Spring Training may be reaching the halfway point but the biggest battle in Jupiter for the St. Louis Cardinals will come to a close.

The Cardinals entered Spring Training attempting to put together the final spot of their rotation.  The battle has come down to the young right arms of Shelby Miller and Joe Kelly.  Today, one of those young men will take a big step forward towards the 2013 rotation.  The other will have some other questions to answer.

The issue here is the timing of Spring Training and the regimen that pitching coach Derek Lilliquist lays out for the pitchers.

Every starter is building his pitch count to be able to reach the 100 pitch threshold by opening day.  As starters get stretched out, and the rotation takes shape, it becomes harder and harder to get long outings for six starters.  The rotation will begin throwing every five days and stretching out higher and higher pitch counts.

Joe Kelly will start today.  Shelby Miller will be the first arm out of the bullpen.  At the end of the day, one of the young men will start again in five days.  The other, well, that is to be determined.

That may be the true question.  Not the question of who rounds out the Major League rotation but the question of what happens with the other one may be of equal importance.  Does he go to Memphis to start there?  Does he remain in St. Louis and in the bullpen?  What best serves the Cardinals in 2013 and in the future?

One question will be answered today.

The rest will develop soon.

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

The scene at third base for the Cardinals has been an ever changing one in recent years. It was one they addressed in multiple ways over the past five years, by drafting two collegiate third basemen in the past 4 first rounds, and trading for another. The one that was acquired via traded panned out for the best, and now David Freese has become the clear long-term preference at spot.

However, the club is aware that the page will turn on even him soon enough, and have recently once again focused heavily on upgrading the position within the organization. What does this mean for the team, both now and moving ahead?

Majors: Freese has stepped up to become one of the main bricks in the foundation of the organization. His postseason heroics in 2011 pushed him up a notch on baseball’s radar, and he responded in kind with his first All-Star appearance last season. Biggest difference in his performance was that he stayed healthy across a full season to post the type of numbers he was capable of all along. He played in a career-high 144 games a year ago, and posted career bests in over eight categories along the way. The 29-year-old is under control via arbitration for another two seasons, and if he remains healthy, will be the mainstay through his prime.

Matt Carpenter (who basically seems like the fallback option at every position on the team) rose through the system at the hot corner is a very credible back up option. At age 27 however, his best years and Freese’s will occur simultaneously, thus the desire to try his hand (and bat) in other more available roles. Daniel Descalso is also capable of spending time there if needed. He made 61 starts at the position in 2011 filling in while Freese missed time due to a fractured hand.

High Minors: Moving to Memphis, there’s no true next of kin on deck. That distinction belonged to Zack Cox, the club’s 2010 first round pick, until last season when he was exchanged for Edward Mujica at trade deadline. Moving down to the Double-A, the same story carries over; there was no real prospect that is moving through the system that has a potential future impact in St. Louis. The idea could be that Stephen Piscotty, who has moonlighted in right field but played third in his debut last year at Quad Cities at the High-A level.

Low Minors: The lower rungs of the minors show where the franchise is starting to plan for the future at the position, as it is one of the positions most heavily focused on in recent years. In addition to Piscotty, the club took two more third basemen in the last spring’s draft in Patrick Wisdom and high schooler Carson Kelly. Both were included in Baseball Prospectus’ Top 10 prospects for the organization this season.  Wisdom hit .282 in short season Batavia in his pro debut as a 20 year old, while Kelly hit nine homers in 56 games at Rookie level Johnson City.

Prognosis: While there is a bit of a gap from Major League level down to the next wave of talent at the position, the organization’s succession plan is clear. In the next three seasons, Freese will likely continue to be option A in St. Louis, with Carpenter in tow in some capacity as well potentially. The club used the 2012 Draft to provide plenty of long-term options over the next half decade to succeed Freese in St. Louis, or at the very least, work into a role with the Cardinals in a capacity such as Carpenter has over the last two years.

