As the Los Angeles Dodgers and Angels spent unprecedented amounts of money during the offseason to try to establish dominance, a battle between rivals in the Midwest could be the most intense race of the 2013 season.

The St. Louis Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds have won the National League Central Division in three of the past four seasons, and each team has made moves this offseason to bolster their chances to do so again next year.

The Cardinals haven’t added much, but they also didn’t have many holes to fill. They signed left-handed relief pitcher Randy Choate to a three-year, $7.5 million contract to fill the team’s biggest need in the bullpen. They also signed bench player Ty Wigginton to a two-year, $5 million deal, but unless Wigginton comes up with a late-inning homer against the Reds, that signing is negligable.

The Reds, who beat the Cardinals by nine games last year to win the division, made more substantial moves. They resigned reliever Jonathan Broxton to a three-year, $21 million contract to be the team’s closer for the foreseeable future and resigned leftfielder Ryan Ludwick for $15 million across two years. The Reds also traded for outfielder Shin-Soo Choo from the Indians to be their centerfielder and leadoff hitter next year.

The Broxton signing should allow flamethrower Aroldis Chapman to be in the starting rotation next year, and the trade for Choo fills a massive hole at the top of the lineup.

Drew Stubbs, who went to the Indians in the trade, held that spot last season, but he hit just .213 with a .277 on-base percentage and 166 strikeouts. By contrast, Choo hit .283 with a .373 on-base percentage and struck out 150 times. That’s still a lot of strikeouts for a leadoff hitter, but Choo provides more power and is certainly an upgrade in a spot the Reds tried to improve at last season’s trading deadline.

Although neither team has made nearly as many moves as several other teams so far in the offseason, the Cardinals and Reds have fortified their rosters to stage quite a battle throughout the 2013 season. They’ll do so without handing out contracts worth more than $100 million, as the Dodgers did by signing pitcher Zack Greinke and Angels did by signing outfielder Josh Hamilton.

The Cardinals and Reds have a recent history full of intense games that have at times led to shouting matches and even a full-out brawl in 2010. With both teams loaded and ready for battle heading into the season, one might think this could be a season series full of more temper tantrums and games that will leave blood boiling for both teams and both fanbases.

But this year’s rivalry might take a more professional turn. Both the Cardinals and Reds know each organization has a good team, and they will likely be the two strongest contenders for the NL Central Division title.

In past years, the Reds were an up-and-coming team that felt it had to rough up the more established Cardinals to gain entrance to the top of the division. Those days are gone. General manager Walt Jocketty has built a roster with a good starting rotation, solid bullpen and increasingly potent lineup filled with stars such as Joey Votto, Brandon Phillips and Jay Bruce.

This year’s Cardinals-Reds rivalry could be similar to recent battles in the AL West between the Texas Rangers and Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. Both teams had some of the most talented rosters in the league, and they stuck strictly to playing solid, intense yet not over-the-top baseball games.

Although it might be fun for fans to watch for extracurricular activities on the field and in the dugouts similar to a playoff hockey game, it might be even more impressive to watch a season series that has good, high-quality baseball.

So while big-market teams on the West Coast battle each other with dollar bills in the offseason, actual games between the Cardinals and Reds next season could create the most interesting division races in all of baseball.

Albert Pujols should have a monster 2012 season for the Anaheim Angels. Is it a guarantee? No. Is it very likely? Yes. Overall, I have been very impressed with Cardinal Nation’s response to Pujols heading out west. On one end of the spectrum are the fans who say they are taking the logical approach and applaud Cardinal management for not offering a huge 10-year contract. On the other end, are the fans who burned his jersey and anxiously await their opportunity to find his statue unguarded. Both the “we don’t need him” and “I hate him” attitudes are different expression of the same feeling of rejection. But you’ve already read that article. Oblige me a few minutes to prepare you as to what you should see from Pujols in 2012, and what that means to the Cardinals and their fans.

First, a general observation…those who have followed Pujols over the last 11 seasons know that he always plays better when he feels he has something to prove. At 32,  he is at the tail-end of the prime of his career, but…he is still in his prime. Remember the 2008 season, when Pujols was the last standing member of the MV3 playing for St. Louis and the second best hitter in the lineup was Ryan Ludwick?

