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 More Cardinals NewsCardinals LinksThe St. Louis Cardinals purchased the contract of former pitcher turned minor-league outfielder Rick Ankiel on Friday, hours before the former phenom left-hander was due to become a minor-league free agent. The move signifies the team's belief that Ankiel, 26, has promise in his new career, along with an unwillingness to cut ties with a player who has been in the organization since being picked in the fourth round of the 1997 draft. Those factors, plus the team's age in the outfield, may give him a decent chance of making the roster next year. Right fielder Larry Walker, 38, is expected to retire. Left fielder Reggie Sanders is 37, center fielder Jim Edmonds is 35 and the top outfield backups are So Taguchi, 36, and John Mabry, who'll be 35 on Monday. |