Adron Chambers and Shane Robinson are battling hard for spots on the St. Louis Cardinals roster this Spring Training.

Up until now, Robinson is leading that charge, putting up much better offensive numbers and playing solid defense.  Chambers had been his normal self, showing great speed in the field and on the base paths.

It was his speed that allowed Chambers to show off a flashy defensive play Friday as the Cardinals played the Astros.  Chambers chased a fly ball into the left field corner, eventually sliding and producing a stellar grab on the warning track.  Courtesy of MLB.com, here’s the video:

Adron brought a part of his game Friday that most had not seen real well until now, however.  His 3-for-3 performance was capped off by a three-run home run in the sixth inning.  Again, courtesy of MLB.com:

Chambers has long been intriguing to the makeup of the roster due to his speed and athletic ability.  If he can start to find his stroke at the plate, he may just find himself in St. Louis instead of Memphis.

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

The second day of the Cardinals Winter Warm Up brought on even more players to the annual event. Outside of the passing and impact of Stan Musial, popular topics for the day on the upcoming season, popular topics included the competition for the fifth starting position, which included three of the candidates for the role offering their take on their chances for it.

Shelby Miller is showing up in shape to compete for the opening in the rotation.

Joe Kelly: Is open to pitching in both the rotation and the bullpen, and there is an appeal to pitching every day possibly in the bullpen. He went on to state the transition from starter to reliever is easier from a preparation perspective. He understands there will be a tough competition for spots on the pitching staff, and feels he is “probably the most competitive guy on the team”.

Shelby Miller: The three-time top organizational prospect said that strength improvement was his top focus this winter. In discussing his slow start to 2012, he takes responsibility for being in bad shape calling his frame a “beach bod” shape, which was no good for him to be a starting pitcher. He came into camp light at 204 pounds, but is up to 223 this year.

As far as what he learned from his early difficulties, Miller affirmed “I didn’t really struggle at any point in the minor leagues except in Memphis in the first half. I was probably one of the most stubborn guys ever seen.” And in regards to why it took so long to work out, he revealed “I wasn’t a happy person but I blame myself for that.” Said he is thankful for his struggle, as he gained perspective from them.

Trevor Rosenthal: Has been training in St. Louis with Chris Carpenter this winter, and has been working out at Busch for eight hours a day. He complimented Carpenter’s intensity and regime as helping him take strides to be ready for any roll on the team.

In regards to his postseason success as a reliever, after making the conversion from minor league starter, he gave credit to Adam Wainwright for helping him ease into the roll: “One of the main conversations we had going into the postseason was to keep doing what I’ve been doing. Don’t try to change anything, trust my stuff and go out there and do what I’m used to.”

In other player news to prime for Spring Training:

Jon Jay: Stated that playing next to Carlos Beltran, a three-time Gold Glove center fielder, was a definite bonus in him taking strides forward as defender. After having troubles with his shoulder mid-season in 2012, he says it is fully healthy now with no restrictions.

Jordan Swagerty: The 2010 second round pick, who missed all of last summer due to Tommy John surgery, stated he threw 60 pitches, all maximum effort, this month. He continued on that his breaking pitches not as sharp, but they are coming back around. In regards to whether he will return as a starter or reliever this year, he has “no idea what they have in store for me. I like to do both, but I got a little bit of a closer’s mentality.”

Pete Kozma:  In regards to his experience being thrust into the starting lineup for the final months of the season, he stated that the intensity of the games was a shock, but over the experience was very memorable. As for his place in this year’s club, he sees versatility as his ally, and is encouraged by the fact the team didn’t add anything via free agency or trades in the middle infield.

Jake Westbrook: Stated that he would have been healthy to participate in the World Series if the club had reached it, and perhaps could have been available in the NLCS as well. In regards to being back with the club after the club activating his option for 2013 late last season, “I couldn’t be happier. I love playing here and it’s good to continue on in St. Louis.”

Westbrook later on said he enjoys his role in the background of the rotation this season, but is surprised about Kyle Lohse still not being signed.

