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The St. Louis Cardinals represented the National League in the World Series in 2013. They put together the best regular season record in the National League to get there. Since the close of the season, they have improved their roster by making moves by both trade and in free agency.

Along the way, there have been some headlines worth noting. Combined, they form a subscript of the calendar year and help to define the current state of the franchise.  

What follows is the top five stories from the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013.

Statistics in the following article are sourced from Baseball-Reference.com.

Transaction information can be found on the Cardinals’ official transaction page.

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The Kansas City Royals have been active in adding pieces to the club this offseason.  On the heels of a winning season, the team obviously feels that they will find themselves contending for the division title in 2014.

Contending for the division title did not require a complete overhaul of the roster.  The Royals were able to shop intelligently for pieces that would improve the team.  A backup catcher, a backup infielder, a rotation arm, a second baseman and a leadoff hitter were the shopping list items.  General manager Dayton Moore effectively evaluated his ability to field each one of those needs while sacrificing as little of his current roster as possible.

For the first time in recent memory, the Royals were willing to open the coffers and spend on a free agent acquisition.  They found a way to deal from a surplus of outfielders and relief pitchers to strengthen themselves elsewhere.

Here are five impact moves that Dayton Moore and the Kansas City Royals have pulled off this offseason, ranked in order of impact to the club.

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The Kansas City Royals addressed one of their needs when they signed innings-eater Jason Vargas.  Three of the five rotation spots were solidified with the signing, but what would the team do to fill the back-end of the rotation?

James Shields, Jeremy Guthrie and Vargas provide a solid foundation to build a rotation on.  They will go deep into games and allow the team to be in position to win consistently.  Reports of the team being near the top of their budget, according to Bob Dutton of KansasCity.com, seemingly suggest that the last two spots will be filled from within the current roster.

The team has a large amount of young talent but only a select few that seem poised to make the jump to the big league roster.  What follows are six pitchers that are poised to seize a position at the back-end of this rotation. 

Statistics in the following slides are courtesy of KansasCityRoyals.com and are current as of the end of the 2013 season.

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David Freese and Fernando Salas were traded to Anaheim in exchange for outfielder Peter Bourjos and minor league outfielder Randal Grichuk, as reported by various outlets including the Cardinals‘ Twitter account.  The move is an interesting one for the Cardinals and impacts far more than the outfield.

You can read an in-depth look at Grichuk on the Angels blog Monkey With A Halo.

It can be speculated that Bourjos will contend for the starting center field job in St. Louis.  If that is true, the Cardinals will shift Oscar Taveras to focus on a corner outfield spot.  That would project a Cardinal outfield of Matt Holliday, Peter Bourjos and Oscar Taveras.

Taveras shifting to right field is likely a good thing as it provides the Cardinals a defensively strong center fielder in Bourjos.  The logjam gets created at first base.  The deficiency gets created in the middle of the lineup.

Bourjos is a fast, defensive outfielder that will provide the Cardinals with speed in the lineup but is not considered a powerful hitter.  Taveras remains a bit of an unknown and will likely take some time to develop his bat when he arrives at the major league level.  Prior to the trade, the assumption was that Taveras would play center field and leave right field to Allen Craig.  Matt Adams would then be allowed to play first base.  The Cardinals would keep Craig and Adams in the same lineup and increase the power potential.  

It appears that the Cardinals will be faced with a lineup that features Craig or Adams and no longer both.  In addition, the trade would likely move Matt Carpenter to third base and give prospect Kolten Wong the everyday second base job.  Neither of those players are considered power threats, though both are good hitters.

That leaves pressure on general manager John Mozeliak to continue to look for an upgrade at shortstop that also provides an offensive upgrade to the lineup.  

Pete Kozma was the starting shortstop last season.  The Cardinals have expressed an interest in acquiring a young, controllable shortstop in exchange for one of their bulk of pitchers, as reported by Jim Bowden of SiriusXM.

The Cardinals could deal Matt Adams, or even Allen Craig, as part of a package to acquire a shorstop.  They currently will rely on Matt Holliday and Allen Craig as well as Yadier Molina to provide power to the lineup.  A shorstop that can provide some power would go a long way in helping the Cardinals improve.

The Cardinals traded a World Series hero in David Freese.  It remains to be seen if it will be the only trade the Cardinals make this offseason.

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The Kansas City Royals enter the offseason with a few needs, and upgrading right field or second base ranks high on their list.

A reunion with Carlos Beltran, whom the team drafted in 1995, would certainly answer one of those needs.  A trade with the Cincinnati Reds for Brandon Phillips would address the other.  It appears that both of those options have been discussed.

