The St. Louis Cardinals, according to many sources, seem to be searching for starting pitching.

The one thing the team has made sure that everyone is well aware of is the depth of starting pitching in this organization.  If that is true, then why the search for another arm in the rotation?

According to Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post Dispatch, it appears the team feels the need for more innings in the rotation.  The loss of Chris Carpenter, the concern over Jaime Garcia, and the unknown of what kind of workload the young arms can carry has the team willing to add a known “inning eating” commodity.  Most recently, that interest has shown in the Tigers Rick Porcello.

Should the concern be warranted?  Adam Wainwright is now two springs removed from Tommy John surgery and projected to be back to his normal self.  The Jake Westbrook trade and subsequent signing was based off of his ability to pitch a high number of innings.  The Cardinals have not had two pitchers with over 200 innings just once in the last 26 years, as pointed out by friend of the site Jon Doble.

Looking at trends over the last three years for the projected six men battling for the five spots in the rotation, the concern does come through.

Wainwright was injured the entire 2011 season, having a large impact on his three year average of 143 innings pitched.  If we remove the injury season and go back a year further, his average jumps up to 220 innings.  The concern is whether or not his arm can carry that load again, but for the sake of argument in this space, I give him the benefit of the doubt.  Innings Based On Average: 220

Westbrook was brought in to solve the issue of innings pitched.  Despite nagging injuries the last few years, he has approached the 200 inning plateau, though he has not reached it.  His 2010 season was split between the Indians and the Cardinals, but was still a productive one.  His average places him second in this discussion, though he is probably the number three man in the rotation.  Innings Based On Average: 187

Garcia, the wild card of the bunch, has seen injuries and ineffectiveness effect him during his major league career.  At times, he has been a dominant, top-of-the-rotation type pitcher.  At others, he has been sporadic and wild, projecting more at the back of the rotation.  Last season was the worst in his three year average, only producing a little more than 121 innings.  So far this Spring, it appears he has righted the ship and is back on pace to be a big part of this team.  Innings Based On Average: 166

Lance Lynn is a bit harder to project based on his limited exposure at the Major League level.  Many tend to forget that he was a starter during his minor league career, however, and the three year projection goes back to grab an entire year of starting at the Triple-A level.  His average is hurt by his time in the bullpen in St. Louis in 2011, but is still respectable for a guy entering his second year in a big league rotation. Innings Based On Average: 150

The final spot in the rotation will be left to either Joe Kelly or Shelby Miller.  Kelly is the easiest to examine in this conversation, thanks to his production filling in for Garcia last season.  His workload reached a peak due to the need for him in the big league rotation last year and leaves the Cardinals hopeful that he can repeat that performance but concerned that he may have pushed too hard, too soon.  It is also important to note that his 2010 season saw him work out of the bullpen in Class-A ball for a period of time. Innings Based On Average: 138

Shelby Miller has everyone buzzing.  He ranks as one of the top ten prospects in all of Major League Baseball and the team and fans are both excited to see what he can do on the biggest stage.  He gave everyone a glimpse of his potential at the end of last season.  He may be the biggest unknown in this situation and he may also offer a saving grace.  He projects as a top of the rotation starter and will be relied upon throughout his career and that time may come as soon as this season.  Innings Based On Average: 131

The ultimate equation that you would like to apply to an ideal situation is to break up the innings based on quality starts.  A quality start requires six innings pitched from the starter and there are 162 games in the major league season.  That puts most teams looking for 972 innings from their starting rotation in a perfect world.  The Cardinals rotation will fall well short of that goal based off of these projections. Innings For Rotation Based On Average: 854-861

That leaves the team about 110 innings short of where they would like to be.  The name that is driving the most attention right now is Rick Porcello, who’s three year average puts him at 183 innings.  Even if he was slotted to fill the five spot in the rotation, this gains the Cardinals around 50 innings.  A drastic improvement but not one that reaches their goal.

The Cardinals are relying on one of the pitchers in their rotation to overachieve their average and the addition of Porcello, or someone similar, to pick up the remainder of the balance.

Ultimately, the move may not be necessary but at the same time, it is not a bad one.  Assuming the team doesn’t have to part with any key components of the future, a trade for Porcello makes a whole lot of sense once you take a look at the numbers.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at i70baseball.
You can follow him on Twitter by clicking here.

The St. Louis Cardinals have used three weeks of spring training to find their likely middle infielders for the upcoming season, but one big decision remains as to who will take the fifth spot in the starting rotation. Fortunately, the Cardinals should be in good shape regardless of who they choose.

Three contestants began the battle for the final starting spot at the beginning of spring training, and the Cardinals have already eliminated one contender. They told Trevor Rosenthal last week he would not make the rotation, but he would likely have a prominent spot in the bullpen.

So that leaves Joe Kelly and Shelby Miller to fight for that last spot. Not coincidentally, the Cardinals plan to have both pitch Thursday against the Atlanta Braves in a game that will most likely be the Cardinals final evaluation before they make their decision.

Kelly has made two starts so far this year. He went two innings in each outing and gave up just one run combined. However, his control has been erratic, and he has walked five batters in those four innings.

Miller has also pitched twice this spring, but just one was a start. He’s given up three runs combined, but he’s also walked just one hitter.