Edward Mujica: Entering his second season with the club, Mujica Says that Mike Matheny gave him a lot of confidence when he came to St. Louis, and that knowing he would be pitching the 6^th and 7^th innings helped tremendously from a preparation stand point. He is also excited to have Randy Choate rejoin him in the bullpen, and that Choate contacted him before signing with the club. The two were teammates in Miami last season.

Mitchell Boggs: On the subject of his path from fighting to a bullpen spot to leading the National League in holds last season, he says nothing has changed in his approach to spring training. “The thought process doesn’t change at all. Last year was very positive, but it’s not something I’m going to hang my hat on. I expect to be great again.” He elaborated further stating, “It helps to know every single day to know what your role is going to be. But at the same time, you have to go out there and be ready for everything and be focused on what it takes to get the job done.”

He made a clear turning point in the success of the Cardinal bullpen a year ago, pointing to the acquisition of Mujica as key: “Adding Mujica was huge for us. He stabilized our bullpen and gave us another proven arm that could go out there night in and night out. We took off as a bullpen when we got him.”

On the subject of being selected to Team USA’s roster for the World Baseball Classic, he stated felt it was something he takes a lot of pride in and an opportunity he was very excited to accept. He said when talked to Matheny he was “extremely supportive” of his opportunity. He added that the opportunity to be coached by Greg Maddux and Dale Murphy was a bonus as well, as he grew up a Braves fan in Dalton, Georgia.

The Springfield Cardinals have been down more than up this year and frustrations are not far behind.

New manager Mike Shildt, who took over for Ron “Pop” Warner after Pop was promoted to Memphis to manage the Tripe-A Redbirds, took exception to a call in a game against the Northwest Arkansas Naturals on 5/11.  An argument ensued and Shildt would not let it die for a good while.  Unfortunately, before all was said and done, he flipped his helmet into the field of play.  The bigger problem was that the umpire stood between him and the location he was flipping the helmet to.

Very seldom does throwing equipment come out as a good idea.  Check out the video below, provided by our friends at Rambling Morons.

Bill Ivie is the editor here at I-70 Baseball
He is the host of I-70 Radio, hosted every week on BlogTalkRadio.
Follow him on Twitter here.

The Cardinals are almost certainly headed for their fifth consecutive season without a playoff victory, but there are still some compelling reasons to watch the team during the month of September.

Here are 10 of them:

1. How well this team finishes could play a major role in Tony La Russa’s decision about whether he wants to come back as manager for a 17th season.

The routine has been the same for the past several years. At the end of the year, La Russa says he wants to evaluate how the team performed, whether he still has the desire to manage and whether the front office, players and fans want him back. If all of those responses are positive, he will come back.

There appears to be more of a negative opinion among the fan base towards La Russa this season than in previous years, and that feeling likely will only increase if this team sleepwalks through September. Finish with a strong month, and some of those feelings may be quieted somewhat.

Many of the fans may make their displeasure known by staying away from the ballpark, which is one certain way to attract the attention of ownership. Attendance already is guaranteed to decline from a year ago, and fans who want a new manager also could voice their displeasure by failing to renew their season tickets for next year – sending a very financial message to Bill DeWitt. Perhaps the only way DeWitt would decide it was time for a change, and not let La Russa do whatever he wants, is if he gets the message that fans will stop coming to Busch Stadium if La Russa is back in 2012.

2. Who will win the power struggle between General Manager John Mozeliak and La Russa over the amount of playing time given to the extra players who will be coming up from Memphis.

The results of this interesting clash of egos might also play a role in any decisions about whether DeWitt will make a change in managers or with the general manager. Mozeliak wants the players coming up from Memphis to play, so the team can get a better reading on who can possibly help the big league club in 2012.

La Russa has said publicly that he will play the players who play the best, and he routinely has not been fond of putting too many extra players on the roster for the final month of the season. There are six players occupying spots on the 40-man roster, led by infielder Tyler Greene, who are at the crossroads of their career – it is either time for them to be on the regular major-league roster or time to move them out of the organization, freeing up places for younger players not only on the 40-man roster but for playing time at Triple A Memphis.