2008 Season

AB         R            H           2B       HR        RBI         BB        SO     SB       AVG         OBP       SLG         OPS

524       100      187       44       37          116        104     54      7         .357         .462      .653       1.114

Not shabby.

Remember Game 3 of the 2011 World Series? Pujols heard all the critics who said he had never done much of anything in his three World Series appearances. He proceeded to unleash 3 HRs, 5 hits, 4 Runs, and 6 RBIs.

You may be thinking, all that is well and good, but what about his three-year decline from 2009-2011? Yes, Pujols did experience a noticeable drop in HR, RBIs, walks, BA, on-base percentage, and slugging percentage over that three-year period. Even with the decline, he remained an elite hitter. And do not forget about the great second half numbers he posted last year.

After coming back from wrist surgery, Pujols posted the following stat line.

AB         R            H           2B       HR        RBI         BB        SO        SB       AVG         OBP       SLG         OPS

299       53         95          18       20          54            27       33       4         .318          .378     .579         .957

Again, the point of this article is not to prove to you that Pujols is a good hitter. The purpose is to prepare you for a huge year from Pujols in 2012. Here is the biggest reason why…each ball Pujols puts in play has a 5% better chance of being a hit at Angels Stadium than at Busch Stadium, and each fly ball has a 27% better chance of being a homerun. (I used the 2009-2011 ballpark tendencies chart from baseballhq.com for these numbers). Said another way, Angels Stadium produces the league-average number of hits and home runs for right-handed batters. Busch Stadium decreases right-handed batting average 5% and right-handed home runs 27% more than the average MLB park. Busch Stadium is a much more pitcher-friendly park than most people realize. Pujols hit 10 fly balls last season that were outs in Busch Stadium, that would have been home runs in LA.

Quick side note: Ballpark factor makes the offensive numbers the Cardinals put up in 2011 that much more impressive.

I hope I have proven my point that Pujols is on track for a big 2012 season. What does this mean to Cardinals fans?

First, on an emotional level, being able to come to terms with this fact. I am not one that wishes bad performance on Pujols because he left the team I cheer for.

Second, even as you watch Pujols put up big numbers, realize the Cardinals made a smart baseball decision for the long-term, and made smart decisions with the money freed up for 2012. Long-term it is easy to see how the Cardinals would have been severely handcuffed paying Pujols 22-25 million during his age 38-41 seasons, when production will most certainly substantially decline. But I want to focus on the 2012 season and why Cardinals fans should not be worried.

Pujols had a 5.1 WAR (wins above replacement) in 2011. When he signed elsewhere, the Cards re-signed Rafael Furcal and Carlos Beltran. Beltran certainly would not have happened with Pujols still on the team, and Furcal is unlikely. While Furcal only a 0.5 WAR during an injury-shortened 2011, he posted 4.2 and 3.5 the two seasons prior. Here are the WAR numbers for Theriot, Schumaker, and Descalso over the last two seasons (the three guys who would most likely have seen most of the playing time at SS).

Schumaker   0.6, -0.2    Theriot  .07, -0.1  Descalso  0.5, 0.4.

Tyler Greene has a lot of potential upside but has yet to produce at the major-league level.

If Furcal returns to career-average production, the Cardinals gain 3 to 4 WAR at shortstop by not re-signing Pujols.

Beltran posted a 4.7 WAR last season, just 0.4 below Pujols. Adam Wainwright put up 5.7 WAR in 2009 and 6.1 in 2010. I think you are starting to see my point. On paper, the Cardinals not matching the Angels offer to Pujols along with the return of Adam Wainwright, puts a better team on the field for 2012 than 2011. Throw in the fact that the team plays 92 of their 162 games against the bottom two divisions in baseball (AL and NL Central), and there is a lot to be optimistic about heading into spring training.

Cardinal fan, please remember these things when you watch Albert do what only he can do in another uniform for the first time.

The biggest topic out there for the Cardinals right now is their reported interest in Carlos Beltran.

While Beltran may be a solid addition to a lineup that lost a huge bat this off season, two other names on the free agent market will be looking for contracts from a new team and St. Louis would provide a bit of a homecoming. Both Ryan Ludwick and Rick Ankiel will be hoping to grab some playing time somewhere, despite many reports suggesting that they would be best served as platoon or bench players.

