“Better get there quick, Big Boy.”

That quote has circled the blogosphere this week after St. Louis Cardinal General Manager John Mozeliak responded with those words after Josh Gilliam, of the great site Pitchers Hit Eighth, asked about seeing Carlos Martinez in Springfield.  Less than a week later, Martinez is on his way to Milwaukee to join the major league squad as struggling reliever Mitchell Boggs heads to Triple-A to join Memphis.

Boggs was in line to be the Cardinals’ eighth inning man going into the season when closer Jason Motte revealed an injury.  The easiest resolution to that, in manager Mike Matheny‘s mind, was to move everyone in the bullpen up a role and Boggs was thrust into the closer position.  His reaction was less than satisfactory and suddenly the bullpen, once thought to be a strength of the team, was in turmoil.  It seemed everyone was struggling and Boggs was, quite possibly, at the head of it all.

Mozeliak moved quickly in response, sending Marc Rzepczynski to the minor leagues and adding Seth Maness both to the major league and the 40-man roster.  The bullpen needed to be settled and Mozeliak aimed to do so quickly.  Edward Mujica found patience and settled the ninth inning going forward.  Trevor Rosenthal, while still not being perfect, has seemed to find a bit of a foothold.

Boggs, however, continued to struggle.  He would show moments of steadiness followed by loss of command and concentration.  He has shown improvement, but not enough to warrant a continued spot on the roster.  Memphis will provide a place to step away from the focus and the bright lights of major league baseball while Boggs tries to discover his former command and potential.

Martinez, meanwhile, has shown progress throughout a season that started a little late this season.  Due to some visa issues early on, Martinez was very late arriving to a spring training that might have led to his arrival in St. Louis on opening day.  Due to the late start, Martinez found himself in Springfield to start the season.  In three starts, the most recent of which was on April 29, Martinez has increasingly gone further and been more effective.  Over the course of just over 11 innings this season, he has surrendered 11 hits and one walk.  Conversely, he has struck out nine hitters and held opponents to just three runs.  He is not the most impressive of Cardinal minor league hurlers, but he shows enough promise to deserve the promotion.

To make room for Martinez on the 40-man roster, as founder of the United Cardinal Bloggers Daniel Shoptaw speculated, shortstop Rafael Furcal was moved to the 60-day disabled list.

The hard throwing right-hander arrives in St. Louis as a part of the bullpen solution.  His next challenges will surface as he is used more frequently and in higher pressure situations.  How he responds to that challenge will reveal his longevity at this level.

The future has arrived in St. Louis.  How bright it shines is about to become apparent.

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

ST. LOUIS – April 5, 2013 – Monday, April 8^th marks the annual return of baseball to St. Louis as the Cardinals take on the Cincinnati Reds in a 3:15 p.m. game. Opening Day 2013 will feature a pre-game ceremony that will pay tribute to Stan Musial.   Following is a schedule of official activities and information to help baseball’s best fans enjoy what has become an unofficial holiday for Cardinal Nation. Fans can join the social media conversation on Twitter with #OpeningDaySTL and #6.

Opening Day Ceremony

Opening Day marks the first time the Cardinals family will be together at Busch Stadium for a game since the passing of Stan Musial earlier this year.  On Opening Day, and throughout the 2013 season, the Cardinals will honor the legacy of the team’s greatest player who personified the Cardinal Way.  The team is wearing a jersey patch throughout the season and will host a full tribute to Musial on Friday, April 12^th when the team dedicates a plaque in his honor.

On Monday, Stan’s four children will unveil an outfield wall marker as part of the Opening Day ceremony that begins at 2:30 p.m. with the Budweiser Clydesdales.

The ceremony will feature all four of the team’s Commissioner’s Trophies from each of those World Championship teams (’67, ’82, ’06, and ’11), as well as the introduction of the Cardinals Hall of Famers and 2013 Cardinals via a Ford motorcade.

Schedule

11:00 a.m. – 2 p.m. Cardinals Official Opening Day Pre-Game Pep Rally, sponsored by Hardee’s:  The Cardinals and Hardee’s will host a pre-game pep rally in front of the Cardinals Team Store, located at the corner of Clark Street and 8^th Street. Local rock band Trixie Delight will perform from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m.

Fredbird and Team Fredbird will be on hand to give away Opening Day tickets, autographed items and other Cardinals prizes. Fans can stop by the free Hardee’s Photo Booth to get their Opening Day photo taken from 11:30 a.m. to 1:30 p.m., Fans can also purchase a Hardee’s Combo Meal after regular breakfast hours from the Mobile Diner or Hardee’s restaurant on Chestnut and receive a free Cardinals t-shirt while supplies last.  Other sponsors include: Budweiser, Dunkin Donuts, Fox Theatre, FOX Sports Midwest, Krispy Kreme, The Muny, Rawlings, Scotts, St. Louis Post-Dispatch, and The Tan Company.