In addition to Greene, the other players who fall into this group are catcher Bryan Anderson, first baseman Mark Hamilton, outfielder Andrew Brown, third baseman Matt Carpenter and shortstop Pete Kozma. All, except Anderson, have had very limited chances to play in the majors, but Mozeliak would like to see them play for an extended period to make the decision about their future easier.

The poster-boy for this group likely will be Greene, who will be 28 before the 2012 season starts and needs to either prove he can be a big-league player or hope for a chance somewhere else. Nobody would be served by having him return to Memphis for another season. He has played 143 games spread over the last three years in the majors, but has never played more than five consecutive games. He has a lifetime average in the majors of .213, but everybody except La Russa, it seems, thinks he can hit closer to his current .326 average in Memphis if he gets that extended chance.

The Cardinals do not have a projected starting shortstop for 2012, and if Greene, a former first-round draft pick in 2005, proves he can do the job it will help give the team some financial relief over having to sign a free agent or make another trade for a shortstop. He also would give the team a legitimate stolen base threat, something the Cardinals have badly needed all season.

3. Can Pujols and Lance Berkman finish 1-2 in the National League home run race.

Through Sunday, Pujols and the Dodgers’ Matt Kemp were tied for the league lead with 31 homers while Berkman, Dan Uggla of the Braves and Mike Stanton of the Marlins all had 30. Prince Fielder of the Brewers was one behind that group with 29.

Pujols is trying to win his third consecutive NL home run title, something no Cardinal has ever done. Berkman is trying to break the franchise record for most home runs hit by a switch-hitter, currently 35 by Ripper Collins in 1934.

The Cardinals have never had the 1-2 finishers in the league in the home run category, and in fact no NL team has done it since the Giants in 1965 when Willie Mays and Willie McCovey did it.

4. Can Pujols hit well enough to reach 100 RBIs and finish with a .300 or better batting average.

With 28 games to play, Pujols’ average is at .288 with 78 RBIs, meaning he needs 22 RBIs to get to 100 for the 11^thconsecutive year. In his career, Pujols has driven in more than 22 runs five times during the month of September, with a high of 28 in 2006. He also has driven in less than 22 runs in the month five times, with a low of only 10 RBIs in September of 2003.

No player has ever hit .300 with 30 or more homers and 100 or more RBIs for each of the first 11 years of their career.

5. Who will get the bulk of the playing time at second base and shortstop.

Part of the answer to this question depends on what happens with Tyler Greene. The other player who should get a long look in September, at either second or short, is Daniel Descalso.

The Cardinals know what Skip Schumaker can do at second, and in the outfield, and there is no reason to play Ryan Theriot anywhere. Rafael Furcal has provided better defense at short since his arrival on July 31, but he has not hit and there would appear to be no way he would be returning to St. Louis in 2012.

For the Cardinals to control costs in 2012, and to have a much better defensive infield, it would be a tremendous boost if the team is convinced that Greene can play shortstop and Descalso can play second. They won’t know that answer, however, if they don’t get a chance to show it in September.

6. Can Fernando Salas pitch well enough in the closer’s role to convince the Cardinals he can do the job in 2012, keeping them from going out and adding a proven closer this winter.

Salas, for not even making the team out of spring training, has performed better in the closer role than most could have expected. Still, there is an uneasy feeling when he comes into the game in the ninth inning with a one-run lead.

Much like the situation at shortstop and second base, the Cardinals are going to need to have some positions on the roster which are filled with lower-cost players next year. It would help the budget a great deal if they were convinced Salas will be better closing games in 2012, and another month’s experience in that role will help them make that decision.

There is no other proven closer on the current roster, and Jason Motte failed in his one earlier attempt at the job. Having to go out and acquire a more established closer, if that is the route the Cardinals decide to go, will certainly cost them more money and perhaps force them to make a cutback at some other position.