Could the Cardinals catch lightning in a bottle and find some level of success with either of these players? Do they have anything left to offer?

Rick Ankiel
We all know the story of Ankiel. A phenomenal left handed pitcher with all the promise in the world, he fell apart in the playoffs eventually “retiring” from baseball as a pitcher and reinventing himself as a center fielder with a power bat, a cannon arm, and above average instincts.

Why should the Cardinals consider Ankiel? There are various reasons. They could use a strong left handed bat off the bench. They could use an established, major league outfield talent to back up some of the youngsters. His defense is a step above most anyone the Cardinals have that can play center.

Most of all, when Ankiel fell apart on the mound, Mike Matheny would have been the catcher had he not had an accident with a hunting knife. Matheny has been quoted many times saying that he could have kept Rick calm and gotten him through that game. He has also stated that Rick showed signs of losing control throughout the second half of that season and Matheny was able to keep him in check. A reunion between the former battery mates might be just what the doctor ordered for Ankiel’s career.

Why should the Cardinals avoid this trip down memory lane? Just how good of a bat Ankiel provides is a debate in it of itself. Rick has been on the decline since before he left St. Louis and despite multiple venue changes (Atlanta, Kansas City, Washington) he has shown no signs of turning it around. His strikeout rate is still higher than most power hitters, limiting his value as a bench asset.

Ryan Ludwick
Ludwick arrived on the scene in St. Louis as a player forgotten in 2007. He quickly showed the world why they should have kept paying attention and put together a few solid seasons while playing right field and wearing the birds on the bat. A surprise trade that would send Ludwick to San Diego in 2010 and he would find some playing time in Pittsburgh last season after being traded back into the Central Division.

Why should the Cardinals consider Ludwick? Ludwick was loved by the fans and seemingly loved the city. His playing time in St. Louis was the pinnacle of his career and he still seems to have something to offer. Where Ludwick tends to struggle is when he is the focus of the offense. He struggled in St. Louis when key players were out and he was the premier bat in the lineup. With Matt Holliday, Lance Berkman, David Freese, and Yadier Molina in the lineup, that problem would seemingly be gone. Ludwick has remained sturdy, avoiding long stints on the disabled list and proving that he would be in the lineup day in and day out. Despite his drop in production, he has been able to continue to produce Runs Batted In throughout his career.

Why should the Cardinals avoid this trip down memory lane? About that drop in production…Ludwick will turn 34 next season and shows very little sign of returning to the player of old. A strong defender with a plus arm, he hasn’t performed well at the plate since his breakout 2008 season. He is best suited at a platoon situation at this point in his career. His strikeout rate has continued to climb over the past few years, though that can be explained a bit by lack of protection in the lineups he has been in. Most importantly, Ludwick plays the corner outfield positions and the Cardinals are set there, the bigger need in St. Louis is in Center.

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.

Jon Jay has only been a member of the St. Louis Cardinals since 2010 yet his impact since then and beyond is undeniable. Both directly and indirectly Jay is responsible for the trading of Ryan Ludwick in 2010 and Colby Rasmus this season. And he will undoubtedly have a major impact on what the Cardinals do in free agency this offseason.

The Cardinals made the decision last year by trading away their All-Star and 100 RBI outfielder, and reaffirmed their stance that Jay could be a full time player when they made that decision known far and wide this season by siphoning away playing time from and then trading away their 2005 1^st round draft pick in favor or Jay.

The Cardinals belief that Jay could transition from sharing outfield duties to taking them on entirely by himself was a gamble based on a small sample size. It was a gamble the team wanted to make sooner rather than later. It was a gamble that when made looked sure to pay off.

At the time Ludwick was traded in 2010, Jay was hitting nearly .400, with a .396 batting average. Throw that in with his .447 OBP and an OPS at the time of 1.051 and the Cardinals were sold. We were all drinking Jayoraid and it was good. He seemed like a natural fit in the Cardinal outfield and more importantly appeared comfortable with the responsibility that comes with playing every day.

Then came the reality that that playing often is not the same as playing always. As your sample size grows, so does the opponent’s book on you. Of course no reasonable baseball writer, analyst or blogger expected Jay to keep hitting near .400. At the same time, none expected Jay to essentially nose dive after taking over the job full time.