1:15 p.m.                   Gates open

                                    Budweiser Magnet Schedule Day:  All ticketed-fans, ages 21 and over, will receive a magnet with the 2013 Cardinals schedule, compliments of Budweiser Beer.

2:30 p.m.                   Pre-game ceremonies begin with an appearance by the famed Budweiser Clydesdales.

      Introduction of Missouri Governor Jeremiah “Jay” Nixon, St. Louis County Executive Charlie A. Dooley, and St. Louis Mayor Francis G. Slay

      Introduction of Fredbird and Team Fredbird

      Cardinals Hall-of-Famers will be introduced via a Ford Motorcade, led around the warning track by the 2013 Ford Fusion. Each Cardinals Hall of Famer will be riding in a 2014 Ford Mustang Convertible.

      Tribute to Stan Musial:  Stan and Lillian Musial’s four children, Dick Musial, Gerry Ashley, Janet Schwarze, and Jean Edmonds will unveil a memorial marker in left center field.

      Introduction of the 2013 St. Louis Cardinals via Ford Motorcade. The players will ride in 2013 Ford F-150 Raptors.

      Introduction of the Cincinnati Reds and the starting lineups

      American Bald Eagle introduced, courtesy of the World Bird Sanctuary of St. Louis

      Color Guard and American Flag in Center Field, courtesy of Scott Air Force Base 

                                    The National Anthem will be performed by six members of the Gateway Harmonica Club of St. Louis. Stan Musial was an honorary member of the club.

                                    A moment of silence for the victims of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newtown, Connecticut, as well as a moment of silence for baseball great and St. Louis native Earl Weaver, former Cardinals Outfielder Chuck Diering, longtime organist Ernie Hayes, longtime Redbird Roost attendant Fanny Scholl, and the greatest Cardinal, Hall of Famer Stan Musial.

      Ceremonial First Pitch by former Cardinal closer Jason Isringhausen and former Cardinal center fielder Jim Edmonds, who are both new members of the Fox Sports Midwest Cardinals pre and post-game broadcast team.

3:15 p.m.                   Game Time

Watching on TV

Fans can watch the game and pre-game ceremony in High Definition on FOX Sports Midwest.

Radio Coverage

Fans can tune into KMOX (1120 AM) or one of the 124 stations in the Cardinals Radio Network to hear Mike Shannon and John Rooney call the game. The expanded pre-game show starts at 1:40 p.m. 

Online or On the Go

Fans may also follow the game for free on cardinals.com using the Gameday application, or via the team’s Twitter account, @Cardinals.  From mobile devices, fans can keep tabs on the score using MLB’s mobile app, At Bat 13.

Getting to the Game

Fans will notice a few changes around the ballpark as a result of the Ballpark Village construction.  The biggest change for motorists is that 8^th Street is now a two-way street between Clark and Market with two north and southbound lanes.

Temporary stop signs are currently in place at the intersections of 8^th and Clark, as well as 8^th and Walnut, until new traffic signals are installed later this spring.  Walnut is now also a two-way street between 8^th and Broadway, with one westbound lane and two eastbound lanes.

Pedestrian traffic into the ballpark has also changed due to the construction of Ballpark Village.  The biggest improvement fans will notice is that the pedestrian bridge from Stadium West Parking garage has been removed and the intersection of Clark and 8th Street has been redesigned with a much larger sidewalk in front the plaza of champions the skirts the Cardinals Team Store.

Clark Street is also being improved and will be open to pedestrian traffic on Opening Day.  The Cardinals Opening Day Rally will be at the corner 8^th and Clark.

Highways and Other Roadwork 

MoDOT will not have any scheduled lane closures on state highways inside the city limits for Opening Day and Opening Weekend. The department does have several construction projects around the city scheduled for 2013, including a bridge replacement at Jefferson over I-64 that may have one lane closed on I-64 around the clock in both directions for several months. MoDOT will make every effort to have all available lanes open into and out of the city before and after Cardinal home games.  At this time, several I-64 and I-70 closures are planned for weekends, but will not be scheduled during Cardinal home games.

Alternative Transportation

MetroLink is a convenient alternative to driving, allowing fans to avoid the cost of parking and game day traffic.  To avoid the traffic congestion and the cost of parking on game day, fans can use one of 19 free Park-Ride lots along the MetroLink line and take the train to Stadium Station, right across the street from the ballpark.  Check the Metro website www.MetroSt.Louis.org for schedules and the Park-Ride lot nearest you.  There are also plenty of buses in Missouri and Illinois that will get fans to Busch Stadium including the RedBird Express that departs from the Water Tower at St. Clair Square in Fairview Heights, Illinois.  The first RedBird Express leaves 2 ½ hours before the game and runs approximately every 5 minutes. On opening day, the RedBird Express will start running at Noon. 