7. Will Chris Carpenter pitch well enough to force the Cardinals into picking up his option for next season.

This will be a tough call. Carpenter has been one of the team’s best starters the second half of the season, not to mention the last several years, but $15 million might be more than he is worth for 2012.

It’s not like the Cardinals have a lot of backup candidates in line for his job, however. The collapse of the starting pitching was one of the biggest reasons the Cardinals fell out of the race in the NL Central, and it would not appear they should expect more from Jake Westbrook or Kyle Lohse than they got this year.

With the failure of the “offense first” philosophy this year, it probably would be more logical for the Cardinals to try to improve the quality and depth of their starting pitching in 2012, spending whatever it takes, and Carpenter needs to pitch well in September if he wants to be part of that group.

8. Can Jaime Garcia figure out what he has been doing wrong the second half of the season and finish on a strong note.

Garcia has won only one of eight starts since the All-Star break, with a 5.01 ERA. Coincidentally or not, that was when he signed a new four-year, $27 million contract which was unnecessary and premature. Garcia obviously is a pitcher the Cardinals expect to be an integral part of their rotation for years to come, but for the last two months he has not pitched like someone the team can count on

With the status of Carpenter questionable for 2012, and Adam Wainwright recovering from Tommy John surgery, the importance of a productive Garcia to the team’s success obviously cannot be minimized.

9. Will the Cardinals break the NL or MLB record for most grounded into double plays in a season, and can they end the year with more than 50 stolen bases.

Allen Craig’s double play grounder Sunday was the team’s 144^th of the season. With 28 games to go, the Cardinals are 23 double plays away from breaking their own franchise and the NL record. The 1958 Cardinals grounded into 166 double plays. The major league record is 174, set by the Boston Red Sox in 1990. Pujols has ground into 25 double plays; the team record is 29 set by Ted Simmons in 1973.

As far as stolen bases go, the Cardinals’ league-low total of 44 is three behind the individual league-leader, Michael Bourne of the Braves. They could become the first St.Louis team to finish with fewer than 50 steals in a season since the 1961 Cardinals finished the year with 46.

10. This might be the last month fans will see Albert Pujols in a Cardinals uniform.

The Cardinals’ final home game of the year, and thus perhaps Pujols’ final game in a St. Louis uniform, is Sunday, Sept 25 against the Cubs. The team ends the year with a three-game road-trip to Houston.

With Pujols’ free agency on the horizon, there is no way of knowing if he will be back in 2012, or if one of the greatest eras in Cardinals’ history is about to come to an end.

(For Rob’s roundup of news around the Majors and Minors and other St. Louis sports news check out RobRains.com)

Of all the Cardinals starters, perhaps none is more important than Yadier Molina.

Molina does so many things well on defense. He understands Dave Duncan’s philosophy and his staff’s strengths/weaknesses. His arm is lethal – he has thrown out 49% of would-be base stealers in his career. Last season runners faced a coin flip when trying to steal; they had a 50/50 shot of making it (51.4% success, 48.6% failure). It goes almost without saying he was ranked the #1 defensive catcher in baseball for 2010. Any contribution he makes at the plate is icing on the cake, and his numbers had improved steadily 2010.

He is a 3-time Gold Glove and 2-time All-Star. He is the defensive rock of this team.

Molina was the 113th pick of the 2000 draft, taken as a seventeen year-old from Maestro Ladislao Martinez HS in Vega Alta, Puerto Rico. He spent one year each in Rookie, A, AA, and AAA ball. His offensive numbers were never great – his best ‘year’ was 37 games at AAA Memphis, where he posted a .302/.387/.372 line – but he was a stud on defense. Molina threw out 45% of all runners who dared to steal while in the minors. The Cardinals deemed him ready and promoted him, at the ripe old age of 21, to the majors, after Mike Matheny went on the DL with a strained muscle in his side.