Jay finished the season hitting a very respectable .300, but his average dropped all the way to .298 before a hit in his last game of the season got it back up to .300. Jon Jay finished the 2010 season with a line of .300, an OBP of .359 and an OPS of .780. Not bad at all. But when those numbers are replacing the two year averages from Ludwick of 29 HR’s and 105 RBI it left me wanting a bit more out of a Cardinal outfielder.

Enter 2011. Colby Rasmus is your everyday center fielder to start the season. Something we were all on board with. Jay was back in his 4^th outfielder role. As Colby gradually seemed to lose his mental toughness he also began to lose AB’s and then starts to Jay. Jay responded as he did in 2010, by hitting and hitting well.

That brings us to July 26^th. By now Rasmus was hitting .246 and had all but lost his job out right to Jay and was sent to Toronto. The full time job was Jay’s again. He had earned it…again, hitting .312 with an OBP of .363. To top it off, Jay was playing a great defensive centerfield as well.

Our fears were over. Jay had earned it, proving last year’s drop off was a fluke. Knowing the money that is potentially to be invested in Albert Pujols, having one less spot to address in free agency would help. The Cardinals had their young, cost controlled centerfielder of the future.

Well…maybe, argh….not so fast. In the twenty games since officially becoming the man in centerfield, Jay’s average has dipped 20 points. After going hitless in five at-bats Sunday, slumping to seven for his last 43 (.163) overall, Tony La Russa decided that it was time for Jay to regroup for a game. He moved second baseman Skip Schumaker to center field.

Again, not what you want to see from your every day CF. We all might need to face the reality that both Jon Jay and the Cardinals are best suited with him as a 4^th outfielder. The numbers are not the issue. The issue is inconsistency over long periods of time. If TLR is going to run a guy out there every day he expects more, and he should. Fans expect more, and we should.

Well we are nearing the end of the season and if management is going to cross center fielder off of their free agency wish list they are going to need to see more out of number fifteen. And if Jay is counting on going into spring as THE guy out there, it’s time to start performing a bit more like the guy who used to wear that number.

After the St. Louis Cardinals traded Colby Rasmus this week, the deal was sliced and diced, hashed and re-hashed by everyone with an interest in baseball—both local and national—and some means of communication with others. The overwhelming sentiment seems to be that while the Cards look better for this season than they did before the trade, they did not get enough from the Blue Jays in return.

But that may not be the only problem with this trade.

Every team has its reasons for dealing the players they do. It became quite obvious that Rasmus simply was not going to realize his much-hyped potential while playing for the Cardinals and Manager Tony LaRussa. The who, how, when, and why of this deal can be volleyed back and forth all day long. The fact remains that the Cards dealt a piece of the offense to shore up their pitching staff for the stretch run. Sounds familiar, doesn’t it?

Last year, the big trade the Cardinals pulled off was a three-team affair that sent outfielder Ryan Ludwick to the San Diego Padres and brought starter Jake Westbrook to the Redbirds from the Cleveland Indians. At the time, the Cards were struggling to score runs—a point not lost on opponents of the deal. But the thinking at the time was that David Freese would be returning to the team in a matter of a week or two, and he would help shore up the offense. That seemed reasonable. There was no question Westbrook’s presence would help, but many didn’t want to see Ludwick and his RBI-happy bat go. Unfortunately, Freese never returned to the Cardinals after sustaining an injury while rehabbing. An over-the-hill Pedro Feliz was added to fill the hole, but it was nowhere near enough. The offense tanked and the Cardinals relinquished the NL Central title to the Cincinnati Reds.

This year, the circumstances surrounding the deal in question are hugely different. But the Cards’ main need is the same, if not bigger: more pitching. Three pitchers, to be exact. And after sending PJ Walters, Brian Tallet, and Trever Miller the other way and relegating Kyle McClellan back to a reliever role, they practically have a brand new bullpen plus a good starter after one deal. But the problem is that the Cardinals lost their centerfielder. Again, debate all you want whether Rasmus or Jon Jay should be manning center every day. The reality is the Cards are down one big name. And with Allen Craig still on the mend from a knee injury and Lance Berkman experiencing shoulder issues, all is far from well in the outfield.

