Wacha Latest Rookie to Debut

                                                Michael Wacha, set to debut Thursday

The Cardinals have faced numerous injuries to their pitching staff this season. Chris Carpenter went down right before spring training and his status is uncertain. He has mentioned the possibility of returning later in the season as a reliever. His career was thought to be over a few months ago, but Carpenter has dealt with that possibility before. Jason Motte had to have season ending Tommy John surgery a month ago after missing the first month. Jaime Garcia recently had season ending shoulder surgery. Jake Westbrook is on the disabled list with an ailing elbow and recently sought a second opinion on it. Rookie lefty John Gast went down after 3 big league starts with shoulder tightness. To make things worse, the bullpen struggled early on with poor performance from Mitchell Boggs, Marc Rzepcynski, Fernando Salas, and Joe Kelly.

Luckily, the Cardinals have the game's best farm system and it's loaded with pitching. Shelby Miller won the fifth spot after Carpenter's injury opened it up. Miller has been dominant so far, going 5-3 with a 2.02 ERA and 0.98 WHIP. He is a top contender for NL Rookie of the Year, but it is a crowded field. Gast won two starts before going to the DL. The Cardinals called up another rookie lefty, Tyler Lyons, to take Garcia's spot. Lyons has gone 2-0 and went seven innings with only 1 run allowed in both starts. With Gast's injury, the Cardinals have decided to call up 2012 #1 draft pick Michael Wacha to take his place. Wacha has been a fast riser in the system and is a month away from turning 22.

Yadier Molina said that Wacha was ready for the big leagues late in spring training this year. He was expected to spend most of the year in Triple A, but multiple injuries have opened up an opportunity for him. Wacha was a compensation pick for losing Albert Pujols to the Angels. In Triple A this year, Wacha has went 4-0 with a 2.05 ERA and a 0.95 WHIP in 52.2 inning pitched. Wacha is a 6-6 right handed pitcher who went to Texas A & M. The Cardinals also considered Kelly as a possibility, but decided on Wacha after passing over him two other times. Wacha will be the 7th rookie to pitch for St. Louis this year and the fifth to debut. So far, rookies have pitched 29 % of the team's innings, have 33 % of their strikeouts, and have won 14 games.

Carlos Martinez flashed some of his immense potential in his call up to the Cardinals this month. He pitched 7 games out of the bullpen for the big club after starting the season in Double A. Martinez also missed spring training because of a visa problem. The Cardinals sent him down earlier this week in favor of Victor Marte. He was sent down so he can start on a regular basis since the Cardinal envision him as a starter. If the Cardinals need another starter for whatever reason, it's very likely Martinez will be back up. He has electric stuff and was ranked the Cardinals #3 prospect coming into the season. He has a similar build and look as Pedro Martinez.

The Cardinals have also fixed their bullpen problems. Edward Mujica has converted all 17 of his save opportunities after taking over the closer role. Rosenthal has took over the 8th inning role and has excelled after some early hiccups in April. Rosenthal came up late last year, but is still a rookie this year. Randy Choate has been a good lefty specialist so far. Seth Maness has won 4 games in relief since being called up. The only downside of Maness is his 1.50 WHIP. The Cardinals also have called up Michael Blazely, but he has yet to pitch for them yet. Blazely will be the 8th rookie to pitch for the Cardinals when he debuts. Kelly, Boggs, and Salas have been up and down, and hopefully can be straightened out some point in the year.

With Westbrook out, Adam Wainwright is the only seasoned veteran on the staff. He is now the mentor of a very young, very talented staff. In the last two seasons, Kelly, Miller, Gast, Lyons, and now Wacha have debuted and started for St. Louis. Lance Lynn made his debut in 2011 and had his first full year in the big leagues last year. Garcia was a rookie in 2010. Along with Martinez, that's a lot of talented pitchers to come along in a short amount of time. In my lifetime, the Cardinals have never had this many young arms come up at once. The Cardinals will no longer have to resort to relying on guys like Kip Wells, Todd Wellemeyer, Sidney Ponson, and other mediocre journeyman type pitchers to fill out their rotation. They could have a dominant rotation for years to come with plenty of depth.


