Jupiter, Florida –The 2010 season for the St. Louis Cardinals is about to get underway, and just what do we have?
The Cardinals should win their division with an “as is” roster, but in order to break through and be ready to deal with the likes of Philadelphia or Los Angeles, they will need more.
The core group consists of pitchers Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright for starters. Starters they were as they vied for the Cy Young Award last year, and both were certainly deserving.
That Carpenter entered spring training without being on a rehab program is more than promising. His outings during the spring have been good; even in the game where he gave up six runs early, he was still extremely sharp after the first inning.
For Wainwright it has been business as usual. After a shaky first outing, Wainwright has been quite consistent.
As for the remaining core players, Yadier Molina is nursing an oblique injury that has shut him down for the better part of two weeks. If the Cardinals bring him along slowly that’s okay, because he is in it for the long haul.
Matt Holliday was also beset by a similar injury, and he is still rounding into form that would resemble the torrid pace he set after being acquired last season.
Emerging into that “core” category would be shortstop Brendan Ryan. His energy jump-starts this team. Ryan has all the tools, range, a very accurate and strong arm, and size.
Then there is Albert. He is the best player in the National League, if not all of baseball, and he shows it in some form every day.
I have not even mentioned manager Tony La Russa. He wins for a reason. He prepares, he communicates and he anticipates better than his counterparts.
As for the rest of the team, the starting rotation should be okay, provided Kyle Loshe pitches injury-free like he did two seasons ago. Newcomer Brad Penny is the perfect guy for this rotation as he can be a power pitcher at times in the forth spot.
The fifth spot will be filled by a left hander who was developed within the Cardinals organization, something that has not happened in some time. Jamie Garcia has all the tools. He has good stuff and his cut fastball could be lethal for a guy with little major league experience.
The bullpen is another story.
Kyle McClellan will be relegated to the pen because he is truly needed there. Mitchell Boggs and Jason Mott have work to do. From the left side, Trever Miller and Dennys Reyes have been automatic and solid.
Then comes the closer situation. Might I remind you of the 31 blown saves that cost the Cardinals in 2008?
Ryan Franklin had a terrific first half last season. He didn’t get as much work as he would have liked in the second half, and he had a few hiccups to go along with that. This spring he has had a few anxious moments, and there is a quiet concern on what happens should he stumble out of the gate early. But Franklin will have to do for now.
Currently there are three players vying for two spots on the bench: Nick Stavinoah, Joe Mather and newcomer Allen Craig.
Stavinoah has more experience and has worked at being a solid hitter. The same could be said for Craig, and Mather’s versatility to play four positions makes him valuable as well.
Will the spring performance as semi-regulars with respect to at bats translate into a player who would be coming off the bench as a pinch hitter? And where is the left-handed bat with some power coming off the bench?
Mark McGwire, by the way, was not a distraction as the new hitting coach. He was accommodating and engaging when it came to questions about his past and his future. He is a better person to cover and talk with as a coach than he ever was as a player.
To say that McGwire is enjoying himself would be an understatement. He has embraced his position and the responsibilities that come with it. This will not be a job that will be evaluated in one home stand, road trip or season. “Wait and see” may be the best approach here.