He started his first game on June 3 against Pittsburgh, singling and doubling in 4 trips to the plate. His hot start didn’t last, as he hit .229/.349/.297 over the next 11 games. Still, the Cardinals decided to keep him on the roster when Matheny returned and sent Cody McKay down. Molina appeared in 4 games during the 2004 post-season, getting 1 hit in 7 PA. He was involved in a memorable (at least to me) verbal ‘discussion’ with Manny Ramirez during Game 4 of the World Series, after it appeared Ramirez was tipping pitch location while standing on second base earlier in the game.

Matheny left for San Francisco following the 2004 season, making Molina the starting catcher. He did split time that season with Einar Diaz and Mike Mahoney, appearing in only 114 games, but he got 421 PA, and caught every inning of the Cardinals 2005 playoff run. He caught 126 games in 2006, but his bat continued to slumber, and even regress, until another memorable moment – this time, his Game 7 ninth inning HR propelling the Cardinals into the World Series.

After that his regular season hitting statistics started to climb, and he posted OPS’ of 85, 95, and 100 in each of the next 3 seasons. 2010 was the first year since 2006 that his hitting regressed, and he finished with an OPS of 84. He still caught 136 games before being shut down due to a variety of nagging injuries.

St Louis has seen fit to keep a veteran catcher on the roster as Molina’s backup, usually an average defender with no bat at all. Because of this, and the fact those men have been an average of 34.8 years old, Molina has caught a ton of innings early in his career. Molina’s defensive ability and offense are well-known quantities. The Cardinals desperately need to keep him on the field, but they also need to conserve him so he does not break down late in the year again like he did in 2010.

This year the Cardinals have Gerald Laird in camp, who is at least younger than the previous backups (he’ll be 32 in November). Laird brings recent experience as a starting catcher, having caught 135 games with Detroit in 2009. The fans seemed impressed with his work, as he was ranked #11 among catchers entering the 2010 season. Laird had a terrible year at the plate last season and was eventually replaced by Alex Avila. If he can recapture some of his former ability he represents a significant upgrade from recent backup catchers.

So for the Cardinals, it’s not so much a question of what the team needs from Molina, it’s more a question of what the team can do to keep Molina in the lineup all season. The main thing they can do to assist will be to give him more than the occasional day off, and get him out of games that are no longer in doubt. Molina is the key to their success in 2011. He has to stay healthy all season.

When the Cardinals acquired Ryan Theriot from Los Angeles, the initial analysis placed Theriot at shortstop and Brendan Ryan on the trade block. Ryan was indeed on the trading block, and the Cardinals discussed trading him to San Diego and a few other teams.

Ryan was not dealt at the winter meetings, so St Louis has some alternative courses of action. They can continue to try and deal Ryan. They can keep Ryan, play him at short, and move Theriot to second, or vice versa. They can use Ryan as a late-game defensive replacement and go with Theriot and Skip Schumaker as their middle infield.

I’m sure the team would like to move on from Schumaker manning second base. Skip should get a ton of credit for being willing to shift positions, working diligently to become a good second baseman, and manning the position for the past 2 seasons. But although he was slightly better in 2010 than 2009 (he cost the Cardinals 2 fewer runs in 2010 as calculated by Dewan plus/minus), he will never be anything but a below-average defensive second baseman. His hitting also took a pretty big dip in 2010, as he posted an OPS+ of 83 (as compared to 102 the year before).

Assuming Theriot is the everyday shortstop, what do the Cardinals do at second? The free agent crop at second is nothing to write home about. There’s Orlando Hudson, and then a ton of has-been’s and never-will-be’s. Let’s think out of the box. What about Adrian Gonzalez’s older brother Edgar?

