The St. Louis Cardinals entered spring training with the fifth starter position in the rotation up for grabs.  It appears that the spotlight on that competition will shine bright over the next few days.

Trevor Rosenthal – photo from FoxSportsMidwest

As the spring air was pierced by the sounds of pitchers and catchers warming up and early batting practice taking place, the Cardinals settled in for a competition for the final spot in the rotation.  The guys gearing up for that competition were Lance Lynn, Shelby Miller, Trevor Rosenthal and Joe Kelly.

It did not take long for plans to change.  Veteran ace Chris Carpenter broke the news that he would not be able to compete this year and Lance Lynn was all but assured his spot as the number four starter.

Then there were three.

Miller appeared to be the favorite early on based on his performance last year, his off season work, and the perception that the top pitching prospect in the organization was ready to take the next step.  The trio of right handers have seen very little time to this point in the spring and, despite much speculation, the team has not been forthcoming with any news.

Meanwhile, Kelly and Rosenthal had proven that they could handle the pressure of the big leagues down the stretch and repeatedly in the post season last year.  Kelly specifically showed over and over again that he could pitch in the rotation after taking over for Jaime Garcia last season due to injury.

Rumors began swirling on Thursday morning, while the team was dealing with news about shortstop Rafael Furcal, that there had been progress in making a decision in the starter competition.  One report surfaced saying that the Cardinals held a meeting for their starting pitchers, a meeting that Rosenthal did not attend.

Possibly the most telling and interesting part of that case is that minor league starters were in the same meeting.  Signs are pointing to Rosenthal’s fate being decided and he may very well open the season in the bullpen for St. Louis.

Now there are two.

The two pitchers left in the competition will take their cases to the mound on Thursday and Friday with Kelly starting Thursday afternoon and Miller toeing the rubber on Friday.  While it would be surprising if these two starts formed the firm decision in the mind of the Cardinals management, it would seem that the spotlight is shining on the next few games to showcase the talent the Cardinals have available.

The decision could come as soon as this weekend.  It will most likely come sometime around March 15.  Ultimately, the decision is coming soon and it’s down to two young pitchers that have shown they can be successful at the major league level.

Soon, there will be one…

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

After the Omaha Storm Chasers lost three of four games to the Reno Aces in the PCL Championship series, the Kansas City Royals called up starting pitcher Jake Odorizzi, relievers Tommy Hottovy and Nate Adcock, catcher Adam Moore and infielder Irving Falu this week. Besides Odorizzi, the other players were on the 40-man roster. The Royals added Odorizzi to the roster to protect him from this winter’s Rule 5 draft.

Of the five, Odorizzi is the only one without Major League experience. Odorizzi, 22, the Royals top pitching prospect, is a leading contender for the Royals 2013 starting rotation. Between AA Northwest Arkansas and AAA Omaha, he pitched a combined 26 games, 25 of them starts. Odorizzi compiled a 15-5 record with a 3.03 ERA, 145.1 innings pitched with 8.4 SO/9 and 3.1 BB/9.

The Royals plan to have Odorizzi start this Sunday’s game against the Cleveland Indians. He could make a bullpen appearance, since he has over five day’s rest. The Royals want to give Odorizzi a taste of the Majors before his chance to join the rotation in 2013.

Hottovy, 31, spent the 2012 season in the bullpen between Omaha and Kansas City. In 41 games with Omaha, Hottovy compiled a 2-2 record with a 2.52 ERA, 50 innings pitched with a 11 SO/9 and 2.9 BB/9. In a couple of brief stints with the Royals, Hottovy had a 4.05 ERA, 6.2 innings pitched with 8.1 SO/9 and 4.1 BB/9 in six games. He provides lefty bullpen depth.

Adcock, 24, shuttled between Omaha and Kansas City as a starter and reliever. In Omaha, Adcock appeared in 26 games, 25 as a starter. His record was 8-6 with a 5.53 ERA, 99.1 innings pitched and 5.4 SO/9 and 2.7 BB/9. In Kansas City, Adcock pitched eight games out of the bullpen and made two starts with a 0-3 record with a 2.67 ERA, 30.1 innings pitched with a 4.7 SO/9 and 3.6 BB/9. Adcock had pedestrian 2012 numbers and his call-up provides bullpen depth and a chance to make the club as a starter or reliever in 2013.

Moore, 28, makes his 2012 debut with the Royals after being acquired off waivers from the Seattle Mariners July 12. Moore’s last time in the Majors was from 2009-2011, where he played in 68 games with the Mariners. Moore split his 2012 Minor League season between AAA Tacoma and Omaha, appearing in 59 games with a .259/.326/.413 average, 33 RBI and 38 strikeouts and 19 walks. As a backup catcher providing the Royals with depth, Moore could make a start or two by the end of the season.