Beltran, who is presumed to be in the twilight of his career, is reportedly seeking a three-year contract for his services.  An outfielder who has spent his most recent years playing right field, Beltran has been one of the game’s most prolific switch-hitters in history.  He would bring stability to a position that the Royals have not been able to count on offensively in some time.

Ken Rosenthal of FoxSports.com noted via Twitter that the Royals are interested in Beltran but concerned they may be outbid:

#Royals would love to make a Beltran reunion happen but fear being outbid by high-revenue teams such as #Yankees.

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) November 12, 2013

Beltran is a name that some expected to be thrown around in the Kansas City offices this year, but Brandon Phillips may come as a bit of a surprise.  Royals manager Ned Yost was interviewed by Jim Bowden on his SiriusXM radio show this afternoon and confirmed that the team had discussed both Beltran and Phillips. Bowden shared these thoughts via Twitter:

Ned Yost said he & Dayton Moore have talked for hours and hours including the names of Carlos Beltran, Brandon Phillips & Ervin Santana XM89

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) November 12, 2013

Phillips has continued to be a productive, veteran presence for the Cincinnati Reds but has seen his stock drop this season due to his outspoken nature.

Earlier this year, he complained openly about his current contract and how he felt insulted by the way it was approached.  In addition, his outburst at a Cincinnati reporter before a game in St. Louis did not sit well with people in the Reds organization.  The situation has lead some to believe that Phillips may be traded before the curtain rises on the 2014 season.

Either Beltran or Phillips would add a legitimate power bat to a lineup that desperately needs some offensive production.  Beltran could also see time at DH, allowing him to rest his knees and prolong his career a bit.  Phillips brings stellar defense as well, another sore point at second base in Kansas City.

Ultimately, the offseason is just getting started, and rumors will begin to fly.  Yost acknowledging that he and Dayton Moore, the team’s general manager, had conversations about both players does not suggest that a deal is close at all.  

But it is enough to get Royals fans excited about the possibilities. 

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The Kansas City Royals took a step forward as a successful franchise in 2013.  They produced a winning season for the first time in 10 years.  They continued to be relevant late into the season.  They had people talking about the possibility of them in the postseason.  The season has come to an end and the baseball world continues to talk about the Kansas City Royals.

The Royals have spent the last few seasons changing the way they approached the game.  The minor leagues were developed with a winning approach and developing young athletes into major league men.  They traded away current stars to secure players with a big future.  They put a huge focus on developing players within their own organization to become the stars of tomorrow.  The first signs of that process working came in 2013.

Eric Hosmer, Salvador Perez and Alex Gordon, all homegrown talent for the Royals, were recognized by Rawlings for Gold Glove awards.  A short time later, Wilson made its announcements for defensive awards and proclaimed that Lorenzo Cain, who was also a finalist for a Gold Glove award, was the best defensive player on the Kansas City roster.  

Cain was acquired with Alcides Escobar, Jeremy Jeffress and Jake Odorizzi for Zack Greinke and Yuniesky Betancourt in the 2010 trade between the Royals and Milwaukee Brewers.  The Royals saw a raw talent in Milwaukee that they felt would benefit from time in their own system.  

Wilson then named the Kansas City Royals the co-Defensive Team of the Year, awarding both the Royals and the Baltimore Orioles for their stellar defensive play.

Cain shared his thoughts on being recognized and his continued development with MLB.com’s Dick Kaegel:

It just shows the hard work you put in and dedicating yourself to trying to perfect your craft each and every day.  To win this award is definitely another step in the right direction and I’m very excited.  I’ve just got to go out and keep proving what I can do on the defensive side of the ball.

The defensive accolades continued to roll in.  Meanwhile, the Royals will likely continue to search for the final piece of the puzzle.

Defensive awards and strong pitching staffs will win a lot of ballgames, but it will take an increased offensive output for the team to reach the elusive “next level.”  The team should continue to search for strong hitters in right field and at second base, the positions most feel are the team’s weakest spots.

Sam Mellinger of KansasCity.com recently shared his thoughts on the market, noting the Royals’ needs at second, right field and in the rotation:

(Carlos) Beltran and (Matt) Garza make the most sense of that group, but there are trade options, too. The Royals have looked into it before, but should make absolutely certain the Marlins won’t trade Giancarlo Stanton. The Rangers have too many middle infielders. The Dodgers have too many outfielders. Howie Kendrick has a no-trade clause that includes the Royals, but those can often be negotiated.

Any of those options would drastically improve the Royals immediately.  Stanton represents a young player with a bright future who could benefit from a change of scenery.  Beltran is an established slugger who started his career in Kansas City.  He would bring veteran leadership and proven production to Kansas City.  Kendrick could very well be the offensive producer the Royals have wanted at second base for a long time.