You’ll probably recall Edgar was once a Cardinal farmhand; he played at Memphis in 2007, posting a .308/.377/.447 line in 519 plate appearances (PA). He played the next two seasons in San Diego, and spent 2010 in Japan (for the Yomiuri Giants). The middle Gonzalez brother could always hit, as his 2007 minor league season will attest. Those two seasons in Petco Park depressed his numbers a bit (.255/.312/.381 in 522 PA), but who’s numbers aren’t affected by that ballpark? OK, perhaps not his brother (who may hit 50 HR playing half his games in Fenway next season), but everyone else seems to take a hit. Just ask Ryan Ludwick.

Edgar Gonzalez’s road SLG was higher than his home by almost 30 points during those seasons. Gonzalez’s 2010 line in Japan (.263/.342/.457) is Schumaker’s (.265/.328/.338) but with a lot more power.

Defensively it’s no contest. Schumaker was -11 in runs saved in 2009; Gonzalez was -2 in limited playing time. In 2008, the season Edgar played 111 games (and started 71), he played 560 innings at second and was +1.

From below average to average defensively, with no drop in offense. The Cardinals should determine if Edgar Gonzalez is available and interested.

	Lance Lynn Starting Pitcher AAA-Memphis 23-years-old Bats: Right Throws: Right Height: 6’5″ Weight: 250 lbs Drafted by the Cardinals in the 1st round (39th pick) of the 2008 MLB June Amateur Draft
Just like every Saturday here on i70baseball, the Cardinal Farm Report spotlights one of the prized Cardinal minor leaguers. This week, it is Lance Lynn, the struggling (yet promising) Cardinal prospect. YEAR AGE TEAM W L ERA GS IP SO WHIP H/9 HR/9 BB/9 SO/9 SO/BB 2008 21 2 1 1 1.35 6 26.2 29 0.975 6.8 0.7 2.0 9.8 4.83 2008 21 BAT 1 0 0.96 4 18.2 22 0.857 5.8 0.0 1.9 10.6 5.50 2008 21 QC 0 1 2.25 2 8.0 7 1.250 9.0 2.2 2.2 7.9 3.50 2009 22 3 11 4 2.85 25 148.2 124 1.312 8.4 0.3 3.5 7.5 2.18 2009 22 PB 0 0 2.30 2 15.2 17 1.213 9.2 0.0 1.7 9.8 5.67 2009 22 SPR 11 4 2.92 22 126.1 98 1.330 8.3 0.4 3.6 7.0 1.92 2009 22 MEM 0 0 2.70 1 6.2 9 1.200 6.8 0.0 4.0 12.2 3.00 2010 23 MEM 10 8 5.17 24 134.0 110 1.418 9.4 1.1 3.4 7.4 2.20 As you can see, Lynn had great seasons in 2008 and 2009. Combining both years, he went 12-5 with a 2.61 ERA and 153 strikeouts in 175 1/3 innings. If you want to put that into perspective, Jaime Garcia is on pace to pitch 181 innings with St. Louis this season. So you can make of that what you wish. 2010 has obviously been a different story for Mr. Lynn. Inconsistent is the best word to use. Disappointing would be the next. Why is he struggling? Nobody really knows. His coaches are saying his “stuff” is as good as ever, there are no real flaws in his mechanics, and his command has not gotten any worse. Was he brought up too quickly? This is only his second full Minor League season, and he’s already in Triple-A. But then again, he’s 23 and he did pitch in college for three seasons. You can’t hardly blame the organization for not being afraid to promote him. After all, he did dominate every league he played in until this year. When the Cardinals drafted him in the first round two years ago, everybody said the main thing he needed to improve on was his control. However, his BB/9 rates in 2010 aren’t horrible, and he’s actually walking less this year compared to last. The stat that really pops out to me is the HR/9 rate. In over 148 innings last season, he gave up only five home runs in 25 starts. So far this year, through 24 starts, Lynn has already given up 17 big flies. Something is obviously wrong there. I suppose it could go back to control. Some pitchers focus so intently on throwing strikes, they forget to think about where exactly the ball is going to end up in the strike zone. This could very