| Matt Shoukry. 16th February, 2009 - 1:29 pm
 Fans of the St. Louis Cardinals still have nightmares of 2008. Blown saves, late inning losses, inconsistent run production. That?s the great thing about baseball, though, there?s always next year.
But what has the team done over the winter to prepare themselves for redemption in 2009? To be blunt, they have not done much. But the quantity of roster moves is not nearly as important as the quality.
The starting pitching last season was actually a nice surprise. Even with Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, and Mark Mulder out due to injuries, the pitching staff still managed a 4.20 ERA; good for seventh best in the National League.
The starting pitcher?s success can be attributed to a stellar year from Todd Wellemeyer and Kyle Lohse. Both of which will be returning in 2009.
The starting rotation made its improvements just by getting healthy. Former Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter will be ready to go on opening day, as will World Series clincher Adam Wainwright. The Cardinals will be dangerous with those two are added to the front of the rotation.
Final word for the Cardinals' rotation: With the return of All-Star caliber pitchers Carpenter and Wainwright, as well as Lohse and Wellemeyer coming off fantastic seasons, the starting rotation will be one of the best the league has to offer.
After the bullpen?s subpar 2008 performance, not too many tears were shed over the loss of Jason Isringhausen, Randy Flores and Ron Villone. Many relievers have been added over the past few months to fill the roster spots. Sorry to say you may not have heard of most of them.
The Cards added bullpen help in the form of Trever Miller, Royce Ring and Charlie Manning. Both Ring and Manning are coming off absolutely horrible seasons.
Final word for the Cardinals' bullpen: Although they did add some pitchers to the ?pen, they were unable to ink a closer. As a result, the closer position is an open tryout in spring training with several young relievers vying for the coveted ninth inning spot.
The double play tandem has also undergone some major renovations. Shortstop Cesar Izturis filed for free agency after the final out of ?08 and second baseman Adam Kennedy was released just five days before spring training. Their backup Aaron Miles was also released and ended up signing with the rival Cubs.
The front office certainly had their work cut out for them up the middle. The opening at short was filled promptly. The Cards acquired Khalil Greene via trade with San Diego for a minor league pitcher and a player to be named later.
Greene is coming off a poor season with the Padres. However, his career numbers and his injuries would lead one to believe last year was a fluke. Because of this the Birds may have gotten a steal on a solid shortstop.
Conversely, the second base gap has yet to be filled. The club decided the best way to plug this hole with players already a part of the organization. There are many players competing for the job in spring training. The two main candidates are infielder Brendan Ryan and outfielder Skip Schumaker.
Troy Glaus is still under contract and will return as the starting third baseman. He will be out of action, however, until May as he recovers from surgery on his right shoulder.
First baseman Albert Pujols will of course be back. Also returning are outfielders Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick. Ludwick is coming off a career year with 37 home runs. That number tied him for the team lead with Pujols.
The only possible change in the outfield would be Skip Schumaker?s vacated spot in center if he is awarded the starting gig at second. No additional player would need to be signed to replace Skip, though. Fortunately for the Cardinals, they have an army of outfielders waiting in the wings for their opportunity.
Final word for Cardinals' position players: The upgrade at shortstop with Khalil Greene will make a difference in 2009, as will the release of Adam Kennedy. Kennedy was not seeing eye to eye with management and it was in the best interest of both sides to part ways. His release epitomizes the saying, ?addition by subtraction.? The returning players will also play a key factor in the upcoming season if they can give an encore performance from 2008.
In summary, the Cardinals and their fans are expecting a successful upcoming season. This positive outlook is at least partially because of the off-season decisions by St. Louis? front office. With the addition of some, and the subtraction of others, the team will be in the hunt for another World Series championship |