                            Rookie lefty Tyler Lyons

LA Fadeaway

               Hamilton and Greinke's new teams are a combined 36-53 right now

A lot has been made of the Dodgers and Angels big moves the last couple of seasons. Despite big spending by these teams, both have failed to make the postseason since 2009. Magic Johnson's ownership group took over the Dodgers last season and made a splash immeadiately. They locked up Matt Kemp and Andre Ethier, traded for Hanley Ramirez, and then made a megadeal with Boston to acquire Adrian Gonzalez, Carl Crawford, and Josh Beckett. Then in the offseason they signed Korean lefty Hyun-Jin Ryu, and spent nearly $150 million to sign Zack Greinke. Arte Moreno's Angels just missed the playoffs last year after giving out big contracts to Albert Pujols and CJ Wilson. They acquired Greinke at the trading deadline last year, but lost him to crosstown Dodgers. To compensate, they signed Josh Hamilton to a five year, $100 million contract from the division rival Rangers.

Both teams are off to slow starts this year. Managers Don Mattingly and Mike Scioscia are on the hot seat, especially Mattingly. Mattingly's deal runs out at the season's end, and he will have to win to stay on as manager. Magic Johnson has said he expected the Dodgers to contend for a championship this year. Scioscia's deal runs through 2018 and he has a longer leash. Scioscia has had plenty of success with the Angels, making 6 playoff appearances and winning the 2002 World Series. Still, he is under pressure to win with such a high payroll. Moreno has said that Scioscia is safe this season, but Mattingly might not make it that long if the Dodgers don't improve.

Managers often take the blame for poor performance and underachievement, but is it all their fault? Moves like signing Pujols, Hamilton, or Greinke come from ownership, but their is some questionable moves by both teams in other areas. Another reason why these teams aren't living up to expectations could be the egos of some of the star players. Injuries have also played a role in their struggles. The Dodgers had to deal with injuries to Greinke, Ramirez and Chad Billingsley, and the Angels have been without ace Jered Weaver. That been said, both teams have some flaws that are hampering them.

Angels GM Jerry DiPoto deserves some blame for making some poor decisions. He traded away Jean Segura in the Greinke deal, traded Kendrys Morales for Jason Vargas, traded Ervin Santana for next to nothing, and signed Joe Blanton, who has been terrible. The bullpen is still shaky and newly signed Ryan Madson has yet to pitch for them. Losing Weaver has really hurt the Angels, they can't wait to get him back. The trio of Pujols, Hamilton, and Mike Trout hasn't lived up to expectations as of right now. Pujols and Hamilton are both off to slow starts this season. Pujols has been hampered by his plantar fasciitis and has played half his games as a DH. Hamilton is off to a even slower start and still has some lingering questions about his mental makeup.

The Dodgers moves haven't paid off, either. The pitching staff hasn't been as strong as it was thought to be. That's none of Clayton Kershaw's fault, though. Kershaw is off to another dominant year and even draws comparisons to Sandy Koufax. Greinke was injured in a brawl with Carlos Quentin and missed some time. Chad Billingsley had to have Tommy John surgery, and Chris Capuano and Ted Lilly have also been hurt. Beckett has been awful this year. Closer Brandon League has a ERA north of 5. On the offensive side, Kemp and Ethier haven't produced like in years past. The left side of the infield hasn't produced, either. Ramirez has been limited to 4 games due to injury.

Can these two teams turn it around? Already a quarter into the season, both teams are a combined 17 games under .500. There is still plenty of talent on these teams despite some weaknesses on both of them. There is still plenty of time for both teams to turn it around and make a run at the postseason. Still, both teams have dug themselves into a hole that is going to be hard to get out of. The Dodgers are in last place in the NL West and the Angels are in fourth in the AL West. The Angels are lucky to have the Astros in their division, otherwise they might be in last as well. I think these two teams were overrated coming into the seasn, and the Giants and Rangers were underrated. A team can throw money around to improve, but that doesn't always buy good team chemistry. Both the Angels and Dodgers seem to lack the killer instict to claw back into games. Maybe that changes later in the year, and I also think some of their star players will improve. Still, there is plenty of concerns for both the Dodgers and Angels.