Those issues are likely part of the reason Corey Patterson was included in the Cardinals’ haul from Toronto. Patterson is an able defender but does little with the bat. He represents a decent fourth outfielder, but not as good of a fourth outfielder as Rasmus or Jay. And with Craig and Berkman still ailing, Patterson has started the last couple of games. That may be fine for now, but what if it happens for an extended period of time?

It appears, once again, the Cards are betting on players getting healthy for the stretch run. It is not necessarily a foolish bet, but it is a gamble. Patterson is no Rasmus, and he certainly is no Berkman this year. Hopefully the Cardinals don’t have to rely on him being close to either.

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

It really is a simple formula.

1 – Fans clamor for their team to make a move to improve their chances towards a post-season appearance
2 – The team identifies the player(s) that it can use as bait for a solid trade
3 – The team makes the trade that they feel will give them the best chance to win
4 – Finally the fans get the chance to scream that it was the wrong deal

Last season, the Cardinals identified the opportunity to fill the void in the starting rotation by trading one of their offensive weapons, and a fan favorite, Ryan Ludwick. Jake Westbrook was introduced to the Cardinal faithful and was embraced by many fans, though many screamed that the price was far too high. Since then, Westbrook’s success has been fair while Ryan Ludwick has struggled in San Diego.

Since the trade was completed last season, Jake Westbrook is 13-8 with a 4.33 Earned Run Average. He has struck out 118 batters while walking 66. Meanwhile, Ryan Ludwick has posted a .227 batting average, 17 home runs, and 88 runs batted in over 158 games played.

Surprisingly, it was last year that everyone expected to see Colby Rasmus find his way into another uniform and clubhouse. Colby’s stay in St. Louis seemed to be coming to an end as the manager took his complaints straight to the media and everyone became aware that Rasmus himself had requested a trade. It has been well documented the problems between Rasmus, Tony LaRussa, the coaching staff and the organization.

It would take a full season for the Cardinals and Rasmus to find a reason to part ways. The team would find a trade partner and receive a package that they feel will best benefit them in the future. The months ahead will see the players involved in this deal take drastically different paths with varying degrees of success. Ultimately, the Cardinals decision was based as much on the future as it was 2011.

That is right, in a deal that sent an outfielder that is under team control for another three years to another franchise, the Cardinals management has shown a pure focus on both winning in 2011 and building for the future. You see, the details of this deal go far beyond the players that were involved and remain in the potential at the end of the season.

One swift move is what it took for John Mozeliak to strengthen his bullpen, rotation, and bench while subtracting a sub-par player from the lineup, despite his potential upside down the road. The Cardinals added a strong fifth starter, a veteran swing man reliever, a young reliver with a lot of promise, and moved a strong relief pitcher back to the bullpen from the rotation. It was that single trade that has provided a positive impact on three spots in the bullpen, one spot in the rotation, one spot on the field, and one spot on the bench.

Here is a look at each move and the immediate impact on the team.

Edwin Jackson takes McClellan’s spot in the rotation

Kyle McClellan takes bullpen spot

Octavio Dotel takes P.J. Walter’s spot as inning eater

Marc Rzepczynski takes Trever Miller’s spot

Jon Jay takes Colby Rasmus’ spot

Corey Patterson takes Jon Jay’s spot

That takes care of 2011, but what about the future? That answer is a little more entailed, but equally important. Here is a look at what the Cardinals have ensured for the future.

Corey Patterson is a veteran fourth outfielder that is signed rather cheaply through the remainder of 2011. Should he perform well this season and show that he still has something left in the tank (he turns 32 years old later this season) he may be playing himself into a contract down the road.

Jon Jay is under team control and has his second chance in as many years to prove that he can be a productive, cost controlled part of this team for a long time to come. Should he establish himself as the player that he has been from the bench, the loss of Colby Rasmus is not as impactful as feared.

Marc “Scrabble” Rzepczynski is under team control through 2016 and projects as a possible impact in the bullpen, as a starter, or possibly even as a closer. The young arm should not be overlooked, this young man was the long term focus of this deal.