Cardinals management said earlier in the week that a decision is near because the winner would need the next three starts to build stamina for the regular season, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

The odds favor Kelly for several reasons. He is two years older and has more experience in the starting rotation. Kelly made 16 starts last year, while Miller just came up in September to make a token two starts.

Miller is also a higher-rated prospect who the Cardinals hope becomes a cornerstone of the rotation long into the future. And although Miller has looked impressive in everything he’s done at the big-league level, the Cardinals have been burned plenty of times by bringing up a young pitcher who could’ve used a little more time in the minors.

And that’s where Miller figures to go if he doesn’t win the job. Kelly pitched eight times last year as a long reliever, and he could easily slide back and fortify the bullpen again. However, the Cardinals already have Rosenthal, Fernando Salas, Edward Mujica, Mitchell Boggs and Jason Motte as solid righthanded relievers they can bring in to shut down a game. Kelly would likely be wasted in mop-up duty if he went to the bullpen.

The bullpen also wouldn’t be the best spot for Miller because he is going to need to establish the stamina necessary to pitch as a starter for an entire season. He is much more likely to rack up innings with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds than in long relief out of the Cardinals bullpen.

Either way, Thursday will probably be one of the most interesting days of the Cardinals 2013 spring training.

This is what spring training is all about. Two players came into camp knowing they had to perform well to win a job, and one of them will likely walk off the mound Thursday at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Fla., as part of one of the most exclusive clubs in St. Louis: the Cardinals starting rotation.

The St. Louis Cardinals opened camp on Tuesday morning with the traditional pitchers and catchers workouts.  It did not take long for the first quote to fire up the fan base to come out.

Lance Lynn has arrived at camp looking fit having dropped a reported 40 pounds.  He has successfully avoided using the phrase “best shape of my life”, is on the heels of an 18 win season, and addressed the one thing that critics had for him last year by improving his offseason diet to hopefully address the fatigue that set in at the end of 2013.  In the midst of losing starter Chris Carpenter and the buzz around three young rookies hoping for a rotation spot, Lynn is a bright spot in early camp.

Then, on Tuesday morning during a media scrum, a quote came flying out from Lance Lynn.  It may or may not be “out of context”, but it seemed to fire up the fanbase pretty quickly.  Via Twitter, beat writer Jenifer Langosch shared Lynn’s thoughts on the rotation competition this spring:

Lynn on rotation competition: "I was an 18-game winner last yr w/ an All-Star appearance. I have to do a lot of things to lose a spot, IMO."

February 12, 2013 8:49 am via webReplyRetweetFavorite

@LangoschMLB

Jenifer Langosch

It is easy to see how that could rub some fans wrong.  That is not the way players tend to act around St. Louis.  Players that have been in the league for years, won multiple awards, and are solidified in their positions for years to come say “I’m here competing for my spot on the team”.  It shows a cockiness and brash attitude that this team, and it’s fans, are not accustomed to hearing.

The question here is: was it really wrong to say?

He is right, isn’t he?  I would say, due to the news of Chris Carpenter’s injury, that Lynn’s spot in the rotation is his to lose and in order to lose it, he would have to collapse pretty hard this spring.  His season last year was impressive, especially considering the second half issues he ran into.  The work he has already put in to attempt to fix that part of his game deserves accolades.

The St. Louis Post Dispatch ran an article on Tuesday as well, discussing Lynn with his manager.  Matheny had high praise for his starter and his offseason work.  The manager also had this to say about early perceptions that Lynn was not guaranteed a spot in the rotation this year:

“I know (that) made Lance a little frustrated,” said Matheny “I told him, ‘We want you coming in competing for a spot. We don’t want you rolling in thinking this is yours.’”

It is not easy to say if there is a right or wrong here.  Some will say “Carp would have never said anything like this.”  Others will point out that Lance Berkman was a breath of fresh air and would tend to be brutally honest with the media and the fans.  It is easy to see that type of quote being attributed to Berkman and fans would have applauded his honesty.  So why the outrage that Lynn is doing so?  Is it because of his age?

I freely admit that my immediate reaction was negative.  I don’t like it.  I don’t want a young player who, in my mind, still has some things to prove to sound so cocky.  I want him to talk about working hard to prove that last year was not a fluke.  I also admit that this is a personal preference.  Personally, I don’t like what Lynn said.  However, I also don’t feel what he said was incorrect.

The basic thought is there: an All Star pitcher made a statement that most of us were already thinking.

Is there anything really wrong with that?

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
Follow him on Twitter here.

Add another body to the pile.

The St. Louis Cardinals placed lefty Jaime Garcia on the 15-day disabled list because of a shoulder strain. Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported Garcia has tears in both his rotator cuff and labrum and is likely to be sidelined for at least two months. The Cards called up Joe Kelly from Triple-A Memphis to take Garcia’s turn in the rotation Sunday against the Cleveland Indians. Anything beyond that is probably semi-up in the air.

At this point, it seems like the only valid response to news like this is a shrug of the shoulders and an uninterested “What’s next?” The Cards are close to being able to field a complete disabled list team now. That this team is even one game over .500 is kind of remarkable.

Though that may not last once the Garcia injury truly hits this team. Sure it’s nice to see Kelly make his Major League debut or a guy like Brandon Dickson get a shot at a couple of turns in the rotation. But if they stumble or prove they are not ready for The Show, what happens then? Do the Cards keep bringing minor leaguers up until one sticks? Do they convert another reliever—maybe a guy like Mitchell Boggs—into a starter?