Ballpark Village

In February of this year, the St. Louis Cardinals and the Cordish Companies broke ground on Ballpark Village – a mixed-use development on 10-acres adjacent to Busch Stadium.  The first phase of Ballpark Village will be completed by Opening Day 2014.

The first phase will include over 100,000 square feet of retail and entertainment space including Cardinals Nation, the Budweiser Brew House, PBR St. Louis: A Cowboy Bar and the Live! At Ballpark Village marketplace.

Cardinals Nation will be a first-of-its-kind venue in baseball totaling over 30,000 square feet on three levels. It will include a two story restaurant, a retail store, a Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, a special events space, and a 300-plus seat rooftop deck with views into Busch Stadium. A second building will house a 20,000 square foot, three-story Budweiser Brew House with a festive rooftop party deck also offering views into Busch Stadium.  The two signature structures will be joined by the Live! At Ballpark Village marketplace, an indoor marketplace with a retractable roof covering the event space, designed to be a vibrant gathering space throughout the year for thousands of visitors.

The $100 million first phase also includes all of the streets, parking and site infrastructure to support the future phases of the seven-block mixed-use project, allowing the city to attract future development with pad-ready sites.  The project is expected to have a positive impact on the local economy with nearly a thousand construction jobs and nearly 500 permanent jobs expected to be created as part of the initial phase alone. 

Ballpark Improvements

As the Cardinals begin their eighth season of play in Busch Stadium, the team has made a number of improvements to the stadium during the off-season, including sowing the seeds of another successful season with the installation of new sod.  During the fall, the Cardinals installed over 100,000 square feet of new sod.  The sod, which was grown in Fort Morgan, Colorado, is a four way blend of Kentucky Bluegrass set in a 10 inch root zone that is 85% sand, 10% peat, and 5% Zeopro mixture.

In addition to the new playing surface and the improved, expanded sidewalk outside the Cardinals Team Store and plaza of champions at 8^th and Clark, fans will notice an improved front façade thanks to the installation of new windows on the second level on the Northwestern section of the Stadium.  The new windows run the length of the Budweiser Bowtie bar as well as Group Sales Corner above the Team Store and along the Group Sales Hallway above the ticket windows on 8^th Street.

The Cardinals have installed new flooring in several areas of the ballpark and have added 150 energy efficient LED HD TV throughout the stadium.  The team has also upgraded the outdoor furniture in several all-inclusive areas, upgraded several party suites, added fresh coats of paint and made a number of smaller improvements throughout the park.

New Menu for 2013

Delaware North Companies Sportservice, the St. Louis Cardinals’ concessionaire for more than 50 years, is preparing to welcome fans back to the Stadium with a starting lineup of food to please every fan’s unique taste.

New at Section 135 is The Double Play Tap and Grill, where traditional ballpark fare gets a high-end makeover. Fans can enjoy a thick and juicy cheddar stuffed burger on a pretzel bun, or a customizable four-hand nacho platter, and choose fresh toppings for both to suit their unique tastes.

Likewise, fans will find new additions throughout the park. Look for Kohn’s Kosher Cart, featuring knockwurst and pastrami sandwiches at Section 147.  Dizzy’s Diner locations (Sections 139, 161 and 446) have also been beefed up with the addition of The Horseshoe, an open-faced burger consisting of two beef patties topped with fries and cheese sauce.  Other new additions include Bavarian Pretzel Sticks, at Sections 139, 161, 271 and 446, and Fried Pickle Spears, at Sections 271 and 509.

New Retail for 2013

From Opening Day apparel to personalized gifts, the Team Store has what fans need to look their game-day best no matter their unique style.   Adding to the Team Store’s most exclusive selection of limited-edition Opening Day apparel and accessories, new this year is the Cardinals’ retro-style alternate jersey, worn during Saturday home games. This ivory and red jersey proudly features “St. Louis” across the chest instead of the traditional “Cardinals” insignia.

The Team Store also will feature Opening Day baseballs, t-shirts and lapel pins, exclusive to the Stadium, in addition to the new batting practice cap by New Era. The Team Store also is carrying the exclusive Victoria’s Secret PINK line, perfect for the stylish yet casual Cardinals fan. Fans who want to make a statement — about their fashion and their favorite team — can now do so with new Alex and Ani bangle sets. The bracelets, which come in brushed Russian gold or silver, can be customized with a variety of charms and stacked to create a unique combination.

