Soon after losing Albert Pujols to the Angels in free agency, they signed Carlos Beltran to play the outfield and boost the offense. "When you were looking at roster development, you talk about the need of having someone bring additional production to the lineup," general manager John Mozeliak said. "We were trying to identify someone who could provide that boost. We have a long history of seeing Beltran and have always looked at him as an elite player." When St. Louis signed Beltran late last December, the Cardinals were quick to point out that he wasn't brought in specifically to replace Pujols. "His performance has been almost dominant in terms of helping our club," Mozeliak said. "In terms of where our club is today is that he has been a key part of that."