Right now, the Cardinals have three starters they can count on night in and night out: Adam Wainwright, Kyle Lohse, and Lance Lynn. But even they are not in ideal situations. Wainwright is still regaining form after missing all of last year, Lohse is prone to streaks of inconsistency as the season wears on, and Lynn is in his first full season as a starter. Jake Westbrook takes the ball every fifth day, but that’s about it in terms of his steadiness. This rotation has no mortal-lock rock to lean on. And that is a scary thing to think about when the season is more than two months old and it’s likely to be at least two more months until guys like Garcia or Chris Carpenter are even sniffing reactivation.

Make no mistake about it—this team is in the midst of quite possibly its greatest test of the year. The only thing that could make it worse is if Rafael Furcal, Carlos Beltran, and Yadier Molina have arms and legs start falling off. Maybe Matt Holliday, David Freese, and Jason Motte could all come down with plague at the same time, too. Would that really surprise anyone?

Man…just listing out those names and thinking about the players the Cards already have on the DL…this team really had a chance to be special, if not dominant, from wire to wire.

I know, I know. In 2006, the Cards had a similar truckload of injuries and got healthy just in time for the playoffs. In 2011, they made up 10.5 games after August 25. Anything truly is possible, and in no way should this team be given up on so early in the season.
But 2012 has all the makings of a “what if” year so far. And those are painful to deal with. Think about it. What If Holliday caught that liner in Los Angeles in 2009? What If Carpenter hadn’t been injured in 2004? What If Vince Coleman got out of the way of the tarp in 1985? And What If the 2012 Cardinals only sustained half the injuries they have to date?

Maybe the better way to look at it is, What If the Cards can get this team whole again? One thing is for certain: if they can’t, they are in serious trouble.

Chris Reed also writes for InsideSTL Mondays and Bird Brained whenever he feels like it. Follow him on Twitter @birdbrained.

This week, Joe Strauss of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch caught up with St. Louis Cardinal catcher Yadier Molina to talk about, among other things, his contract situation. Molina’s current deal is set to expire after the 2012 season, which would make the backstop a free agent for the first time in his career.

Unfortunately, this story is starting to sound a lot like the one told by Albert Pujols leading up to his eventual departure from the Cardinals. Obviously, in situations like this one, it is expected that the player will mention that the deal is about business. When it comes to free agency, a lot of monetary figures get thrown around that most regular folks just can’t comprehend. But, to be fair, these players want to get paid what they believe they are worth. And when one team is willing to come closer to that figure than another, and the difference is significant enough to outweigh anything else, then yes—it really is all about business. It is the business of baseball. There may be feelings involved, but business is what ultimately drove Pujols to the LA Angels. And Molina is now faced with similar prospects.

But another cliché Molina tossed into the interview also matched Pujols’ cadence months earlier: the dreaded “It’s out of my hands.” Seriously…this again? Actually, Yadi, no…it is not out of your hands. It is directly in your hands. You are the player. Your performance on the field drives your worth to the Cardinals and any other team that wants to sign you. You and your agent talk about what you believe your worth is, and then you take it to these teams. Maybe you don’t directly negotiate with the team; we get that. But “It’s out of my hands?” Sorry…not buying that bill of goods again.

At any time, Molina and his agent could start throwing numbers at the Cardinals. He is due to make $7 million this year, and is only 29. He is climbing into the upper echelon of catchers’ salaries and figures to get one more lengthy deal. He is still one of the top defensive catchers in the game, remains a clutch hitter, and is a leader in the clubhouse. The cards are on the table—no pun intended. So is the old “It’s out of my hands” routine just a benign way of saying “I’ll go with whoever pays the most” or what?

It is hard to tell, really, because Molina is one of the toughest players to read. He keeps a pretty low profile when it comes to speaking out publicly. One thing mentioned in the article is that he does not plan on imposing the same Spring Training negotiating deadline Pujols did last year, which definitely helps the process. The Cardinals, for their part, have some significant salary room in 2013 but also some significant holes to fill, at least as of now. That team will need a first baseman, at least one starting pitcher (and maybe two), and some hefty arbitration raises may be due to guys like David Freese and Jason Motte. But do they still have enough room for a bigger contract for Molina? And more importantly, does Molina really want to stay in St. Louis?

Speculation that Molina may also bolt for Anaheim to join his chum began to surface before the ink on Pujols’ contract was dry. And the Angels would certainly appear to have the salary space to take on Molina or anyone else they think can get them back to a World Series. But the Cards may have an ace in the hole with Mike Matheny, Molina’s old mentor, at the helm of the team. Or maybe not. It’s entirely possible Molina already knows exactly what he wants to do, and no amount of money or personal lobbying will change that. Of course, that could be the case from either side…at least until the Mystery Team steps in.

The Cards probably shouldn’t let this one get to the free agency deadline. Molina is a core member of the Cardinals, and now represents the old guard—he’s one of the longest-tenured players on the team. And this next contract is as much in his hands as it is anyone else’s.

Chris Reed also writes for InsideSTL Mondays and Bird Brained whenever he feels like it. Follow him on Twitter @birdbrained.

Tony La Russa will be remembered for a lot of different things by a lot of different people. The man spent the better part of four decades in the Major Leagues, some as a below-average bench player, most as a Hall of Fame manager. The man won three World Series championships, becoming the second manager in history to win a title in both leagues. He won more than 27-hundred games, defended his players, and coached his players to play the right way: The Cardinal way.