Aside from the Cardinals games, Busch Stadium also hosts several weddings each year along with hundreds of special parties and celebrations. Fans can commemorate their special day with personalized memorabilia, such as wedding invitations, hand-etched wine glasses, personalized baseballs, and custom Mega Tickets, enlarged to 500 percent the size of a regular ticket, to celebrate anniversaries, birthdays, and retirements.

As in years past, the Team Store offers dozens of $15 and under souvenirs, including baseballs, mini-bats, koozies, magnets, baseball cards, jewelry, posters, postcards, key chains, lanyards, pennants, pins — and the No. 1 seller — foam fingers, and claws.

And, even while the construction progresses around Ballpark Village, the Team Store is ready to help fans get prepared for Opening Day. The store is open 10 a.m. to 6 p.m., seven days a week, and offers free, 15-minute parking on the curb next to the store entrance at Clark and 8th Street, between Gates 3 and 4.  Sportservice also operates nearly 20 retail kiosks throughout the ballpark, as well as three other licensed stores around the stadium, including:

• ·        Fans Nest at Broadway (including the Jersey Lettering Booth) – Main Concourse near Gate 1
• ·        Fans Nest at Home Plate – Level 4 behind Section 450
• ·        Fans Nest at Riverview Corner – Level 4 behind Section 437

Fans will want to stop by the Cardinals Authentics store in Ford Plaza (cardinals.com/authentics), the only place to get official, game-used, limited edition and autographed Cardinals memorabilia directly from the team. Fans can now order an engraved bat from Louisville Slugger, the official bat of MLB.

Cardinals In the Community – Redbird Rookies Celebrates 10 Years in 2013

Redbird Rookies, Cardinals Care’s free baseball league for boys and girls who may not otherwise have a chance to play baseball, turns 10 in 2013.  In addition to providing all the uniforms, gloves, bats, balls, and other equipment needed for each team in over 20 leagues in Missouri and Illinois, Redbird Rookies also provides extensive off-field support in the areas of health, education, mentoring, and the cultural arts for each of the nearly 4,500 kids who participate in the program each year.

Cardinals Care was established to give fans a way of teaming up with Cardinals players and the Cardinals organization to help children in our community – both on and off the baseball field.  Since it was established in 1997, Cardinals Care has invested nearly $19 million in helping children, including providing nearly $11 million in grants to over 800 non-profit youth organizations, and building 19 youth ball fields in neighborhoods in both Missouri and Illinois.  Cardinals Care is urging fans to support their on-going efforts to help children a variety of ways:

• ·        Go RED for Kids - Businesses, schools and other organizations are being asked to rally behind the team and Cardinals Care by participating in Cardinals RED for Kids.  Cardinals RED for Kids is the team’s version of an office “dress down” day in which participating organizations make a donation to Cardinals Care in exchange for the opportunity to sport their Cardinal colors around the office on Opening Day. To participate, local businesses and organizations can visit cardinals.com/red.
• ·        Cardinals Care 6K and One Mile Fun Run – Lace up your jogging shoes and join the team for the 4th annual run and walk on Sunday, August 18^th.  Learn more and sign up atwww.cardinals.com/6K.
• ·        Donate directly at cardinals.com/community.

Cardinals Magazine Releases Season-Opening Issue, Digital Edition, and Collectible Scorecard

Cardinals Magazine kicks off its 21^st season of publication with a star-studded cover story featuring three of the club’s most dynamic centerfielders of recent history: Willie McGee, Jim Edmonds, and Jon Jay. From spectacular catches to everyday responsibilities, this dynamic trio shares secrets about the art of playing the position. Other issue highlights include a Q&A with skipper Mike Matheny, an in-depth look at the club’s highly regarded farm system, Adam Wainwright’s monthly journal, fresh insight into the club’s spellbinding comeback in Game 5 of the NLDS last fall, and the release of the first of six collectible Stan Musial posters.

Also available at the ballpark is the popular 2013 Official Scorecard, which teaches fans how to score the “Cardinal Way”—a storied tradition by club officials that dates back more than 50 seasons. This year’s collectible scorecard features Fredbird sporting the new Cardinals home alternate jersey that includes the Stan Musial No. 6 patch as well as the Musial statue. The retro and contemporary hybrid design of the scorecard comes from local artist Mike Right, who has been creating the timeless Cardinals scorecard imagery since 2003.

During games, fans can purchase Cardinals Magazine and the Official Scorecard together for just $5 at all gates and at the Team Store. Outside the ballpark, fans can buy the magazine at many St. Louis area retailers, including grocery stores, QT, Walgreens, Wal-Mart, and Cardinals Clubhouse stores inside 6 local malls. To start a subscription (7 issues for just $35), call 314.345.9303 or visitcardinals.com/publications.– more –

Finally, new for 2013 is the digital edition of Cardinals Magazine which will be available for download on iPhone, Android, PC, Mac, and iPad. One-year subscriptions are $25; individual issues will be available for purchase for $5. The first issue is scheduled to be released on April 15 through cardinals.com/publications. Stay tuned for additional information.

