.m. and 2 p.m. Items that are won at auctions must be paid for at the close of each auction.
• Cardinals Caravan: The Cardinals Caravan makes its way thru Cardinal Nation with stops in Dyersburg and Memphis, Tenn., as well as Mattoon and Peoria, Ill.
• 54^th Annual Baseball Writers Dinner (Millennium Hotel, 6:30 p.m.): Enjoy a night of fun and entertainment as the St. Louis chapter of the Baseball Writers Association of America celebrates the 2011 World Championship team and several members of the Cardinals organization receive awards recognizing their accomplishments in 2011. Also, there will be a special program honoring the 30^th anniversary of the 1982 World Series Championship.

Monday, January 16, 2012 (9 a.m. – 3 p.m.)

• 2012 Cardinals Autographs: Carlos Beltran, Allen Craig, David Freese, Kyle Lohse, Lance Lynn, Kyle McClellan, Mike Matheny and more.
• Cardinals Alumni Autographs: Jack Clark, Whitey Herzog, Mike Jorgensen, Ray Lankford, Kerry Robinson, Jason Simontacci and more.
• Dugout Presentation: Photograph opportunities with America’s symbol, the bald eagle at 10:30 a.m. and Brian Finch of the Cardinals’ Hall of Fame Museum will present “Designing the Past” at 12:30 p.m.
• Clubhouse Presentation: Cardinals President Bill DeWitt III discusses the franchise at 10:00 a.m. and “Collecting Sports Memorabilia” with sports collector Dave Jackson at 11:30 a.m.
• Main Stage: A discussion with former Cardinals manager Tony La Russa and new Cardinals skipper Mike Matheny at 1:30 p.m.
• Auctions: Silent Auctions: 9 a.m. – 11 a.m. and 12 p.m. – 2 p.m. Live Auctions (Main Stage): 10:30 a.m. and 1 p.m. Items that are won at auctions must be paid for at the close of each auction.
• Cardinals Caravan: The Cardinals Caravan makes its way thru Cardinal Nation with stops in Jonesboro, Ark., Cape Girardeau, Mo., Quad Cities, Iowa and Springfield, Ill.

All Three Days
On the second floor of the Hyatt, fans will be able to play interactive games, find collectable memorabilia and baseball cards, meet Fredbird and listen to informative presentations by Cardinals executives.

On the fourth floor, fans will be able to meet their favorite players at the autograph tables and will also have the opportunity to visit the Cardinals Care Store. The store will be stocked full of Cardinals memorabilia such as discounted hats, game-worn jerseys, toys and grab bags. Also, there will be booths for Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation and Stan the Man Inc. There will be plenty of items on hand for purchase at booths sponsored by Cardinals Publications as well as the official team store.

This year Cardinals Authentics will be selling unique items from the 2011 Cardinals Postseason. In addition to autographed World Series balls and photos, fans can purchase autographed champagne bottles from each round of the Cardinals’ 2011 postseason run and limited edition items such as World Series Game 7 rosin bag material and infield dirt.

Tickets
Three-day passes for the event can be purchased at the Busch Stadium Cardinals Team Store, at area Cardinals Clubhouse Stores or by calling (314) 345-9000. Ticket prices are $40 for fans 16 and older and $10 for fans ages five to 15, while kids under five are free. Fans that purchased their tickets in advance can begin picking them up at the Hyatt Regency Will Call starting Friday, January 14^th from noon to 7 p.m. The Will Call window will open again on Saturday at 8:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., Sunday 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m. and Monday 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m.

Pizza Party
Cardinals Care has now partnered with Papa John’s Pizza for a special promotion where proceeds of pizza purchases in January will be donated to their cause. The Cardinals Care $20 Papa John’s Deal includes any large pizza, one chicken side and a Cinnapie for only $20 with $2 from every deal sold going directly to Cardinals Care. The deal is good thru January only and orders can be made at www.papajohns.com or by visiting any St. Louis area Papa John’s store.

Cardinals Care
Since its inception in 1997, Cardinals Care has maintained a direct focus on “Caring for Kids” by distributing funds to area non-profit youth organizations and establishing Redbird Rookies, their flagship program that supports youth on and off the baseball field. Most of the organizations who are recipients of Cardinals Care charitable grants are based in Missouri, Illinois and Iowa.

Grant funds are intended to support purchases such as school supplies and uniforms, computers, software, instruments, books and games for educational programs, as well as basic needs such as winter clothing for needy children.

The Winter Warm-Up and annual 6K Run are Cardinals Care’s two largest fundraising events each year. In 2011 Cardinals Care raised over $700,000 at the Warm-Up and nearly $160,000 at the second annual 6K Run. Cardinals Care also raises funds through memorabilia auctions online and throughout Busch Stadium during the season

54^th Annual St. Louis Baseball Writers Dinner
The event will feature a tribute to the 2011 World Series Champion Cardinals as well as presentations of the annual Baseball Writers Awards. Those scheduled to receive awards are Tony La Russa, John Mozeliak, Red Schoendienst, Dan Descalso, Lance Berkman, Chris Carpenter, David Freese and Kyle Lohse, along with Cardinals Organizational Player of the Year Matt Adams and Pitcher of the Year Shelby Miller.