I remember when Tony La Russa came to St. Louis in November of 1995. I was 10 years old, and had always liked playing and watching baseball. Growing up in St. Louis, the Cardinals were my favorite team. But I had never experienced “winning” baseball… frankly, I didn’t even really know or appreciate what it was. I remembered watching the Atlanta Braves beat the Cleveland Indians in the 1995 World Series just a month earlier at my grandpa’s house, but that was really my only real “clue” to what winning was all about. In 1994, there was no World Series due to the strike, and in 1993 my 8-year-old self was not aware of Joe Carter and his walk-off heroics in the World Series. The Cardinals hadn’t been to the playoffs since I was two-years-old (1987) so I was really kept in the dark on the whole “winning” thing.

But then came the Spring of ’96. The Cardinals’ slogan for the year was “Baseball Like it ‘Oughta Be.” I vividly remember a full-page ad the Cardinals’ new ownership took out in the St. Louis Post Dispatch that year, namely because my grandpa cut it out and hung it up on the wall on his basement. Now, many of the phrases escape my memory, but I do remember this much about that nearly-poetic advertisement were:

“It oughta be real grass. It oughta be outfielders diving for a dying quail. It oughta be 2 bucks for a kid. It oughta be something to talk about with your girlfriend’s dad. It oughta be fun. Baseball like it oughta be.”

And how fitting that slogan was.

Tony La Russa embodied that motto for 16 seasons in St. Louis. He wasn’t perfect, but he always tried to have his players play the game the right way. “Play a hard nine” was among the manager’s personal mottos.

And with La Russa in charge, I got my first taste of winning baseball in St. Louis. The 1996 Cardinals went 88-74, good enough for first place in the NL Central Division and a trip to the playoffs. I remember watching rightfielder Brian Jordan squeeze the final out that clinched the division, and the celebration was on. The Cardinals dispatched the San Diego Padres in 3 games in the NLDS, and came within one game of a trip to the World Series, falling to the Atlanta Braves 4 games to 3. But despite the loss, it became official: I went from “liking” baseball to full-blown obsessed with it… and Tony La Russa was a big part of that. He was a huge part of bringing exciting, winning baseball back to millions of Cardinals fans, and sucked in new, younger fans like myself.

When I reached my teenage years, I remember going to a father-son banquet put on by my high school. Tony La Russa was the special guest speaker. Though I was completely tuned in, I don’t remember too many specifics from that speech… only that TLR could moonlight as a comedian if he wanted to. He was funny, charismatic, engaging, and classy.

In college, I got a chance to interview Tony La Russa when the St. Louis Cardinals came to Springfield, Missouri for a pair of exhibition games at Hammons Field, home of the Double-A affiliate Springfield Cardinals (by the way, on that Springfield team were guys you may have heard of: Allen Craig, Jon Jay, Jaime Garcia, Daniel Descalso, Fernado Salas, Mitchell Boggs, and Jason Motte. No wonder Springfield took Game 2 by a score of 10-3). At the time, I was working for the local NPR affiliate as a student reporter, and pleaded with the news director to let me cover the games. National Public Radio and its affiliates are not exactly known for their hard-hitting sports coverage and analysis, so I pitched a story idea about Tony La Russa’s Animal Rescue Foundation. My news director bit and I was off to the ballpark for two days of Cardinals baseball.

Most of the reporters around were hamming Tony with questions about the team’s perceived weaknesses, their failures in 2007 (which turned out to be the ONLY losing season the Cardinals had in Tony’s final 12 years with the club), and other baseball-related issues. As we know, TLR can get a little testy at times, but when the dust settled and the other reporters left one-by-one, there I was: a giddy little Cardinals fan of 11 years meeting the man who changed everything about the way I viewed baseball in the form of a wet-behind-the-ears 20-something college reporter. I asked Tony about his Animal Relief Foundation, and he lit up. Tony has a major soft spot in his heart for animals. Here’s a portion of what I wrote back in 2008:

“St. Louis Cardinals manager Tony La Russa spends over 7 months on a baseball diamond every year, so it’s no surprise that his other passion, the Animal Rescue Foundation, began on the baseball diamond as well. During a game in 1990 while coaching for the Oakland Athletics, a stray cat ran onto the field. After a few minutes, La Russa coaxed the cat into the dugout and kept it there the rest of the game. La Russa says it didn’t take long for him to realize there weren’t any no-kill animal shelters in the bay area. So he co-founded the Animal Rescue Foundation, which saves animals who have run out of time at shelters and would otherwise be euthanized.”

Tony was very gracious and patient with me, and I had the memory of a lifetime.

It is now November of 2011, nearly 16 full years to the day when Tony took over as the Cardinals manager. For Cardinals fans under 30, we literally know nothing other than the Tony La Russa brand of Cardinals baseball. Was he or his brand of baseball perfect? No. I’m sure many older fans reading this miss seeing a little thing they like to call a “stolen base” (whatever that is), and in fact, one of the first articles I ever wrote for this website was on a litany of mistakes La Russa made in one game during the 2010 season: a 20 inning, 2-1 loss to the New York Mets. It was a game that saw pitchers hitting cleanup behind Albert Pujols TWICE in extra innings, and position players throwing 3 innings of relief in the latter stages of the game, all because Tony mismanaged his bullpen and bench. I titled that article “The Most Memorable Game of 2010.” (I think we all know what the most memorable game of 2011 was: the 11-inning thriller that was Game 6 of the World Series).