Best Leadoff Hitters in the Game

                   

There are a few different things teams look for in leadoff hitters. The most important thing is getting on base frequently. Teams also look for a hitter than can make the pitcher work. Speed and stolen base ability is also something that is preferred at the top of the lineup. That's not always possible, though. Power isn't something normally associated with a leadoff hitter, but some of them do have some pop in their bat. Today, I'm going to take a look at the best leadoff hitters in the game.

Some of baseball's best hitters have been leadoff hitters. The best ever was Rickey Henderson, who is the all time leader in stolen bases and walks. Henderson also had unusual power for a leadoff hitter. Not all leadoff hitters in the past has amazing speed. Wade Boggs is a prime example of that. Boggs made up for his lack of speed by winning batting titles and getting on base constantly. Tim Raines was overshadowed by Henderson, but was a great leadoff hitter in the 80's and early 90's. Going back further, Lou Brock was the best leadoff hitter the Cardinals ever had. In the past couple of decades, Jeter and Ichiro have been great leadoff hitters.

Last season, rookie phenoms Mike Trout and Bryce Harper both hit out of the leadoff spot. They have been moved down in the order this season. Jeter had a good year at the leadoff spot last year, but is out til after the All Star break and coming off a major injury at a advanced age. Older players like Ichiro Suzuki, Jimmy Rollins, and Juan Pierre are in decline and no longer top leadoff hitters. Nate McLouth has had a resurgence in Baltimore as a leadoff hitter after several unproductive years. Carl Crawford is trying to get his career back on track in LA after two down years in Boston, partly due to injury. Angel Pagan was a sparkplug for the Giants run to the championship last year. In the NL Central, there are some up and comers new to the leadoff spot with the Cardinals Matt Carpenter, Pirates Sterling Marte, and the Brewers Noriochi Aoki. There are also several established leadoff hitters that are having big years this season. I'll rank the best.

Honorable Mention
Geraldo Parra, Diamondbacks
Matt Carpenter, Cardinals
Sterling Marte, Pirates
Dexter Fowler, Rockies
Austin Jackson, Tigers

5) Michael Bourn, Indians

Bourn is in his first American League season with the Indians, after previously playing with the Braves, Astros, and Phillies. Bourn set career highs in home runs(9) and RBIs(57) last year. He also led the NL in steals from 2009-11. Bourn is a two time Gold Glove winner and a two time All Star. Signing Bourn was a big move by Cleveland and it's paid off so far, they are in first place right now.

4) Ian Kinsler, Rangers

For a leadoff hitter, Kinsler probably has the most power in the league. Since the beginning of 2011, Kinsler has 58 home runs, the most by a leadoff hitter in that span. Kinsler also steals around 20-30 bases a year. He is a patient hitter and off to a good start in 2013.

3) Jacoby Ellsbury, Red Sox

If it wasn't for Ellsbury's outstanding 2011 season, he probably wouldn't rank as high. He was hurt much of 2010 and missed over half of 2012. When healthy, Ellsbury has a mix of speed and power that's hard to beat. He is currently leading the AL with 13 steals, and led the AL in 2008 and 2009. Ellsbury is off to a slow start this year, but has a .293 career average. He probably will never duplicate his 2011 campaign were he hit 32 home runs, drove in 105, hit .321, and led the league in total bases. However, Ellsbury can still be a force at the leadoff spot.

2) Shin-Soo Choo, Reds

Last season, the Reds had dreadful production out of the leadoff spot with Zack Cozart and Drew Stubbs. In the offseason, they acquired Choo from the Indians. Right now, Choo is second in the NL with a .456 on base percentage and has hit 9 home runs so far. Choo has good power for a leadoff hitter and also has some speed on the basepaths. Choo is miscast as a center fielder, but the Reds have improved their offense with his addition as a tablesetter.

1) Jose Reyes, Blue Jays

Reyes is hurt right now, but when healthy he is the best. He has a mix of getting on base, stealing bases, and has extra base power. He is a explosive player on offense, and also is a good defender. His injury has hurt the Jays real bad, but their pitching has dissapointed them the most. Reyes led the NL in batting average in 2011, and had a terrific second half with Miami last year. He was off to a good start in Toronto. Reyes has also led the league in steals three separate times and has 415 steals in his career.