General manager Dayton Moore has the opportunity to make a splash this season by being willing to spend money.  He could also delve into the most coveted currency in the game today: prospects.  

He has the resources to improve the team.  If he uses those resources, 2014 could look really good for Royals fans.

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The St. Louis Cardinals have struggled throughout the 2013 World Series.  The team’s offense has been nonexistent, the defense has been questionable at times and manager Mike Matheny’s decisions have left many people scratching their heads.  Now they head back to Boston for Games 6 and 7, and even that is anything but routine.

Derrick Goold of StlToday.com reported from Boston about a mechanical failure on the team’s plane that would take them to Boston:

The Cardinals’ charter flight from St. Louis to Boston was delayed more than four hours by a mechanical issue that kept the plane grounded. The team waited for the glitch to be fixed, and eventually had to consider getting a new plane to make their way here for Game 6 of the World Series.

Players and coaches have reported that spirits remain high and that they are thankful the team allows their families to travel with them.  The inconvenience of delayed travel is something most people can certainly be sympathetic to.  The real question remains as to what effect it may have on the team going into a crucial Game 6 against the Boston Red Sox.

Michael Wacha will draw that start and put his stellar postseason performance on the line for one more game this year.  The rookie has been nothing short of phenomenal to this point in October.  He has faced the adversity of a struggling lineup throughout the playoffs but will now face a disruption in his preparation schedule.

Players like Carlos Beltran and Allen Craig have been battling through nagging injuries so far in the Fall Classic.  Sitting on an airplane for hours on a runway cannot be doing wonders for the stiff muscles and bruised bones they have sustained.  Both sluggers will need to be fresh, loose and ready to contribute if the team hopes to force a Game 7 this year.

The good news, according to Goold, is that the Cardinals were not set for a workout today in Boston.  The delayed flight is more of a nuisance than anything.  It will not provide much of a distraction from the plan going forward.

It has been a strange World Series to this point.  Jon Heyman of CBS Sports has gone as far as to call it the “Weird Series” based on the unorthodox incidents in the games to this point.  The Cardinals plane breaking down seems to be just another strange occurrence thus far.

Either way, the Cardinals plane will be up and running in the next few hours.  

Fans hope the offense will follow suit tomorrow.

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Allen Craig was one of the most prolific hitters for the St. Louis Cardinals in 2013.  His production at the plate, specifically with runners in scoring position, was a key component in the successful season for the team.  An injury in early September sidelined the first baseman, forcing the Cardinals to rely on young power hitter Matt Adams.

Adams has proven he can handle himself quite well at the plate and defensively at first base.  His production during the last month of the season softened the blow of Craig’s injury.  Even without Craig, the Cardinals kept winning and found themselves headed to the postseason with the National League’s best record.

The postseason brought a slightly different story for Matt Adams.

Through the second game of the World Series, Adams was struggling to produce, with only three extra-base hits in 49 at-bats and a paltry .245 batting average.  His four runs batted in have left the Cardinals hoping for Craig’s return before the 2013 season would come to a close.

The Cardinals’ arrival to the World Series brought some hope regarding Craig.  The series would begin in Boston and allow the team to utilize the designated hitter.

After multiple workouts after the close of the National League Championship Series, the Cardinals announced that Craig would be healthy enough to help the club in the World Series.  He would serve as the team’s designated hitter in Boston and be a competent bat from the bench when the games shifted to St. Louis.

The Cardinals escaped Boston with a split of the first two games.  Multiple sources, including MLB.com’s Jenifer Langosch, noted that Allen Craig was taking ground balls at first base during workouts when the team arrived back in St. Louis.  

Does taking ground balls during workouts suggest that Craig is going to return to the lineup over Matt Adams?  Langosch seems to think that we will know very soon:

But the Cardinals continue to work Craig in the field with their eyes set on Game 5, when Boston will next send a lefty to the mound. It would be an ideal time to plug Craig back into the starting lineup.

The Cardinals are anxious to have Craig’s production back in the lineup but continue to progress slowly with the injury.  They do not want to push Craig too quickly, but they do want to maximize their potential for a World Championship this season.  

Craig has hit left-handed pitching better than Adams in 2013.  Adams has posted a .231 batting average while not drawing a single walk against lefties this season.  Craig, on the other hand, has produced a .779 OPS (on-base plus slugging percentage) and a .278 batting average against lefties.  

While MLB.com does not currently list an announced starter for Boston in Game 5, logic would suggest that Jon Lester would take the mound for the Red Sox.  Lester kept the Cardinals off-balance in Game 1 of the World Series, including Adams and Craig.  The duo combined for one hit and two strikeouts in eight at-bats against Lester in that game.