BUSCH STADIUM – POLICY REMINDERS

Bag Inspections Policy

• ·        The standard game-day bag inspection policies for Busch Stadium will be in effect. Bags will be allowed that meet Major League Baseball’s standard size restriction (16”x16”x8”), and all bags will be inspected prior to entry. 
• ·        Fans will be permitted to bring small personal cameras and will be subject to inspection.  No professional-sized photography equipment will be allowed except for members of the media with proper MLB credentials.  
• ·        Non-alcoholic beverages such as water and soda in open cups or in clear plastic bottles no larger than 2 liters are allowed.
• ·        Alcohol, bottles, cans, thermoses, hard-sided coolers; hard plastic cups/mugs are not permitted.
• ·        Small banners and signs are allowed.  Banners may be displayed as long as they do not hinder or interfere with a ball in play or distract or interfere with the view of another guest. Banners may not be displayed in fair territory, be obscene or in poor taste, attract abuse or cause a disturbance among other guests. They should be baseball-oriented and not commercial in nature.
• ·        Please minimize items you bring into the stadium to speed up the inspection process. 
• ·        Expect long lines upon entry and allow yourself plenty of time to go through the inspection process.

Exit/Re-entry Policy

Standard Exit/Re-entry Policies are in effect.  Guests wishing to leave the stadium, but planning to return during the same game must have their hand stamped at Gates 1, 2 or 4 as they exit the stadium. Guests must show ticket upon re-entry. Inspection policy will also be enforced.

No Smoking Policy

Standard Busch Stadium Smoking Policy is in effect.  Busch Stadium is a smoke-free facility. Exit/Re-Entry turnstiles will be set up at Gates 1, 2 and 4 to allow fans access in and out of the stadium if they wish to smoke. Fans will get their hand stamped as they exit the stadium. Guests must show ticket upon re-entry. Inspection policy will also be enforced.

It’s only two games. It’s early in the season. It’s Chicago cold and damp compared to the hot, dry air of Arizona. Yes, there’s reasons to not worry about the Royals 0-2 start. But It’s the way they’ve lost those two games which cause concern, even this early in the season.

Opening Day in Chicago. James Shields pitched well, striking out six and giving up eight hits and a home run over six innings, a performance worthy of an ace starter. But Chicago White Sox starter Chris Sale was that much better, striking out seven, giving up seven hits over 7.2 scoreless innings, keeping a faltering Royals offense in check on the way to a 1-0 Chicago victory.

The hot Royals Spring Training offense cooled off with seven hits, all singles. They drew three walks and had nine strikeouts. There was a glimmer of hope in the Royals ninth, with Eric Hosmer at second with two outs. But the free-swinging Jeff Francoeur hacked at the first pitched offered, a weak groundout to the shortstop to end the game. It’s only one game and 2008 was the last time the Royals won on Opening Day. But the way they lost was troubling, because it was like the way they’ve lost before. But there’s always the next game.

Game two Royals starter Ervin Santana gave up a league leading 39 home runs last season. He has a habit of giving up home runs, but it was another cold day in Chicago, so the long ball shouldn’t be a factor for Santana.

In the second game, Santana pitched six innings, giving up five hits and four earned runs, striking out eight and issuing a walk. Not a bad outing. Oh, I forgot to mention three of the four earned runs were home runs. Maybe it wasn’t such a good outing.

White Sox starter Jake Peavy pitched six innings, giving up four hits, two runs, striking out six and didn’t walk anyone. The Sox bullpen kept the Royals scoreless, giving the Sox a 5-2 victory.

The Royals offense had five hits this time, one of them a double. But the team only walked once and struck out seven times, with a .182 team batting average. Once again, Francoeur was the last Royal to bat in the ninth, but this time he took a called strike before grounding out to the pitcher to end the game. At least Francoeur took a pitch before swinging.

There was a bright spot in both games. In four innings of work, the Royals bullpen struck out three and gave up two walks and a run. By the way, the run was a home run gave up by Luke Hochevar. At least he didn’t give up four or five runs like he usually does, so there’s the bright spot.

It’s only two games in early April. The weather will warm up and so will the Royals. But the same old pattern of losing by not walking, not scoring runs and having the pitching staff give up home runs will test an already frustrated fan base. It makes it too easy to say “It’s the same old Royals.” And last April’s 12 game losing streak is still fresh in fan’s minds. If the Royals win Thursday’s game and play well in Philadelphia, these first two games won’t matter. But if the 2013 Royals play like the 2012 Royals, it’s going to be a long season.