Longtime Royals farmhand Falu, 29, spent most of the 2012 season with Omaha and is back with Royals for the rest of the season. Falu appeared in 88 games with Omaha with a .329/.375/.463 average, 50 RBI and 41 strikeouts and 28 walks. In his previous time with the Royals, Falu played 15 games with a .321/.333/.434 average, five RBI with nine strikeouts and a walk. If Yost remembers Falu is on the team, he could play a few games this season.

With 14 games remaining and the Royals heading towards another losing season, Yost will give these players limited playing time in games against the Chicago White Sox and Detroit Tigers, A.L. Central contenders. Yost wants his “best” players in those games. The five are likely to see playing time against the Cleveland Indians, fourth place in the A.L. Central.

Of the five, Odorizzi shows the most promise for 2013. The other four players will get opportunities as role players with the Royals, provide Minor League depth or continue their career with another team.

It will undoubtedly be the number one mission of Dayton Moore to improve the pitching for his Kansas City Royals in the off-season. While history shows that inking a true #1 starter is probably out of Moore’s reach, there has been some hope amongst fans that a steady #2 could be coming along with help from the minors. Today we’ll take a look at the top pitching prospects, and how they’re performing in the minors.

Jake Odorizzi (12-4, 3.22 ERA, 118 K, 41 BB) Easily the best hope for Royals fans hoping to find a young pitcher that can help this club in 2013. Odorizzi has put up acceptable numbers in AAA, especially for a 22 year-old, but he’s averaging less than six innings per start in Omaha and his WHIP has increased dramatically since his promotion while his strikeout numbers have plummeted.

Mike Montgomery (5-9, 5.64 ERA, 91 K, 57 BB) Montgomery has taken the opposite route as Odorizzi this year, putting up a 5.69 ERA in Omaha before getting demoted this summer. Once thought to be a possible ace in the Royals’ future, the 23 year-old is now looking like he may be a long shot to ever turn into even a decent starter. The results haven’t been much more promising since his demotion as he still sports an ERA over 5 and his k/9 inning rate has actually dropped to 6.0.

J.C. Sulbaran (7-7, 3.98 ERA, 113 K, 57BB) This 22 year-old righthander was a part of the Jonathan Broxton trade. He has electric stuff, striking out more than a batter an inning at every level so far, but far too many walks still. In his first start in Northwest Arkansas he walked three and gave up three hits in just four innings, but only allowed one run to score.

John Lamb- It’s still questionable whether he will actually get into game action in 2012. Lamb is fully recovered from Tommy John surgery, but battled tendinitis in his foot just before he was ready to return in July. He’s still just 22 years old but he has a long ways to go before he’ll be considered ready for the majors.

Chris Dwyer (7-11, 5.83 ERA, 94 K, 58 BB) Like many other pitchers in the Royals system Dwyer has lost both the ability to throw strikes and strike people out. His five starts in Omaha have been Jonathan Sanchez-like and at 24 years old it’ll be hard to consider him a prospect much longer.

Yordano Ventura (3-7, 3.78 ERA, 115 K, 38 BB) After his appearance in the Futures Game Ventura was promoted to AA and has seen mixed results. He just turned 21 years old, so a couple of bumps at this level are to be expected, but if he struggles for an extended period many think the Royals may try to turn him into a reliever. His stuff is outstanding but he’s much more likely to help in late 2014 or Opening Day 2015.

Noel Arguelles (3-12, 7.17 ERA, 41 K, 55 BB) A lot of time stats do not tell the full story, I’m not sure these need any explanation.

Jason Adam (3-11, 3.94 ERA, 99 K, 30 BB) A local kid that has been very solid in high-A ball. He just turned 21, and should get his shot in AA next season, but he probably doesn’t profile as anything more than a back-end of the rotation starter at this point.

Kyle Zimmer (1-2, 4.05 ERA, 26 K, 5 BB) The Royals 2012 first round pick started in rookie ball and was absolutely dominant in his three starts there. Since his promotion to Kane County it’s been a little different story, but it’s encouraging for him to be this far along nonetheless. A strong finish could put him in line for a trip to Wilmington in 2013.

With the exception of Odorizzi it is hard to find anyone that might help this club in 2012. What’s perhaps more discouraging is that it’s easy to wonder if Montgomery, Lamb, Dwyer, or Arguelles will ever reach Kauffman Stadium. As the big league team has put up catastrophe after catastrophe, we as fans have held on to the talent in the minors for hope. Now, six years into the process, these are our top nine starting pitching prospects; a hodgepodge collection of Tommy John surgeries, lost command and unfulfilled promise.