Cardinals Caravan
The 2012 Cardinals Caravan begins Friday, January 13^th and will embark on five separate caravans, scheduled throughout the weekend. The caravans are scheduled to visit 19 total cities, including the respective ballparks of local minor league affiliates Memphis (Tennessee), Springfield (Missouri) and Quad Cities (Davenport, Iowa). For complete information of all caravan stops visit www.cardinals.com/caravan.

Stars to the Rescue
Tony La Russa’s annual Animal Rescue Foundation event is scheduled for 6:30 p.m. at the Peabody Opera House and tickets for the event are $75 and $25 and are on sale now by visiting the Ford Box Office at Scottrade. Stars scheduled to appear are Tom Johnson, Luke Bryan, Timothy B. Schmit, John McDaniel, Christopher Jackson and Lara Johnston. ARF saves dogs and cats that have run out of time at public shelters and strives to bring together people and pets.

Sponsors
Cardinals Care and the St. Louis Cardinals would like to thank the following sponsors for helping to make the 2012 Winter Warm-Up possible:

Anheuser-Busch, Inc., Belleville News-Democrat, Betallic, Centric Group, Coca-Cola North America, Enterprise Holdings, Fox Sports Midwest, Framin’ Place, Gwin’s Travel, Hardee’s, Hostess Brands, Hunter Engineering, Hyatt Regency, In Focus Marketing, KMOX News/Talk 1120, M & I Bank, Nehmen-Kodner, Paramount Convention Services, Rawlings Sporting Goods, RBO PRINTLOGISTIX, Sportservice, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, , St. Louis Sportswear, St. Louis Town Planner, Suburban Journals, Supply Concepts, Inc., Swank Audio Visuals, Syberg’s, Thrivent Financial, Victoria Products, Warren Sign and Wireless USA.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ offseason remains—to this point— defined more by subtraction than addition, at least when talking about the big names. Perhaps they are simply waiting for players’ markets to continue to develop. But in the meantime, are they missing out on what could be key contributors?

There still is a lot of time left before pitchers and catchers report to Spring Training. The Cards did decide to bring back shortstop Rafael Furcal, adding him on a two-year deal that will hopefully bring stability to the position in the short-term. They also signed lefty J.C. Romero this week, solidifying that side of the bullpen.

Nick Punto will not be returning to the Cardinals for 2012; he signed with the Boston Red Sox this week. “The Shredder” made an impact on the 2011 team, and not just in the laundry room. Punto is definitely a positive personality in the clubhouse, and a defensive beast on the field. With the re-signing of Skip Schumaker and the emergence of Daniel Descalso, Punto would have again been a bench player in St. Louis. But that’s also the role he will likely play in Boston. So why was he not brought back? This may be a bigger loss than the Cards realize. It’s tough to understate the value of a 5th or 6th infielder, but a positive clubhouse presence coupled with veteran leadership is never unwelcome on a major league roster. Punto will be missed.

This likely means the Cardinals are looking more to the outfield for roster additions. Carlos Beltran remains an interesting possibility, but as players like Josh Willingham and Michael Cuddyer get snatched up the price will only go higher for a hitter like Beltran. He will turn 35 not long after the 2012 season starts, and has been making about $19 million per year for a while now. What will he be looking for? Five years? $15 million, or more? If the Cardinals had a problem paying Albert Pujols for 10 years, they certainly shouldn’t seriously consider paying Beltran for five.

According to reports from Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the team may also have an interest in upgrading the rotation and Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook are still in play. These are all intriguing possibilities; meanwhile, the number of viable players is starting to dwindle. Are the Cardinals going to make a “big splash?”

Signing Pujols would have been the biggest deal—in more ways than one—in franchise history for the Cards. But he’s gone now. So is a different big deal necessary, or even desirable? The Cards do get Adam Wainwright back at some point in 2012, presumably early in the season. Allen Craig may be down for a while as he recovers from offseason knee surgery, but does the team want to block him by adding a long-term solution in right field? Sure, there can always be mixing and matching in the outfield. But adding another long-term veteran when capable young players are beating down the door certainly doesn’t seem like the best idea in the world.

But that’s not to say the Cards are without needs for 2012. Can Wainwright really be effective, especially early in the season? How will Jon Jay’s numbers play out as the everyday center fielder? Who will fill in while Craig is recovering, and where will that player go once Craig rejoins the big club in St. Louis? Do the Cards have enough pitching? Who is the backup catcher? How is the organizational depth in case the injury bug hits the team? These are not easy questions to answer, but they need to be addressed regardless.

The Cardinals have a good team returning for 2012, but they need more. The Brewers, Reds, and Cubs are salivating no that Pujols is gone. His productivity will be impossible to replace, but several really good acquisitions can certainly help. If this team has any designs on being the first repeat World Series Champion since the 99-00 season, they are going to have to be over-the-top good.

Chris Reed is a freelance writer who also writes for InsideSTL Mondays and at Bird Brained whenever he feels like it. Follow him on Twitter @birdbrained.