Cardinals Rotation Dominant So Far

                  

As of today, the Cardinals have the best record in the majors with a 21-12 mark. Even more impressive is that they are a major league best 14-7 on the road. The biggest reason why is their starting rotation. The quintet of Adam Wainwright, Jaime Garcia, Lance Lynn, Jake Westbrook, and Shelby Miller has been dominant in the first five weeks of the season. The Cardinals lead the majors in starters ERA at 2.28. 5 of the 12 losses by the Cardinals have been the fault of the bullpen. Even that is starting to get worked out with Edward Mujica taking over as closer and a shakeup of the bullpen in the last week.

Each member of the rotation compliment each other with their different styles of pitching. Wainwright has the best curveball in the game and has regained his command this year. Garcia is the rotation's only lefty and is off to a 4-1 start. Lynn is a power pitcher who lost a lot of weight in the offseason, so he shouldn't wear down in the second half this year. Westbrook is a sinkerball pitcher who's specialty is inducing ground balls. Miller takes over for Kyle Lohse and has filthy stuff. Miller is a top Rookie of the Year candidate and is second on the staff in ERA and WHIP. The Cardinals also have plenty of depth if one of their starters went down to injury. They could turn to Joe Kelly, Carlos Martinez, or Michael Wacha if need be.

Wainwright looks to be fully recovered from Tommy John surgery this season. Last year, his command was off, his control wasn't as sharp, and he was hit harder than usual. Waino posted his highest ERA(3.94) in 2012 and suffered a career high 13 losses. He now is resembling the pitcher from 2009-10 who was contending for the Cy Young Award. With Carpenter out, Wainwright is now the unquestioned ace and leader of the staff. The Cardinals also locked Wainwright up to a five year contract going to the end of the 2018 season.

There were some questions about Garcia coming into the season. He had an injury plagued campaign in 2012 and was limited to 20 starts. So far, Garcia has been avoiding the disastrous inning that has hurt him in the past. This might be the season he finally cracks the 200 inning barrier. Lynn also had a up and down season last year. He was terriffic in the first half and made the All Star team. He then wore down in the second half and was temporarily put in the bullpen. Lynn got in better shape in the offseason and shouldn't have the same problem again this season.

Westbrook has been off to a hot start to start the season. He has a staff best 1.62 ERA, which is currently 3rd in the National League. His 1.46 WHIP is a concern, though he has been pitching out of trouble so far this season. Like Lynn, Westbrook has wore down late in the year the past two seasons. He missed the 2012 postseason and only pitched 1 game in relief in the 2011 postseason. However, the one game was very important, and he got the win in Game 6 of the 2011 World Series. Miller is the Redbird's fifth starter and he looks like a future ace. Miller was the Cardinals first round pick in the 2009 draft and is in his rookie season. He hasn't had a bad start yet in his brief major league career. After struggling in the first half in Triple A last year, Miller made some adjustments and started using more of his off speed pitches. It's worked out quite well for him.

The Cardinals offense is starting to heat up as well. Jon Jay, Allen Craig, and Matt Holliday are starting to hit well after slow starts. Like I mentioned earlier, the bullpen is starting to straighten itself out. David Freese is still slumping, but I think he will get straightened out before long. Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina have been off to terrific starts so far, and Matt Carpenter has been impressive with the bat this year. Carpenter leads the NL with 12 doubles and is fourth in runs scored. His defense has been solid, whether if he's at second or third. The only thing Carpenter needs to work on is his baserunning, he's had a few gaffes so far this year.

Last year's closer Jason Motte will be out for the season and will undergo Tommy John surgery. Mitchell Boggs started the season out as closer, but had to be demoted to Triple A because of his struggles. Boggs did a great job as the 8th inning guy last year, and I suspect he will get straightened out and be back up at some point this year. I think Boggs struggle could be in part of him changing his pitching motion this year. Hard throwing Trevor Rosenthal has took over as the 8th inning guy this year, but he will need some help from Fernando Salas, and Joe Kelly, who have been off to rough starts. Rookies Carlos Martinez and Seth Maness could play a bigger role than expected if those two continue to struggle. From the left hand side, Randy Choate has done a good job as a lefty specialist. However, Marc Rzepczynski's struggles have carried over to this year. John Mozeliak didn't sound to impressed with Scrabble this year, and one has to wonder if he's going to make it back to the majors. Still, with Mujica as closer, the bullpen has been much better and hasn't been blowing as many leads.