The Royals’ minor league clubs moved quickly into action as soon as the big league club broke camp. No sooner were the minors rosters set than they were on the field, starting games on April 5.

The Royals had the top rated farm system in all of baseball just over a year ago. But much has changed since then, and most of those top prospects are now doing battle in KC.

That doesn’t mean, however, that the cupboard is now bare. The minor league rosters are peppered with another crop of elite prospects. And though the games going on in KC should actually mean something this year, the minor leagues bear watching as the next wave of prospects matures.

Take a look at the Royals top pitching prospects

Photo Courtesy of Minda Haas

With Eric Hosmer, and Mike Moustakas entrenched in the corners of the Royals infield, most of the Royals’ top rated prospects are pitchers.  Only three position players were ranked in the top 100 by Baseball America this off-season, and only those three were rated among the Royals’ top 10 prospects.

Wil Myers has been touted as one of baseball’s top prospects for a couple of years now, and he headlines the Royals farm system. Myers was rated the #10 prospect by Baseball America a year ago, and even after an injury-plagued, mildly disappointing 2011, he still is rated #28. Myers will start this season in Double-A Northwest Arkansas, but will look to move up mid-season.

Without having done anything on the field yet, outfielder Bubba Starling is Baseball America’s #24 prospect. Starling has every tool known to man, but will take time converting to baseball full-time after devoting little time to low-level Kansas high school competition.

Rising star Cheslor Cuthbert, a third baseman who will begin the season in Wilmington, is rated #84.

It’s time for some new position prospects to move to the fore.

Three of the Royals’ most prime prospects are not on rosters as of the beginning of the season. Starling, Brett Eibner and Elier Hernandez have yet to find their home for the start of 2012.

Hernandez signed the largest contract ever given to a Latin American amateur in KC history, and he will be brought along slowly. Eibner has been a frustrating talent since being drafted out of college. His days as an elite prospect are about up.

Omaha:
The Omaha roster is full of mid-to-late-20s players who aren’t exactly prospects anymore, minus the exception of second baseman Johnny Giavotella. Giavotella will turn 25 mid-season, and has a good chance of returning to KC sometime this season.

Minor league veterans Kevin Kouzmanoff, Clint Robinson and Jarrod Dyson will provide insurance, should any injuries occur in KC. Outfielders David Lough (26) and Derrick Robinson (24) are talented, but see their windows of opportunity closing.

No catcher in the Omaha roster is truly big-league caliber, which is why the Royals were forced to trade for Humberto Quintero after Salvador Perez went down. Minor leaguer Manny Pina may go to Omaha after he returns from the disabled list.

Northwest Arkansas:
In Christian Colon and Rey Navarro, Northwest Arkansas has two top prospects in its middle infield. Former number one draft pick Colon (23 years old) is still struggling to put it all together at shortstop. Last season he batted just .257 with eight homers at Northwest Arkansas.

Colon has been given some chances at second base, but that’s also Navarro’s territory. Navarro (22) put up a .280 average with nine homers and 11 stolen bases between Wilmington and Northwest Arkansas.

Myers will hope to improve on his .254 average and eight homers posted in Double-A last season. He looks to be just a year away from a shot at the big league roster.

Wilmington:
Third baseman Cuthbert will start the year in Wilmington, and he won’t be rushed. After all, he is just 19. He’s two years younger than any other position player on the Wilmington roster. Cuthbert’s numbers don’t wow anyone, but his physical talents and maturity have impressed ever since he was signed as a 16-year-old.

Kane County:
Outfielder Jorge Bonifacio is considered an elite prospect out of the Dominican Republic. Just 18 years old, and like Hernandez, he has lots of tools, but just needs to grow into them.

2010 Third-rounder Michael Antonio gives the Royals a shortstop to watch for down the road. He hit well in the rookie leagues last year.

Idaho Falls:
Salvador Perez is the Royals catcher of the future, but catcher of the future-future might be big 19-year-old Cameron Gallagher, a second-round pick who got in 28 games of rookie ball last season. There aren’t many catching prospects in the farm system, so Gallagher will be watched closely.

Throughout the month of August, Todd Fertig will be bringing fans a look at a few of the Northwest Arkansas Naturals players. The Northwest Arkansas Naturals are the Double-A Affiliate of the Kansas City Royals.

Danny Duffy, Mike Montgomery, John Lamb and Chris Dwyer got all the publicity coming into the season, but another pitcher is quickly establishing himself as perhaps the Royals’ top pitching prospect.