Tony La Russa will be remembered for many things: batting the pitcher 8^th, using his bench players and bullpen like coins at an arcade, his outrageous tirades at postgame news conferences, his toughness on rookies, his loyalty towards his veterans, his 6 pennants, 3 World Series titles, and more than 27-hundred victories that will most surely guarantee that he’ll soon be entering Cooperstown and no one other player or coach will ever wear the number 10 in a St. Louis Cardinals uniform again.

But what I’ll remember Tony La Russa for is the face of Cardinals baseball during my childhood, adolescence, and young adulthood. Other than radio broadcaster, Mike Shannon, no one in the Cardinals organization was around longer than Tony La Russa over the past 16 years. I’ll remember that my grandpa used to call him Tony “La Russo.” I’ll remember that some of his decisions used to drive me crazy, and I’ll remember that it sure was fun to watch his teams get after it.

Thank you, Tony, for bringing back that hard-nosed winning tradition to St. Louis. Thanks for leading us into the playoffs nine times in 16 seasons. Thanks for the two unforgettable World Series championships.

Thanks for giving us baseball like it oughta be.

According to the St. Louis Cardinals official Twitter account, Lance Berkman has been extended for another season.

Always the professional, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch gives us some insight into the details:

Berkman gets one year, $12 million. Standard stuff. #STLcards none deferred. #Cardinals

September 22, 2011 9:40 am via Twitter for iPhoneReplyRetweetFavorite

@dgoold

Derrick Goold

Now the questions boil down to: why the Cardinals brought Berkman back, why now, and what does it mean for the future of the franchise?

To Prove A Point
Why now, with the team surging ahead in a wild card race, a week left in the season, and on the heels of extending Chris Carpenter?

Make no mistake, this one sends a message to the superstar himself, Albert Pujols. Pujols stance to not negotiate during the season due to causing a distraction is being taken to task the only real way to prove it wrong: by doing it. If Albert does not want to negotiate, prove to other players that negotiations are not a distraction and can actually inspire the team. After all, they are 7-2 since the Carpenter deal was announced on September 11.

Taking Care Of Business
If the team is to resign Pujols, they would prefer to do it quickly and be able to make the best offer possible.

Let’s face it. The return of Albert Pujols will require the team to spend and spend heavily to retain his services. These are businessmen that are well aware of what is coming in the next month or so. They know they have a budget, a team to build, and money to conserve. Pure and simple, the team is attempting to have as much of the roster solidified going into the off-season as possible so that they can make their best offer to Pujols and possibly take a “take it or leave it, it is what we have” standpoint.

Insurance
If the unthinkable happens and Albert walks away, are you ready for Matt Adams (who has never played above AA) to take over at first?

Another message is sent today to the big guy and it is very clear “We are prepared to move forward without you, if we need to.” The Cardinals have retained their 2011 starting right fielder but that does not mean they did not just acquire their 2012 starting first baseman. Berkman is adept at first base and provides a middle of the order bat to soften the blow of losing the best hitter in the game.

Sidenote: let us all hope that this will keep the “Prince Fielder to St. Louis” rumors away as well.

It Is Business As Usual
Could the Cardinals simply be conducting business as usual without an agenda?

This is quite possible. The ever present and always informational MLB Trade Rumors reported recently that the Cardinals are the only team since 2007 to resign a player in the month of September and they have done so five times with the Berkman signing. John Mozeliak obviously likes to go into the off-season knowing what he currently has and tie up as many loose ends as possible, it is quite accurate to think that this is simply his style and he is continuing to run this team the way he sees fit.

A Boost To The Clubhouse
Despite the fact that this year’s “Add offense and sacrifice defense” strategy has been so horrible, the “put the right type of player in the clubhouse” has been very successful.

The Berkman signing for this season was two-fold. First, bring in someone that may have some offensive production to offer at a low price. Second, bring in someone that can be a club house leader. With everything surrounding this club, there is due to be a large influence of young players in the immediate future for the Cardinals. Puma has been the type of veteran leader that you need in a clubhouse to help bring these players along. His abilities on the field not withstanding, do not think for a minute the Cardinals underestimate his value behind the scenes.

It Is Exactly What The Cardinals Needed
Standing alone away from any other deal, this is something the Cardinals needed, right?

I have been very vocal as of late that this was the first time in a long time that I can remember there being this many questions about the outfield as we approached an off-season. With Berkman a free agent and Jon Jay not exactly dominating, 2/3 of the outfield became a question for 2012. If this signing stands alone away from other contracts, the Cardinals have solidified their outfield and made a move to ensure the lineup is strong. They can now look internally (read: Jon Jay, Adron Chambers, Allen Craig) at their best option for growth in center field.

Stay tuned to our ongoing series of articles today “Examining The Puma” as we take a look at Berkman’s year in Cardinal red and our reader’s thoughts on the signing.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Regardless of what happens over the next nine games there is a lot to be taken away from this last month of Cardinal baseball.

This is not a team filled with mercenaries. Sure there are a few guys under 1 year deals who may be gone and a few others acquired last in the year that are free agents. But out of that group only Lance Berkman and Rafael Furcal should be invited back. Barring Albert Pujols leaving (and yes I know he’s a big piece) the Cardinals are not having to fill in a lot of pieces.