                     

Breakout Players for 2013

                               Mets pitcher Matt Harvey

Every season there are younger players who breakout and have big years. Last year, there were promising young players like Ian Desmond, Aroldis Chapman, Chris Sale, Chase Headley, and Edwin Encarnacion break out. In this blog entry, I made a list of players who I think will break out and have big years in 2013.

Catcher: Salvador Perez, Royals

The Royals signed Perez to a contract extension right after his rookie year in 2011. He's one of the big reasons why I think the Royals are on the way up. Perez is a good defensive catcher who also has a good bat. About to turn 23 years old, he could be Kansas City's catcher for the next decade.

First Baseman: Allen Craig, Cardinals

This was a tough choice, I could of went with the Diamondbacks Paul Goldschmidt or the Orioles Chris Davis. Instead, I went with the hometown choice. Craig has yet to play a full season in the big leagues, but is poised to this year. Considering that Craig only played in 119 games last year and still had 92 RBIs, he could put up monster numbers if he played a full year. Craig also finished 19th in MVP voting last year. He also finished 7th in slugging pct. with .522. Craig is a RBI machine and has one of highest batting averages with runners in scoring position in the league.

Second Baseman: Daniel Murphy, Mets

I also considered the Pirates Neil Walker, but Murphy has outperformed him the last season plus. Walker does have more power than Murphy, but Murphy hits for a better average and gets on base more. Murphy is off to a hot start this year, and is the Mets second best hitter after David Wright. The Mets are in rebuilding mode, but Murphy is a player they would like to keep around for the future.

Shortstop: Alcides Escobar, Royals

This another player on the Royals who I think could break out and have an All Star campaign. Escobar was the key piece in the Zack Greinke deal a couple offseasons ago. In 2012, Escobar proved he was more than just a light hitting, slick fielding shortstop. He batted .293 and stole 35 bases. Only 25 years old, he figures to keep getting better.

Third Baseman: Manny Machado, Orioles

There are a lot of promising young third baseman in the American League, but they all seem to be off to slow starts. Wil Middlebrooks, Mike Moustakas, Lonnie Chisenhall, and Brett Lawrie have all been scuffling out the gate. Machado isn't setting the world afire, but is putting up respectable numbers so far. Machado is the youngest of the bunch at age 20, but has the most potential of any of them. He's good defensively and could be a shortstop if needed. However, he solidified third base after he was called up last year and was their starter during last year's playoffs.

Left Fielder: Bryce Harper, Nationals

Harper won the Rookie of the Year last year and is the only player on my list who has previously been a All Star. However, last year's All Star selection might of been based more off hype than performance. This year, Harper will be making the All Star team based off his performance. He is off to a hot start, batting .363 and is second in the NL to Justin Upton with 8 home runs. Harper is currently leading the NL with a 1.190 OPS this year.

Center Fielder: Austin Jackson, Tigers

Last season, Jackson made strides, cutting down on strikeouts and becoming more patient at the plate. He finished 8th in the AL in on base pct., justifying his spot in leadoff. Jackson is also a terrific defensive center fielder and has speed. He set career highs in doubles, home runs, and RBIs last year. This is Jackson's fourth season in Detroit, after coming over in the Curtis Granderson deal. That deal worked out well for Detroit since they also received Max Scherzer and Phil Coke in that deal.

Right Fielder: Shin Soo Choo, Reds

I cheated on this one because Choo is playing center field with the Reds this year. Choo is miscast as a center fielder, and had been a right fielder in Cleveland. Also, there isn't many good candidates for breakout years in right field this year. Choo is a major upgrade in the leadoff spot for the Reds, who had Drew Stubbs and Zack Cozart at leadoff last year(both had sub-.300 OBPs). So far, Choo leads the NL with a .505 OBP. Choo had some pretty good years in Cleveland, but this is a contract year for Choo and I think he will have his best offensive season yet.

Utilityman: Matt Carpenter, Cardinals

So far, Carpenter has started 12 games at second and 8 games at third. He can also play first base and the corner outfield spots. Carpenter was the Cards top bench player last season, but Mike Matheny is planning on playing him on a regular basis this year. Carpenter has recently been hitting leadoff due to a slow start by Jon Jay. Carpenter gets on base frequently and has some pop in his bat. Currently, he is leading the NL with 20 runs scored. He reminds me of former Cardinals player and current hitting coach John Mabry due to his stance, being a left handed hitter, and not wearing batting gloves. Carpenter looks like he might develop into a better player, though.