well be what’s happening in Lynn’s case. The biggest problem though, is that every once in a while he goes out on the mound and gives up seven or eight runs. I was talking to a guy on twitter who watched Lynn throw seven innings of no-hit baseball against Oklahoma City. I on the other hand, was at the New Orleans game when he gave up eight runs in three innings. Again, inconsistency. Four games in particular (he allowed eight runs once, seven runs twice, and six runs once) are killing his numbers. Taking those four games out, his ERA is hovering right around 3.40. That’s great and all, but never knowing which pitcher is going to show up is never good. Maybe he is suffering from Kyle Lohse - syndrome, who knows? Nevertheless, we are dealing with a 23-year-old, 6’5″, first-round starting pitcher that is in Triple-A already. That has “top-prospect” written all over it. Lynn’s still very young, and extremely raw. If he can figure out whatever is holding him back this year, expect him to be in the big leagues after a successful 2011 season in Memphis.
MiLB WEEKLY ROUNDUP
AAA-Memphis Redbirds
Record to date: 69-57, second place in the PCL American North, 3 games behind Iowa.This past week: 4-2, including two series wins (Colorado Springs and Salt Lake)Transactions: Matt Scherer was assigned to Palm Beach from Memphis (3-1, 4.58 ERA, 29 SO, 37.1 IP in AAA), Tyler Greene was optioned to Memphis from Palm Beach (.297, 55 R, 10 SB, 64 AB in AAA), Steven Hill was optioned to Memphis from St. Louis (.280, 22 HR, 86 RBI, 361 AB in AA), Bryan Anderson was optioned to St. Louis from Memphis (.270, 12 HR, 42 RBI, 270 AB in AAA), Fernando Salas was optioned to Memphis from St. Louis (18 SV, 3.89 ERA, 44 SO, 34.2 IP in AAA)Coming up: The Redbirds will start a four-game set in Omaha before heading home for a long five-game series with Round Rock.
AA-Springfield Cardinals
Record to date: 30-23 in the second half (68-55 overall), third place in the TEX North, 5 games behind NW Arkansas.This past week: 5-1, won the San Antonio series 2-1, and swept Corpus Christi (four-game win streak)Transactions: Jermaine Curtis was assigned to Springfield from Palm Beach (.267, 34 R, 24 RBI, 191 AB in A), Thomas Pham was placed on the 7-day disabled list.Coming up: The Cardinals will head down to San Antonio before coming home to host NW Arkansas.
A-Palm Beach
Record to date: 31-23 in the second half (70-54 overall), first place in the FSL South.This past week: 4-4, including a crucial 1-3 series loss to BradentonTransactions: C.J. Beatty was assigned to Palm Beach from Quad Cities (.259, 40 R, 37 RBI, 251 AB in A-), Jermaine Curtis was assigned to Springfield from Palm Beach (.267, 34 R, 24 RBI, 191 AB in A), Matt Scherer was assigned to Palm Beach from Memphis (3-1, 4.58 ERA, 29 SO, 37.1 IP in AAA),Coming up: The Baby Birds will take on Charlotte and Fort Myers in a three-game sets.
POSITION PLAYER OF THE WEEK
Amaury Cazana, OF, Memphis
.480 AVG (12-for-25), .567 OBP, 8 runs, 3 home runs, 8 RBI, 5 walks
Amaury Cazana… the most interesting man in the world. He has been raking ever since being brought to the United States. On the season, Amaury is hitting .330/.370/.537 with 25 runs, 10 home runs, and 47 RBI in 207 at bats.
PITCHER OF THE WEEK
Kevin Thomas, SP, Palm Beach
W, 7 innings pitched, 3 hits, 1 run, 1 walks, 7 strikeouts
Thomas has had an amazing season and could have gotten this award several times, but this week he finally gets it. In 26 games this season, Thomas is 10-1 with a 2.27 ERA and 80 SO in 91 innings.

Justin Hulsey covers the Cardinals for i70baseball.com and his blog, Cardinals Front Office, that is also dedicated to Cardinal baseball.You may follow him on Twitter @JayHulsey by clicking here.