John Mozeliak is at his September best again with the signing of Chris Carpenter to a two-year extension. Using my fuzzy math this saves the Cardinals roughly $6 million next year. Money that can be…and hopefully will be well spent. And by giving him that second year the Birds protect themselves from going after a 1-year deal elsewhere on the free agent market. With Carp, you know what you get.

All indications are that Berkman wants to come back and that the Cardinals want the 1B/RF back. Bringing Berkman back serves two functions. It gives the Cardinals a veteran switch-hitter who is still capable of hitting 30 HR’s and driving in 100. What is really does is serve to give the team a fallback option should Pujols take his services elsewhere for the 2012 season.

Based on everything I have read and heard from Joe Strauss and Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch this should be finalized before if not shortly following the end of the season. The Cardinals also appear to be moving to lock up Furcal for 2012. The situation with Furcal is trickier than Berkman’s. One, Furcal has not been here that long so how he feels about St. Louis to start 2012 is unknown. Complicating it as well is Furcal’s health. A proven defensive wizard at short-stop and he seems to have found some of his power again in his short time here he does have a history of injury.

Quick note: Both Berkman and Furcal have been willing to discuss their upcoming free agency and contracts with the club and it has not been a distraction. Since the discussion have opened up the team has closed to within 2.5 games of the Wild Card. Just saying.

If Furcal is not the answer, there are in-house options in Tyler Greene and Daniel Descalso. One thing is for certain. After the teams horrendous year defensively at short one has to think the Cards don’t go the Theriot route again. His double-play partner Skip Schumaker is the other wild card out there. What does the team do with him? As I wrote in a previous post they can do a lot. For that reason I have to imagine they would like to bring him back.

That being said the Cardinals are heading into the offseason with most of their 2012 roster already present and in place. Their bullpen is set if they decide to go with Motte as Closer and Wainwright coming back fills out the rest of the rotation as Carp, Garcia, Lohse and Westbrook are all under contract for 2012.

Beyond pitching most of the position players or potential replacements are in place as well. Allen Craig has shown with at bats comes results. He is an option in both RF and 1B if need be for 2012. Getting him 500 AB’s should by a priority for LaRussa next year. Oh yeah, after this run he’s coming back, Pujols or no Pujols. Jon Jay will be, and should be, your starting CF next year. After a brief slump upon taking over full time Jay has shown he can deliver on an everyday basis. David Freese has 20 HR 85 RBI potential at 3B, assuming health which is a reach for him. But the Cardinals have new super-sub Daniel Descalso to fill in around the infield if need be. And of course your Gold Glove Catcher will be back behind the plate managing the game.

What is most impressive to me is the proactive approach the team is taking in addressing their needs. Pujols’ contract situation is not going to play itself out quickly. And the Cardinals cannot afford to wait to and see what he decides before acting on the rest their needs. Remember the bad situation the Cardinals put themselves in with Edgar Renteria’s free agency following the 2004 season.

The next eight games are going to be very exciting and hopefully a glimpse of what is to come next year

At the midway point through September, our brethren of Untied Cardinal Bloggers (UCB) band together to determine who the top seven prospects are in the franchise. A special hat tip goes out to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post Dispatch. Derrick asked the UCB to help him compile this list a few years back and it has since become a staple around these parts.

When it comes to my list of prospects, and I admit that I am not a card carrying member of the Hyperventilating Prospect Geek Fraternity (#HPGF), I fear it may read just a little differently than some of the others. If you would like to keep track of everyone weighing in on the subject, simply click here and you will find links to all of these similar articles.

Here is my top seven prospects, listed here in reverse order to build the suspense (it works for Letterman):

Number Seven: Matt Adams, First Base

I think the easiest way a prospect ends up on my countdown is when I can say “I really didn’t see this guy coming a year ago”. I may not be a huge prospect geek, but I do keep tabs on the baby birds and Matt Adams has been impressive.

The Cardinals drafted Adams in the 23rd round of the 2009 draft. Adams came out of Slippery Rock University, a Division II school. He is what Cards announcer Mike Shannon would describe as a “big boy”, standing in at six foot three inches tall and weighing 230 pounds.

The athletic first baseman has shown that his size does not have a large impact on his glove, which raised his stock above that of just a hitter this season. What kind of hitter is he, you ask? In a word…impressive. Adams finished second in the Texas League with 32 home runs and led the league in runs batted in with 101. A .300 batting average to go along with 40 walks and 90 strikeouts projects a pure power hitter in the making. The rest of the world will take notice of Adams for a few reasons: 1 – should Albert Pujols resign, he is a blocked prospect for the team and 2 – he was named Texas League Player of the Year today.

Do not get your hopes up too high, fans, just because he comes in at number seven does not mean that everyone above him is better than the impressive young man at the entry point of this countdown. Adams ranks seventh due to being blocked at the Major League level and my belief that he will help this club more from the player they get in return for him in a trade then he will by reaching the majors with the birds on the bat across his chest.

Number Six: Zach Cox, Third Base

I think I rank Cox lower than most of my fellow UCB members. A lot of this has to do with the position he is still playing despite the fact that no one in baseball, let alone the organization, feels that he can and will be playing that position at the major league level.