Right Handed Starter: Matt Harvey, Mets

Harvey has been the talk of baseball, starting the season off 4-0 with a 1.54 ERA and a 0.69 WHIP. He also has 39 strikeouts in 35.1 innings pitched.  He pitched very well last year after being called up in the second half. Harvey barely pitched over the innings limit last year and is not considered a rookie this year. Harvey might be the Mets best pitching prospect since Doc Gooden. David Wright has said he is very optimistic about the Mets future because of Harvey and top prospect Zack Wheeler(who was acquired in the Carlos Beltran deal).

Left Handed Starter: Madison Bumgarner, Giants

It's hard to believe that Bumgarner is only 23 years old right now. Already, he has won 2 World Series rings with San Francisco. In 2012, Bumgarner won a career high 16 games and struck out 191 batters. This season, Bumgarner could reach the next level. At the very least, I think that Bumgarner will make his first All Star team this season, and could be a darkhorse Cy Young candidate.

Relief Pitcher: Tom Wilhelmsen, Mariners

This is a pretty good story about a pitcher who gave up baseball for five years. Wilhelmsen was drafted by the Brewers in 2002, but the club suspended him a couple years later due to marijuana use. He then quit baseball in 2005 and became a bartender. In 2009, he decided to make a comeback with an independent minor league team. The Brewers then re-acquired his rights, but released him due to a blown nerve in his shoulder area. Mariners GM Jack Zduriencek once worked for the Brewers and signed him to a minor league deal in 2010. After the Brandon League trade, Wilhelmsen became the Mariners closer last year. Dan Plesac has said that Wilhelmsen's curveball is one of the best in the league and he also throws a mid-90s fastball.


                  Craig and Carpenter: Two Emerging Players for the Cardinals

Rookies Could Be Valuable for the Cardinals this Year

Going into the 2013 season, the Cardinals had the #1 ranked farm system. Back in the middle of last decade, that was unimaginable, considering that the Cardinals had one of the worst farm systems during the Pujols/Edmonds/Rolen era. John Mozeliak made it a priority to upgrade the farm system when he took over as GM in late 2007. It paid off by 2011, when Jon Jay, Allen Craig, Daniel Descalso, Lance Lynn, Jason Motte, Mitchell Boggs, Fernando Salas, and Jaime Garcia helped contribute to their championship in a wild run down the stretch. One of Mozeliak's first trades was trading an aging Jim Edmonds for little known third base prospect David Freese, a St. Louis native who was in Single A at the time.

Already in this young season, the Cardinals have felt the impact of Matt Adams and Shelby Miller. Pete Kozma has took over at shortstop due to Rafael Furcal's season ending injury. Kozma hit well down the stretch last season, but made some key errors in the NLCS. This is Kozma's best chance to be a big league starter this year, and the Cardinals will give him a chance to do so. However, if it doesn't work out, the Cardinals have the depth to make a deal. Trevor Rosenthal looked dominant in the playoffs last year after being called up late in the season. He's still showed that form at times early on, but he has had some rough games so far. Still, Rosenthal brings a 100 mph fastball, and is viewed as a future closer.

Adams' spot on the team wasn't guaranteed this spring, but he hit his way on. Adams has been tearing it up so far this year. He already has 3 home runs and 8 RBI's, despite only having 21 at bats. Adams is hitting a ridiculous .524 right now and slugging 1.048. He is making it hard for Mike Matheny to keep him out of the lineup. Adams has made 5 starts at first base, and appeared as a pinch hitter twice. One of those pinch hitting appearances, he hit a home run against Cincinnati on April 9th. Unfortunately, Adams can only play first base. Still, Allen Craig can play in the outfield to give Matt Holliday or Carlos Beltran a day off. Beltran will need to be rested more than last season. He is now 36 years old and wore down as the season went on.