The biggest move of the winter took center stage on Opening Day for the Kansas City Royals.  No longer a team that is rebuilding, David Glass and company took steps this off-season to become contenders.

The top prospect in the organization was packaged away in order to get the one thing the Royals felt they needed more than anything else: a pitcher that could truly be an ace.  In addition, they got a pitcher who possesses the nickname to define his role with the club.  Welcome to 2013 Royals baseball, let us introduce “Big Game” James Shields.

Opening Day showed the fans exactly what they wanted to see.  Shields took the mound and pitched like the ace that he is.  He got in small bits of trouble, refused to be shook up about it, and fought out of the jams.  He struck out six batters without issuing a single free pass.  He battled, giving up eight hits and still managed to pitch six innings.  He showed Royals fans that he was exactly as advertised.

Aaron Crow and Kelvin Herrera furthered what fans already knew.  The rebuilt rotation would be supported by the strength of the team the last few years: the bullpen.  They were not perfect, but the were close enough.  Three strikeouts, one walk, and two innings later, the Royals pitching staff had put the team in a great position to win a baseball game.  With the exception of one poor pitch from their starter, the Royals were great.  All they needed was two runs to win the game.

That, on the other hand, proved to be difficult.  White Sox starter Chris Sale was Shields-like in his own right.  He scattered hits, kept guys off the bases, and stayed out of trouble.  He went deep into the game and then allowed his bullpen to close the door.  The Royals had their chances, but simply could not deliver.  Ultimately, it came down to the top of the ninth inning with the potential game-tying run sitting in scoring position at second base.  Eric Hosmer had drawn a walk and stole second, trying to ignite something to happen.

Jeff Francoeur grounded out weakly to the shortstop, unable to beat out a possible infield single and drawing the curtain on the first game of the season.

Do not fret, Royals fans, this offense will not sputter like this frequently.  If Shields continues to give up one run per outing, he will find himself winning a lot of games in Royals blue.

But for one day, at the beginning of the 2013 campaign, it sure felt a lot like deja vu.

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

The St. Louis Cardinals brought an end to the biggest question that surrounded any part of the club this spring by finishing an agreement to keep pitcher Adam Wainwright in a Cardinal uniform for the for another half decade. After two months of ebbing and flowing through negotiations, and with less than a week before Opening Day, the team closed on keeping one of its most irreplaceable players in the fold.

While there’s no such thing has a perfect deal, this very well may be the best one the Cardinals have authored in some time. The extension, which starts with the 2014 season, runs for five years and will land the club’s ace $97.5 million over the run through 2018. The battleground between club and player was on finding a suitable length and annual value, in light of the multiple large scale deals being signed by other pitchers on the tier of Wainwright.

While not touching the value of the recent mega deals signed by Felix Hernandez and Zack Greinke, it will set several club records. It is the largest contract in club history for a pitcher, surpassing Chris Carpenter’s five year, $63 million pact from 2006. Also, Wainwright will become the highest paid Cardinal ever on an annual value basis, bring in $19.5 million per season, his deal surpasses Matt Holliday’s $17 million total.

Wainwright has stated his desire to remain with the club for the duration of his career, and while this most likely will not be his last deal with the club; it was the career-defining deal that he went on the record as saying was important to him personally. For the Cardinals, it gives two arms potentially signed through 2017, along with Jaime Garcia.

For the team, it is the second time in two years that it has used the spring to strike an aggressive deal to lock its core up long-term, after extending Yadier Molina just before Spring Training a year ago. In the wake of signing Allen Craig this spring, the organization is in the best long-term shape of any team in baseball in regards to having its core intact in a three year window. With a mixture of arbitration year players, as well as minor leaguers ready to emerge, a St. Louis team that’s averaged 88-wins the last four years is in position now after inking Wainwright to only have to add final pieces its foundation, as opposed to being faced with rebuilding any part of it.

Yet the value of the agreement cannot be seen only in financial expressions.  With Carpenter’s days on the mound over and Jake Westbrook’s contract set to expire after the year, Wainwright will enter next season as the only Cardinal starter that has seen his 30^th birthday. Despite the gut of potential that is beginning to manifest itself through the organization, Wainwright represents a pillar in the organization. After returning from Tommy John surgery to post a 14 win, 33 start effort in 2012, he erased any doubts about his ability to continue to anchor the rotation. With the organization focusing on building from within and capitalizing on its stockpile of pitching talent, having a presence like Wainwright that can lead by example both on and off the mound, the value of keeping Wainwright in the fold is beyond just the comfort of having him throw himself every five days.