Dotel has an option on his contract. Should that option be declined and arbitration be offered, he projects as a Type B free agent at the very least. This would yield the Cardinals a draft pick in the 2012 draft.

Jackson is an interesting deal as many people are considering him a “rental” player that will benefit the club for the next few months. He has, however, put together a solid season and many project him as a Type A free agent at the end of the season. The team would receive two draft picks in the event that he signs with another club and would still have the opportunity to keep him in St. Louis should they decide he belongs here.

All things considered, the Cardinals have landed a pitcher that they see being a part of the solution for a long time to come, 1-3 draft picks in 2012, an opportunity to pick up three minor leaguers as the “player to be named later” subscript, and some much needed help for the stretch run of the current season.

The biggest pratfall that the fans will need to be wary of is the buyer’s remorse tag that accompanies a deal of this nature. Deals and trades are made with the future in mind and some players, regardless of their ability, simply do not perform under the tuteladge of some managers. Colby Rasmus was showing signs of being the type of player that would never perform to the height of his ability while inside the St. Louis Cardinals organization.

Fans should be prepared for the fact that Colby Rasmus could very well become a successful outfielder that plays at an All Star level in Toronto or elsewhere. The obvious example of this is Chris Perez in Cleveland. Fans should also remember that those players were not having any success here in St. Louis and simply continuing to play under the same management may have never yielded those same results. Should Rasmus go on to become a top-tier outfielder, fans have to ask the question “Could he really have done that here?” and realize the answer is a simple and impactful “no”.

Be careful what you wish for Cardinal nation, you just might get it. In the meantime, you might find out that your team, and the man pulling the strings, may very well be preparing for something beyond the names in the newspaper.

Cardinal fans and players alike know and understand the time period right after the All Star break perhaps more than most. In my time as a Cardinal fan this has always been an exciting and anxious time. That is mainly because the Cardinals have always been active participants in the rumor mill and trade deadline. Walt Jocketty created master pieces this time of year and John Mozeliak is creating quite a reputation for himself as well.

Believe it or not the trade deadline actually affects more than just the fans. I know…the realization blew my mind too. Apparently it actually has quite an impact on the players as well. And not just a fleeting thought here and there but it can actually creep into their psyche and linger as the deadline approaches. Of course it affects different players in different ways. Your Albert Pujols’, Matt Holliday’s and Yadier Molina’s of the world, we will call them Group A, approach the trade deadline much differently than say, Group B, your Skip Schumaker’s, Jon Jay’s, Alan Craig’s and even Colby Rasmus’s do this time of year.

The reasoning behind the different approaches is that Group A watches excitedly as they wait to see what is or will be taking place to strengthen the team around them with the end result being a run at a World Series. All the while Group B sits patiently, or anxiously and nervously, around waiting to see if they will be one of the chips in a deal made to strengthen the team around Group A. Again with the end result being a run at World Series, of course for the players in Group A.

Rarely do the Cardinals stand pat at this time of year. Granted some moves in some years are more reserved than others. See Ryan Ludwick for Jake Westbrook last season as compared to Brett Wallace and Co. for Matt Holliday in 2009. By the same token, some trades are less impactful and not as well received by Cardinal Nation as others. See exact same trades above.

Since 2000, a few of the notable names to come to the Cardinals mid-season (and make an impact) are Jeff Weaver, Scott Rolen, Matt Holiday, Julio Lugo, Chuck Finley, and who can forget the moves for Larry Walker, Woody Williams and Will Clark. Unfortunately for every name listed above there has been a Mike Maroth, Mark DeRosa, Jake Westbrook, Pedro Feliz and who can forget the dynamic trade in 2003 for Esteban Yan.

More often than not, however, the Cardinals have come out on top during the trade deadline. To be honest, more often than not the Cardinals, specifically Jocketty, downright stole an impact player for a pennant chase. Everyone remembers Ray Lankford for Woody Williams…yeah you do. Walt left big shoes behind for Mozeliak to fill and thus far Mo has done an admirable job. Matt Holliday coming to town in 2009 should have made the difference. The Cardinals choking it away to the Dodgers was not Mo’s fault.

Whether it has been Walt or Mo a deal always seem to get done. And I see no reason why the next two weeks of 2011 will be any different for this Cardinals team. The only question that remains is; who from Group B will still be here and how will that impact the World Series run for Group A?