When the Cardinals play American League teams, they could use Adams as a DH. He is also a valuable bat off the bench. I see him getting a couple starts a week at first from here on out. If Craig, Holliday, or Beltran get hurt, the Cardinals won't lose much with Adams. Like with Craig and Matt Carpenter, the Cardinals will find a spot to play a guy if he can hit. Carpenter was the best bench player on the Cardinals last year in his rookie campaign. He also can play first base, but is not likely to see much time there this year. So far, Carpenter has been playing second and third base. Jose Oquendo helped him out in his transition to second, and should have an easier adjustment than Skip Schumaker did, since Carpenter is a natural infielder. Descalso was the primary second baseman last year and is better defensively. Still, Carpenter's defense has been solid so far and he is a superior hitter.

The most valuable rookie on this team is Shelby Miller. He won the fifth starter competition this spring over Joe Kelly and Rosenthal. I predicted that Miller would win the Rookie of the Year this season. Some people say that he is already the second best starter after Adam Wainwright. He has been impressive in three starts this year. So far, he's pitched 18.1 innings, struck out 18 batters, is 2-1 with a 1.96 ERA and a 0.87 WHIP. He has averaged over 6 innings a start, and was particularly dominating against the Brewers last weekend. Miller also shut down the Reds in the season finale last season.

The Cardinals also have plenty of players in Triple A and Double A that could reach the big leagues this season. Prized prospect Oscar Taveras figures to be Carlos Beltran's successor in right field next year. Taveras will likely stay in the minors until September, unless a couple of  major injuries happen. Second base prospect Kolten Wong is off to a hot start in Memphis, batting .345 in 13 games. Wong has pretty good speed and some power. If Kozma flops, the Cardinals have Ryan Jackson and Greg Garcia as fallback options. Garcia might of passed Jackson on the Cardinals shorstop depth chart. In Double A, the Cardinals have another second base prospect in Starlin Rodriguez.

On the pitching side, Michael Wacha, Seth Manness, lefty John Gast, and even #33 ranked prospect Carlos Martinez are options if a starter goes down. Martinez finally had his visa issues cleared up after it cost him spring training. Martinez will start the season in Double A, but I think he will reach Triple A by the All Star break. Yadier Molina said that Wacha was already ready for the big leagues this spring. He could be the first guy called up if a starter goes down. There is also a possibility that Joe Kelly could be an option as well. Eduardo Sanchez has started off well in Triple A, after injuries and wildness have hampered him in recent seasons. Sanchez was impressive for the big club in 2011 before injuries shut him down. He could be an option for the bullpen again this year if it continues to struggle.

It's a good problem to have, but the Cardinals are going to have trouble finding room for some players on offense. Next year(or sooner), Taveras and Wong will be ready for the big leagues. Taveras can also play center field, but will most likely be the Cardinals right fielder next year. He could have an impact of a Bryce Harper or Mike Trout when he comes up. If Carpenter has a good year at second, what do the Cardinals do with Wong next year? The Cardinals have options for first base(Craig, Adams), second base(Carpenter, Descalso, Wong), third base(Carpenter, Freese), center field(Jay, Taveras), and right field(Taveras, Craig). On the pitching side, it will be interesting to see what they do with Wacha, Martinez, Gast, etc. Next year, the will likely have an opening with someone taking Jake Westbrook's spot. That still leaves only one spot for many capable arms. The Cardinals have some of the best depth in baseball, and look to be a serious contender for years to come.

Cardinals Bullpen Shaky Early On

         MIA: Motte's Status Uncertain This Season as Cardinals Struggle to Replace Him

The Cardinals had a solid 4-2 opening homestead and two weeks into the season have the lead in the NL Central with a 7-5 record. The starting pitching has been outstanding so far. The Cardinals pitchers threw 39 scoreless innings until it was snapped in the 8th inning of Sunday's game vs. the Brewers. Trevor Rosenthal allowed a two run homer to Ryan Braun, and Mitchell Boggs blew another save opportunity in the 9th. Fernando Salas then proceeded to allow the winning run in the 10th. With a 3-0 lead going into the 8th it looked like the Cardinals would sweep the Brewers, but they had the rug pulled out beneath them. Jaime Garcia watched a second straight start go from a win to a no decision.