Each of the aforementioned lefthanders was rated highly coming into the season. But while each has had his struggles, Jake Odorizzi, the best righty in the system, has been lights out.

After dominating at the Single-A level for his first 15 starts of the season, Odorizzi is finding Double-A to his liking as well.

Many prospects call the jump to Double-A one of the most challenging steps on the path to the big leagues. That makes Odorizzi’s first month with the Northwest Arkansas Naturals all the more impressive.

The 21-year-old recorded victories in three of his first five starts at Northwest Arkansas, striking out nearly a batter per inning and posting a WHIP of about 1.2. His early returns at Double-A are quickly putting to rest any fear that his success was due to the pitcher-friendly nature of the lower level.

Thus far, Odorizzi has been roughed up just once at the Double-A level – the Springfield Cardinals notched five earned runs off him in just four innings on July 17. But the Illinois native quickly took his revenge on the St. Louis affiliate by holding them to just two hits in seven innings just five days later.

In a third meeting, the Cardinals handed Odorizzi his first loss at the Double-A level last night, but he gamely battled in a 1-1 tie into the sixth. A couple of singles and a walk finally chased him from the game on a smothering Ozarks evening.

Acquired as part of the Zack Greinke sweepstakes, Odorizzi attracted the least amount of attention in the trade. But those in the know recognized he was more than just a throw-in. He was rated the #37 prospect in the minors prior to the season. His physique, style and demeanor on the mound have even drawn comparisons to Greinke.

Like the Royals’ Cy Young winner from 2009, Odorizzi is an excellent all-around athlete. He turned down a scholarship to play football and baseball at Louisville when he was drafted by the Brewers in the first round in 2008.

Odorizzi doesn’t possess the blazing fastball Greinke can muster. Odorizzi works his fastball at around 89-91 miles per hour, mixing in a solid curveball and an advanced changeup for his age.

With Norhtwest Arkansas jockeying for a playoff spot again this season, Odorizzi will gain a lot of experience and should enter next season as one of the highest rated pitchers in the minors.

Royals fans can look forward to an all-star rotation in Omaha which should include Dwyer, Lamb and Odorizzi. Kansas City, desperate for starting pitching, can see help on the horizon.

John Mozeliak and the St. Louis Cardinals have made their first move of the 2010 offseason, and it comes in the form of former Arizona Diamondbacks Minor League pitcher Bryan Augenstein.

Augenstein, who has been considered one of the Diamondbacks top pitching prospects for the past couple years, was claimed off waivers by the Cardinals on Wednesday, October 13th.

The move was seemingly made to improve pitching depth in the Minor Leagues, and to add one more pitcher who could be called up if need be. Even though the majority of fans are very un-optimistic of Augenstein’s future impact with the big league team – thanks to his extremely misleading stats from the past couple years – some believe Bryan should head the list of under-the-radar Cardinal prospects.

The 24-year-old right-hander has a very impressive build that catches the eyes of many scouts. At 6’6” and 232 pounds, his frame is almost identical to Chris Carpenter’s and Adam Wainwright’s.

Augenstein moved up very quickly after being drafted in the seventh round of the 2007 Draft by the Arizona Diamondbacks. In 2009, at 22-years-old, he made his first Major League start in only his second full season. Despite having a hard time in AAA and with the MLB club in 2009, Baseball America named Augenstein the Diamondbacks’ “Best Control Pitcher” before the 2010 season.

While Bryan did make his debut in 2009, most of his season was spent with the organization’s AAA team in Reno, Nevada. For the first time in his professional career, Augenstein hit a rough patch that nobody could really explain.

Augenstein had rolled through Single-A (2.16 ERA), Advanced-A (3.89 ERA), and Double-A (1.67 ERA), but all of a sudden his earned-run average had climbed nearly four points (6.32) when he hit Reno.

The most interesting part of all this is that his Fielding Independent Pitching (FIP) numbers stayed right where they had been in 2007, 2008, and the beginning of 2009. FIP is basically a revised version of ERA. It takes out all of the factors that a pitcher cannot control and relies only on what he can control (walks, strikeouts, home runs). So while Augenstein’s ERA had gone off the charts, his FIP was still a very respectable 3.86, the fourth best mark of any PCL pitcher.

What’s even more impressive is that 3.86 is the highest his FIP has been since he pitched 21 innings in rookie-league ball.

So what accounts for the rise in his ERA as soon as he pitches for Reno? The obvious, since his FIP remained under four, would be fielding. However, the Reno Aces are the fourth best fielding team in the PCL according to stats. It could also simply be the learning curve and adjusting to better hitters, but I can’t imagine that being the case. Another popular explanation is luck. Batters have a .391 BABIP against Augenstein, which is quite high to say the least.