Cox was the first round pick of the Cardinals just last season out of Arkansas and, despite his college playing days being at the hot corner, was projected as a major league second baseman from the start. Cox is a small frame guy who tips the scales at 215 pounds and stretches to a six foot even height.

Cox did what he needed to do in 2011: he played average defense, hit for a decent average, found ways to get on base, and kept his head down and learned from the staff at Palm Beach and Springfield. He will need to work on his patience at the plate, however, if he expects to be around at the major league level. He has some pop in his bat, driving 13 home runs out of the park this year to go with 27 doubles, but with 98 strikeouts he either needs to be hitting for a lot more power or learning to draw a few more walks.

Cox comes in at number six due to the fact that he is still playing a position that the team feels he will not contribute at, and he’s not playing it overly well on the defensive side of things. Cox will most likely make his impact felt with another major league team, possibly as early as 2013 as I have to agree with Daniel Shoptaw in the thought that Cox may not wear a Cardinal uniform of any kind by the time Spring rolls around.

Number Five: Kolten Wong, Second Base

Wong is a player in the organization that is playing the position he should be, playing it well, and squeezing fellow prospect Zach Cox out of the picture because of it.

The talented Second Baseman was the first round pick of the organization this season and went right to work at Class A Quad Cities. A prototype figure at middle infield, Wong stands five foot nine inches tall and weighs 190 pounds. At the ripe old age of 20, Wong seems virtually ready to be at the major league level sooner rather than later.

Wong has a few things going for him in his young career: he is a patient hitter, a solid base runner, does not hurt himself in the field, and finds himself playing his natural position for a team that needs someone to step up at that position. By no means do I think Wong will see major league action in 2012, but he will have the Cardinals looking for a bridge type player at second instead of looking for someone long term. The goal of the organization at second base this offseason will be to acquire someone to hold the position down until Wong arrives. In a 47 game sample this season, Wong was able to produce five home runs, 25 runs batted in, 15 doubles and nine stolen bases. All of this while hitting for a .335 batting average and posting a .401 on base percentage. He would strike out 24 times but he would also draw 22 walks, showing patience, a good eye, and an ability to potentially be the catalyst at the top of the Cardinals order that they so desperately desire.

Wong is my first ranking that projects to be a strong part of the organization by staying in the organization. Look for the young man to get some playing time in Spring Training next year and head off to Springfield for some seasoning immediately afterwards. I would anticipate him arriving in Memphis around the midway point of 2012 and in St. Louis as they break camp in 2013.

Number Four: Ryan Jackson, Shortstop

Jackson makes this list as another one of those players that opened my eyes this year without previous knowledge of him coming into 2011. He ranks high on the list due to his position because it has been a while since the Cardinals have developed a shortstop within the organization worth getting excited about.

The tall and lanky Jackson finds himself at six foot three inches tall and an mere 180 pounds, but finds a way to turn that small frame into a combustible element at the plate.

Our friend over at Diamond Diaries, Erika Lynn, might keep a close eye on Jackson as he has been described as “Brendan Ryan with a bat” by many scribes. While Jackson has made his share of errors this season at 19, that number is influenced by the sheer number of balls the young man can get to. His defensive ability has been that of a highlight reel player that you never take your eyes off of for the fear of missing that “Holy Cow” moment. While his defense has been impressive, his stroke at the plate has suddenly pushed him onto the scene. With 34 doubles, 3 triples, 11 home runs and 73 runs batted in, Jackson has become a respected bat at the plate in a potent Springfield (AA) lineup this season. If he can draw a few more walks above this year’s 44 and cut down on the 91 strikeouts a bit, his numbers will improve and St. Louis will find their shortstop of the future.

Jackson is the reason the team is looking at players like Rafael Furcal currently. The franchise has seemingly lost faith in Tyler Greene and will look for a player that can contribute through 2012 in order to get to the arrival of Jackson in 2013. Expect Jackson to open the season at Memphis next year if the organization either promotes or trades Greene. Otherwise, he may remain at Springfield until the team can find an appropriate home for Greene.

Number Three: Carlos Martinez, Pitcher

Projecting minor league pitchers is one of the most tedious processes any scout or pundit can find himself in. Arms come and go, control is erratic and pitchers can seem dominate in one league and less than impressive in another. Martinez seems to have all the stuff to be effective and impressive at the major league level but he has a few levels to go through first.

At six feet tall and only 165 pounds, you would not expect Martinez to be striking fear into opposing hitters very often. With an array of pitches, impressive control, and a keen sense of the game, the Dominican right hander is doing just that, however, and doing it all at 19 years of age.

Martinez signed with the Cardinals last season and went to work in the Dominican league before coming to the United States and playing at Quad Cities and Palm Beach this season. In 11 starts this season, Martinez posted a 5-2 record with a minuscule 2.14 earned run average. Our stat heads will tell you neither of those stats matter much, especially at the minor league level, but there are a few stats that show the maturity of this young man. In 54 2/3 innings pitched this season, Martinez struck out 66 hitters while only walking 17 and allowing only 43 hits. That equates to a 1.098 Walks/Hits Per Inning Pitched (WHIP), 2.8 walks per nine innings, 10.9 strikeouts per nine innings and a 3.88 strikeout to walk ratio. Add into all of that the fact that he surrendered just two home runs and you can see that he is both dominant and effective at the lower levels. His array of pitches suggest he will remain a starter, though his style may see him end up as a swing man/reliever early on in his career.