The bullpen's performance early on is a cause for concern. So is Jason Motte's elbow. Motte has been shut down to the first of May and may need Tommy John surgery. Still, I don't think it's a reason to panic. Despite their struggles, there is a lot of talent in the bullpen. Boggs was a very good reliever last year, posting a 2.21 ERA. He needs to work out his struggles and Mike Matheny may go with a bullpen by committe for awhile. Rosenthal has been labeled a future closer, but he has had 3 games were he came in and allowed runs. Rosenthal possesses a 100 mph fastball and was a weapon down the stretch last season. Still, he may not be ready to be a closer just yet, as he has had some struggles as the 8th inning guy.

Edward Mujica is another possibility in the 9th. He has been lights out since joining the Cardinals last July. Mujica has a 1.17 ERA and 0.88 WHIP in 30.2 innings since becoming a Cardinal and was solid in the postseason last year. At the very least, Mujica might get some more opportunities in the 8th inning or when the Cardinals are in a jam. Sometimes, the game is "saved" in the 7th or 8th, opposed to the 9th. A set up guy sometimes comes into a tough spot with runners on. A closer usually does not in today's game, unless it's the postseason.

Matheny has two lefties to work with this season with Randy Choate joining Scrabble in the bullpen. Choate gives some stability to a team who went through JC Romero, Sam Freeman, Barret Browning, and Brian Fuentes as lefty specialists, none of them sticking. Joe Kelly has been buried in the bullpen, due to a couple of poor outings and the starters pitching deep into games. Matheny might start trying to work in Kelly more, with Boggs and Salas struggling early on. Salas actually led the 2011 Cardinals in saves, but lost the closer job to Motte in September of that year. Salas may need to go down to Triple A to work out his slump. It's possible that a pitcher like Eduardo Sanchez or Maikel Cleto could be called up.

A really good closer certainly helps a team win more games, but it is not always necessary to win. The 7th and 8th inning get overlooked and teams blow games in those innings as well. Relief pitchers sometimes go through rough patches and work it out later in the season. This is why many teams are not investing a lot of money in the bullpen and are going with young hard throwers. While I think elite closers like Aroldis Chapman and Craig Kimbrel are difference makers, and average closer is not. In recent seasons, closers like Heath Bell, John Axford, Brad Lidge, and Carlos Marmol have went from the saves leaders to bums. Even great closers like Mariano Rivera and Trevor Hoffman have blown big games in the past. Rivera played a huge role in the Yankees 5 championships and is considered to be the best closer of all time. While that gives a team an advantage, it doesn't always guarantee success.

Recent history also says having an established closer isn't a prerequisite for a championship. The Cardinals won both of their recent championships without one. In 2006, Jason Isringhausen went down in September, and then rookie Adam Wainwright was thrust into the role of closer for the postseason. Wainwright freezing Carlos Beltran with his curve to save Game 7 in the NLCS is one of the biggest moments in recent Cardinals history. Who knows if the Cardinals still would of won if Izzy would of been healthy? In 2011, the Cardinals went with Ryan Franklin, Boggs, Salas, and finally Motte as their closer. The bullpen was shaky all year, blowing many saves, but it gelled during the stretch run and in the postseason. Going back even further, the 1985 Cardinals won over 100 games with a bullpen by committee. Bruce Sutter left as a free agent prior to that season, and the Cardinal went with a mix Ken Dayley, Jeff Lahti, and Bill Campbell. Late in the season, hard throwing Todd Worrell took over as closer.

Other teams have also been able to win the World Series recently when injuries or underperformance occured with their closer. Brian Wilson played a vital role in the Giants championship in 2010. Early on in 2012, Wilson went down with an injury and needed Tommy John surgery. The Giants went with a mix of Santiago Casilla, Jeremy Affeldt, and Sergio Romo in the 9th. Romo eventually took the closer role and the Giants won the World Series again in 2012. They even used starter Tim Lincecum in relief during the playoffs. The White Sox won the 2005 World Series after Bobby Jenks replaced a tired Dustin Hermanson late in the season. The 2003 Marlins flip flopped Braden Looper and Ugueth Urbina from the 8th and 9th inning during their run to the championship. The Randy Johnson/Curt Schilling led 2001 Diamondbacks were able to win the World Series despite Byung-Hyun Kim blowing a couple games. I think the Cardinals bullpen issues will work out at some point this season. There is still a lot of talent in their bullpen.