The St. Louis Cardinals project to have an Opening Day lineup full of players who will regularly get on base and it also features plenty of power to drive them in. The one thing the team will lack, however, is speed.

The Cardinals stole 91 bases in 2012, which tied them with the Texas Rangers for 24^th of 30 teams in Major League Baseball, but players who stole more than a quarter of the Cardinals bases last season are either hurt or no longer with the team.

Shortstop Rafael Furcal stole 12 bases last season but is out for the season with an elbow injury, and fellow shortstop Tyler Greene, who had nine stolen bases, is now with the Houston Astros.

That leaves the Cardinals with about four regular stolen base threats. Slow-footed but incredibly intelligent catcher Yadier Molina stole 12 bases last year and could very well steal another dozen or so this season. Rightfielder Carlos Beltran had 13 stolen bases last year, but he is 35 years old and has slowed down considerably in recent years after various knee injuries.

The other proven stolen-base threat from last year’s team is centerfielder Jon Jay, who had 19 last season. He will likely lead the team again this season unless outfield prospect Oscar Taveras makes the team, but even he hasn’t stolen more than 10 bases in a season during his four seasons in the minor leagues.

Shortstop Pete Kozma stole just two bases during his brief 26-game stint with the Cardinals at the end of 2012, but he once stole 24 bases in 2008 and had 13 in 2010, all in the minor leagues.

Other than those options, the Cardinals will likely enter the season with a pretty slow team, but that’s not necessarily a terrible fault.

The Cardinals won the World Series in 2011 after stealing just 57 bases, which ranked last in the National League, and only the Detroit Tigers had fewer steals with 49 that season. The Cardinals also made it to within one game of the World Series in 2012 while ranking 24^th.

And they aren’t the only team that has found it can win without stealing bases. In fact, just three teams that made the 2012 playoffs ranked in the top half of baseball in stolen bases. The Oakland A’s were ninth, the San Francisco Giants were 10^th and the Washington Nationals were 15^th.

Otherwise, all of the best teams didn’t steal many bases. The World Series-champion Detroit Tigers actually ranked dead last for the second year in a row, but they had great power and great pitching.

Those two factors are also why the Cardinals shouldn’t be too concerned about the number of bases they steal in 2013.

They have a lineup that should easily rank in the top 10 in all three of the Triple Crown categories, batting average, homeruns and runs batted in, and they have a pitching staff that should be more than solid if not for too many injuries.

Sure, Chris Carpenter is no longer an option at the top of the rotation, but the Cardinals have arguably the most young talent on their pitching staff since the days Tony La Russa decided to come to St. Louis because Matt Morris and Alan Benes were on their way to the big leagues.

The Whitey Herzog disciples will forever yearn for the days when Cardinals players of the 1980s slapped the ball into play and ran like the wind around the bases, but those days have long since passed. And they aren’t coming back anytime soon, at least not as long as the Cardinals furnish a lineup with five batters who can hit 20 or more homeruns.

So while the Cardinals style of play might not be terribly exciting on the basepaths, nearly every other aspect of their play is good enough that they will likely once again be playoff contenders come September.

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 St. Louis Cardinals entered this off season with a glaring need: Adam Wainwright‘s contract will expire after this season.

The Cardinals have been down this road before and, while the results were a little less then ideal, they have shown that they can continue to be successful after losing a superstar type player.  The situations are obviously not identical, but they are similar enough that many fans have kept a skeptical eye on the situation this spring.

Both the Cardinals and Wainwright have expressed no desire to put a deadline on these talks.  At the same time, Wainwright has been very candid that his increased health and productivity is not likely to drive his price down anytime soon.  The team has expressed a desire to see him in action and there seems to be a sticking point surrounding the length of the contract according to many people close to the negotiations.  Both sides have expressed recently that having a deal complete before Opening Day is ideal, though not a hard and fast deadline.

A brief silver lining has found it’s way through, however.  Recently, Wainwright’s agent, Steve Hammond, was out of the country and unavailable to the negotiations.  He recently returned from his vacation and it appears that the two sides have reopened the discussion.

Cardinals General Manager John Mozeliak was on MLB Network Radio on SirusXM recently and had the following to say to Jim Duquette and Mike Ferrin:

“Right now, I feel pretty optimistic that we’re going to find a way to get things done, but there are still challenges. But from my end of things, the fact that Steve Hammond and I are speaking is a good thing.”
Thanks to MLBTR for the quote, originally seen here.

It appears that the conversations are fluid and growing closer to a resolution.  As long as the sides continue to have conversations, it is fair to say that they are making progress towards a new contract.

For Cardinal fans, that would seem to be a real good thing.