Expect the team to handle Martinez with a little bit of care (see: Rick Ankiel) but push him just a bit. He will see some action in the Spring next season and most likely start his year at Springfield (AA).

Number Two: Shelby Miller, Pitcher

Here is where I break rank from most every other list I have seen. Shelby is the highest ranked prospect in the Cardinal organization by many, but has slid down my list a spot due to recent developments in the youngster’s career.

The six foot three, 195 pound lefty from Texas is truly one of the baby birds at age 20. His fastball clocks mid to high 90′s and has movement. His curveball buckles batters and he relies on his defense when he does not have his best stuff.

Miller’s ability on the field shows that of a mature ball players that knows how to get out of trouble on the mound in multiple ways. His 2011 season opened at Palm Beach but he quickly found his way to Springfield and the AA Cardinals. Dominant would be the best way to describe Miller on the mound, posting 140 strikeouts to 33 walks over 139 2/3 innings pitched shows that he has hitters figured out beyond what any 20 year old should. He limits his damage and is learning to pitch to contact, which will have fans drooling over his arrival in the very near future.

Miller slides to number two for me due to off the field issues this past season. While rumors have circulated that the issues are alcohol related, those rumors have not been officially confirmed by the club despite a suspension of the young man this season for a second offense. A pitcher who shows maturity on the field will need to ensure maturity off of it or he will simply become known as a dominant minor league player. Should he get these issues under control, look for Shelby to see time at Memphis in 2012 and most likely make his major league debut next year as well.

Number One: Adron Chambers, Outfield

Another Junior College product (Pensacola State), Chambers is the player on this list most likely to be in the majors when Spring Training closes next year.

He is five foot ten inches tall and 185 pounds and is a more typical prospect age of 24 years old. His speed on the base paths is something to marvel at and his patience at the plate may be just what the Cardinals need. If the team wants a prototype lead-off hitter for the first time in decades, they need look no further.

Chambers showed some pop this season at Memphis, driving 10 home runs when his previous career high was six. Beyond that, it was more of the same from the young center fielder. Strong defense, a good arm, a good batting eye and flat out speed have led the young man to a September call up for a cup of coffee at the major league level. Chambers set career highs in stolen bases (22), walks (53), slugging percentage (.415), runs (73), home runs(10) and doubles (19). He projects as a lead off hitter and center fielder in an organization that is transitioning in the outfield and the top of the lineup.

Chambers is in a position to control his destiny and take advantage of a situation with a team that needs someone to step into the roles that he can fill. Expect Chambers to get a long look at Spring Training next season and break camp with the club. Chambers will get every chance to be a part of this team for the immediate future.

There you have it, I-70 Baseball’s look at the top seven prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals organziation. Let us know how you think they rank in the comments below.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball as well as the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com.
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.com.
Follow him on Twitter here.

Around midday Friday, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch ran a story that a contract extension for St. Louis Cardinals lefty Jaime Garcia may be in the works. The deal was not announced as being final by the end of the day Friday, but if the Cards do in fact sign Garcia to an extension they could be doing themselves a huge favor.

Garcia may only be in his second full season in the Majors, but his numbers both last year and this year are really solid. Garcia is nearly unhittable at Busch Stadium, and though his road splits are a bit alarming he still enjoys an 8-3 record with a 3.23 ERA and 7.7 strikeouts per nine innings. Not bad for a pitcher who also happened to turn 25 yesterday.

Age may be the biggest reason to extend Garcia, and health can probably be thrown in as well. Garcia is still young and learning, but he has already shown the poise and confidence needed to be a successful big league starter. And he already had Tommy John surgery, so Garcia may get stronger still over the next couple of seasons. He certainly is not likely to have elbow trouble anytime soon.

And the Cards have some big decisions coming up soon anyway. Yes, Garcia is just now arbitration-eligible after this season and, consequently should remain relatively cheap for a few years. But if he keeps pitching like he has, retaining Garcia beyond his sixth season may prove too rich for the Cards’ blood, especially since they may be paying Albert Pujols a lot of money by then. Additionally, the rotation figures to change dramatically over the next couple of seasons. Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook almost certainly will not be re-signed after their current contracts wear out. Chris Carpenter may be retained for a couple more years, but he is on the downside as well. Adam Wainwright—who the Cardinals should also extend beyond the two option years they currently need to act on—is the ace of this team. Shelby Miller and Carlos Martinez are proving to be quite strong prospects who will likely show up in St. Louis by September 2012. Garcia would be an integral part of a rotation featuring those guys and, by that time, may be the second in command veteran.

Now it’s time to get down to brass tacks. What kind of money and how many years? The number thrown around was $27-ish million over four years, plus possibly a couple of vesting options. Assuming any and all options would kick in, that would make Garcia a Cardinal until he is roughly 30 years old. And a pitcher of his caliber making $10 million or less in his 20s is pretty rare, especially as a free agent. This contract would eliminate at least one of those free agent years.

Neither side would deny the contract talk; they basically stuck to radio silence on the possible deal. But it would be no surprise to see this contract being announced in the next couple of days. And that’s good news for the Cardinals. They need rotation stability for the future. They need that anchor once Carpenter leaves (or retires). Garcia can be that player. Maybe he is not the bulldog Carpenter is, but Garcia certainly has the skill and drive to take that position. It is time to lock him in.