A more intriguing theory that some Cardinal fans have noticed as well is the altitude. Reno, Nevada’s elevation is 4,505 feet. That is less than a thousand feet less than the altitude of Denver, and we all know the problems that pitchers face at Coors Field. It’s not only Reno though. The Aces play in a league with teams from Las Vegas, Salt Lake City, Portland, Fresno, Albuquerque, and Colorado Springs. I don’t think it’s too far of a stretch to think the elevation of these locations may have something to do with his struggles. This could definitely explain the high BABIP and ERA.

His groundball percentage supports this as well. If you exclude his appearances in AAA, Augenstein has a GB% of 56-61. With Reno, that percentage is only 45. Could the thin air have anything to do with this? I’m thinking so.

What Bryan does not have to worry about is the elevation of Memphis, which is where he will probably begin his career as a Cardinal farmhand. The team will most likely use him as a starter, even though I have my doubts about his future as a starter. He has made 81 appearances in his professional career and 64 have been starts. In those 64 starts, he’s averaging only 5.8 innings per start and has never recorded a complete game. That’s not exactly what you would call promising stuff for a starter.

There are some very noticeably good qualities of Augenstein’s game though. As mentioned above, he was given the “Best Control Pitcher” award by Baseball America prior to the 2010 season. In his four seasons in the Minors, Augenstein has a 3.92 SO/BB ratio and is averaging 1.8 walks allowed per nine innings. He also rarely gives up home runs (0.6 HR/9). So, much like other pitchers in the Cardinals system (Brian Broderick may be Augenstein’s long-lost twin), he doesn’t necessarily over-power batters, but he knows where to put the ball.

I’m not saying Augenstein should be shooting up anybody’s prospect lists; I’m simply proving that there is more than meets the eye with the newest Cardinal prospect. What he displayed in his first couple seasons is still there, and we very well could see it again.

Justin Hulsey covers the Cardinals for i70baseball and his blog, Rising Redbirds, that is also dedicated to Cardinals baseball and their minor league system. You may follow him on Twitter @JayHulsey by clicking here.

Throughout the month of July, the hot stove has been on full tilt for most contending teams in baseball. The Cardinals, with a few exceptions, have not really been one of those teams.

They were connected to Roy Oswalt, but the Astros refused to deal within their division and shipped the veteran off to the Philadelphia Phillies. They were briefly connected to Miguel Tejada, but there really did not seem to be a good fit. Other than that, the Cardinals have openly discussed their desire for a starting pitcher and a bat in the middle infield.

Check Starting Pitcher off that list. St. Louis has completed a three team swap that will bring Jake Westbrook of the Indians and Class A pitcher Nick Greenwood of the Padres to the team in exchange for Ryan Ludwick, who is on his way to San Diego.

Westbrook has been successful in his time for Cleveland, posting seasons of 15 wins in 2005 and 2006 and 14 wins in 2004. He has been exactly what the Cardinals are looking for, an innings eater. He has eclipsed 200 inning four times in his career before succumbing to Tommy John surgery in 2008. A pitcher that seems to have already subscribed to the Dave Duncan pitching manual. While he pitches to contact and has a high ground ball ratio, Westbrook will look to refine his approach under some of the top pitching coaches in the league.

More on the Cardinals trade can be found at Stan Musial’s Stance.

Ryan Ludwick has been a cornerstone of the Cardinals for a few years but has struggled with injuries lately and has often been discussed as being priced out of the Cardinals’ range. With the looming Albert Pujols contract extension, the Cardinals will need to save money at certain positions and with the production of Jon Jay, the Cardinals appear to have a surplus in the outfield. Ludwick will take a productive bat to San Diego to solidify a playoff run for a team that has quietly been one of the best in baseball over the last 12 months.

Nick Greenwood has spent the 2010 season playing for the Fort Wayne Tin Caps, the Padres Class A Affiliate. A starting pitcher that has struck out 65 batters in 95.1 innings and only walked 19, Greenwood projects by many scouts to be a middle of the rotation starter or long relief pitcher. The Padres drafted Greenwood in the 14th round of last year’s draft and has expressed that he is learning about the scouting system and how hard it can be at this level to face the same hitters repeatedly.

All things considered, the Cardinals took care of one of their needs in Westbrook, but John Mozeliak will still be on the lookout for a productive addition to his offense. Now the focus turns to players that can clear waivers.

Bill Ivie is the founder of I-70 Baseball and the Assignment Editor for BaseballDigest.com