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

Spring training is generally the time of the year to focus on prospects that might have a shot to help the club in the future, and the St. Louis Cardinals might have already found two position players who can step into the regular lineup and fill important needs.

And those players are shortstop Pete Kozma and outfielder Oscar Taveras.

Kozma  isn’t necessarily a prospect anymore after his 27-game stint with the Cardinals last September, but the team has thus far been reluctant to place much confidence in the 24-year-old shortstop.

However, Kozma hit .333 after he was called up to the big club last season, and he is hitting even better, .353, through the first week of spring training while also playing solid defense, especially compared to the other shortstop in camp, Ronny Cedeno, who had two awful throwing errors in Saturday’s 6-2 loss to the Washington Nationals.

The Cardinals also might desperately need Kozma once the season starts because of Rafael Furcal’s ongoing arm problems.

Furcal was hoping to return to game action Saturday, but his throwing arm still hasn’t recovered from a ligament tear he suffered Aug. 30 and bone spurs that also cause him discomfort. Right now there is no timetable for his return and nobody is willing to speculate about whether or not he’ll be ready for Opening Day.

When teams shuffle around that question, it usually means the player is pretty unlikely to start the season on the field instead of the disabled list, and that makes Kozma’s presence all the more important.

It is puzzling why the Cardinals don’t want to commit to Kozma. The team tried to find an outside option at the position during the offseason, but no team was willing to make a satisfactory deal that didn’t pilfer the Cardinals loaded young pitching staff.

So as the situation stands now, the Cardinals might be forced to give Kozma a real shot at the everyday job.

Now that might cause panic in the hearts of some Cardinals fans who remember Kozma as a high draft pick who produced next to nothing in the minor leagues. In fact, he was so bad the Cardinals considered releasing him four times while he was in the minors.

But considering the Cardinals have won with players such as Brendan Ryan and Skip Schumaker up the middle, they certainly have enough talent (and arguably better pitching) to field a winning team with Kozma at shortstop, and Daniel Descalso or Matt Carpenter at second base.

The outfield is a bit of a different story, however.

Taveras has been hitting the tar out of the ball so far in spring training, batting .318 with a grand slam and six RBIs. But the Cardinals don’t have nearly the same need for a player to come along and become a regular starter.

Matt Holliday, Jon Jay and Carlos Beltran make up a very solid outfield lineup, but there could be other ways to make Taveras productive without stunting the 20-year-old’s growth by stashing him on the bench.

All three of those outfielders will likely need consistent rest throughout the season to stay fresh, so Taveras could easily slide in as an excellent fourth outfielder. Plus, the Cardinals can play him in the field and use Beltran as the designated hitter during interleague games, which occur more often this year than in the past.

In any case, the Cardinals have accomplished one of the biggest goals of spring training. They have found young players who can potentially fill important roles on the team this year.

Now the team just has to follow through and actually use them.

You can’t take too much stock in Spring Training performances. For instance, there’s left-handed reliever Donnie Joseph. In two one-inning relief appearances, Joseph faced and struck out six batters, which is impressive. Of course the batters he faced were AAA level players and five of them were left-handed. But if a pitcher is going to make a good impression in Spring Training, Joseph is doing a good job of it.

John Sleezer/The Kansas City Star

Last July, the Royals got Joseph when they sent veteran reliever Jonathan Broxton to Cincinnati. In four Minor League seasons, Joseph pitched in 193 games over 225.1 innings with a 3.55 ERA and a 3.01 SO/BB ratio, all in relief.

Joseph struggled when he went to AAA Omaha. In 11 games over 17.1 innings, his ERA was 4.15. He struck out 19 batters and gave up 13 walks, ending up with a 1.46 SO/BB ratio.

Despite the two good outings striking out the side, Joseph is a long shot to make the team. His command of the strike zone is inconsistent, and he’s only pitched 29 games in AAA. And there’s the current makeup of the bullpen. The Royals plan to carry seven relievers and for now Greg Holland, Kelvin Herrera, Tim Collins and Aaron Crow are locks. And who doesn’t get the fifth starter job between Bruce Chen, Luke Hochevar and Luis Mendoza will join the bullpen as long relievers. That leaves one spot and 14 pitchers are vying for that spot, including Joseph.

As a lefty, Joseph could be the left-handed specialist if he makes the team. He’s on the on 40-man roster and has options remaining, so even with a great spring, Joseph might end up in Omaha, especially with the strength of the Royals bullpen. If he doesn’t make the Opening Day roster, it wouldn’t hurt Joseph to get more experience facing AAA batters and improving his command. Even if he starts the season in Omaha, it’s likely he’ll be with the Royals sometime this year.

Donnie Joseph isn’t for real yet, but he’s not a mirage either.