As usual these are just my thoughts…keep on reading and you’ll get up to speed.

Follow me on Twitter @SportsbyWeeze or check out my thoughts on the Rams at RamsHerd.com

Few Cardinals players in recent memory have come along like Ryan Ludwick. He seemed to burst on the scene so quickly that he was on us before we knew it, and many fans didn’t even know who he was! In fact, if you’re reading this, have been a Cards fan for long, and are completely honest with yourself, you originally thought it was Ryan Ludwig. Didn’t you? C’mon, didn’t you? Don’t beat yourself up too badly over it–you were probably the “go to” person in your circle of friends for distinguishing Brian Barton & Brian Barden, weren’t you? Yeah, you were.

What you may not know is that after being invited to the Cardinals spring training camp in 2007, he would start the season in AAA Memphis. In less than a month there, he’d hit .340 with 8 bombs, and when Preston Wilson went on the DL on May 6th, Ludwick made his Cardinals debut. This was not his Major League debut, however, not by a long shot.

Ludwick actually made his debut with the 2002 Texas Rangers. (Yeah, ‘02) Some of his teammates at the time included names like Michael Young, Juan Gonzalez, and Kenny Rogers. There were future Hall of Famers, Ivan “Pudge” Rodriguez, & Alex Rodriguez, as well as never Hall of Famer (“Period!”), Rafael Palmeiro. Other names that dot that roster that you may be familiar with include: Travis Hafner, Todd Van Poppel, John Rocker, Dennys “like the restaurant” Reyes, Randy Flores, along with 22 year-old Colby Lewis.
Things were over for Ludwick almost as quickly as they began, as a fractured hip would pretty much punch his one-way ticket out of Arlington. In 2 years with the Rangers, he played in a paltry 31 games, where, in 118 plate appearances he hit .215, hit 1HR, had 9 RBI, and slugged .308, and was traded to the Indians on July 18th, 2003. Of the 66 games remaining in the season, Ludwick split time between the corner outfield spots & DH in the 39 games in which he played. Those 39 games he played in an Indians uniform in ‘03 would exceed the combined number of games he’d play for them in ‘04 and ‘05.

On October 15th, 2005, he became a free agent, and signed with the Tigers two months later. After spending all of 2006 playing AAA ball for the Toledo Mud Hens, Ludwick would again become a free agent on the 15th of October, just in time to (speculation alert!) spend the next two weeks rooting against the team that just granted him free agency. Little did he know that in doing so, he would be rooting for his next employer, the [2006-World-Champion-because-they-beat-the-Tigers] St. Louis Cardinals.

Upon his arrival in St. Louis, Ryan Ludwick mashed at the plate early & often, earning him a spot on the 2008 NL All-Star team, as well as the 2008 Silver Slugger award. Take a look at these numbers, and recall the ones (above) from his days in Arlington:

This probably felt pretty good, if I had to guess

Notice anything? Average & power both drop off sharply after Luddy heads west!

Those were his numbers last year, when he was batting behind the 2nd-best 1st baseman in the league, Adrian Gonzalez…who is now in Boston. This leaves Ludwick heading into 2011 with very little protection in that lineup, which is reason to believe it will be increasingly difficult to bring some of those numbers back up. Add to that the fact that he’s in the same division as the Giants, and will be facing that rotation on a regular basis all season, and it gets really tough! Oh, and ask 100 pitchers (across AL and NL) what park they’d love to pitch in most…many will name the place where Ludwick will play 81 games…Petco in San Diego.

I have to admit that I was among those who, at the time of the deal, said, “We weren’t going to be able to afford to bring Ludwick back anyway.”. But, I think we bought low & sold high on him–and let’s face it, bringing Westbrook to St. Louis is HUGE now, given recent developments with our starting rotation and injuries. I hate to say it about a fan favorite like Luddy, and we did benefit tremendously from his talent while he was here, but I’d be surprised to see him put up numbers anywhere near what he did while wearing the birds on the bat.

I’m afraid the future may not be too promising for Ludwick as a Padre, at least not at this point. A trade or break out year by Brad Hawpe or someone could change all of that, we’ll just have to wait and see.