Cardinals manager Mike Matheny has said, according to the same Langosch article above, that Craig will be available both off the bench and as a defensive replacement in games due to the progress he has shown.  Craig provides the team a new dimension of production from the bench and another weapon against left-handed pitching going forward.

At the very least, Craig offers a more intimidating pinch-hitting option than Shane Robinson late in the game.  

A healthy Allen Craig could make all the difference for the St. Louis Cardinals.

All statistics are courtesy of Baseball-Reference.

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David Freese left Game 3 of the NLCS between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers Monday with a sore right calf muscle. The loss of Freese left the Cardinals without one of their most prolific postseason bats at a time when their offense was at a historic low.

Freese left Game 3 after driving a base hit in the fifth inning and moving up to second on a single by rookie first baseman Matt Adams. Mike Matheny then made the decision to pull Freese from the game and utilize Daniel Descalso to pinch run and take over in the field. Steve Gilbert of MLB.com spoke with Freese after the game:

It was just during that AB, then I took off running and it was pretty tight. It just kind of tightened up on me, and obviously Mike felt it was necessary to take me out just in case we needed someone to score.

The severity of the injury was downplayed very early and Gilbert reported Freese was day-to-day with his injury. Gilbert continued to share the status of the Cardinals’ third baseman later in the same article:

“I think it’s just tight,” Freese said. “I don’t think I strained it too bad, but we’ll check it out tomorrow. I hope I can play tomorrow, but we’ll check it out.”

Said Matheny: “Right now, it’s day to day, and we expect him to be ready to go.”

Freese reported to the park for workouts Tuesday and Frank Cusumano, a reporter from St. Louis NBC affiliate KSDK, confirmed via Twitter that Freese felt ready to go.

The news is good for the Cardinals. Their offense has struggled early on in the series. Despite Freese‘s lack of production, backup Daniel Descalso offers very little help. Descalso is known more for his defensive ability and versatility than his presence at the plate. Alternatively, the Cardinals could turn to rookie Kolten Wong at second base and shift Matt Carpenter over the third base, his natural position. Once again, though, this offers little offensive relief, as Wong has failed to discover his stroke at the major league level.

Freese has offered many memorable October moments in his short career. His presence in the lineup gives the team a feeling of capturing another of those moments at any time.

The Cardinals are in need of one of those moments.

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Carlos Beltran was the center of the story in last night’s 13-inning NLCS Game 1 between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Dodgers.  He drove in all three of St. Louis’ runs.  He provided the postseason heroics that fans have come to expect from him.  In the 10th inning, Beltran made the defensive play of the night, calling off Jon Jay on a fly ball and throwing out Dodgers’ second baseman Mark Ellis at the plate.

The play was set up by strange managerial decisions on both sides of the field.  For Don Mattingly, his decision to send Dee Gordon to pinch run for Adrian Gonzalez in the 8th inning led to Michael Young being the hitter at the plate with runners on first and third and one out in the 10th.  Mike Matheny would counter that move with the decision to leave his closer, Trevor Rosenthal, in the game for a second inning to try and keep the game tied.

The result was one of the most exciting moments of this year’s postseason thus far.  Young lifted a fly ball to right field, Ellis tagged from third to try to score and Beltran executed a flawless throw to the plate.

Many across the internet immediately began to question the call at the plate, wondering if catcher Yadier Molina actually tagged Ellis or just blocked the base path causing the collision.  It led Alyson Footer of MLB.com to ask Ellis about it directly after the game:

“It was pretty obvious I got tagged out,” said Ellis, who hit a one-out triple before the play. “There was a collision at home plate. They’re going to call you out every time. You run into it, you’re out. That’s how they’re going to call it.”

Obviously, a tag must be made to record the out.  Equally obvious is that a runner is not going to get a call in his favor when the ball beats him by a significant amount of time and he collides with the defender.  Expecting an umpire to determine if the tag was truly made during that amount of body contact is absurd.

That being said, I agreed with the many fans that pointed out the missing tag.  Watching the play from various angles—and even in real time—it did not appear that Molina tagged Ellis, and the Cardinals caught a bit of a break in a very important situation.

The important view is the one from the first base side, where the viewer can have a clear view of the glove of Molina and the contact with Ellis.  The Facebook page for fan site STL Cardinal Baseball pointed out the point of contact very clearly early this morning:

To #Dodgers fans and everyone else still questioning, this is what a tag looks like in baseball. He was out. #STLCards

It appears that next season will see the arrival of Instant Replay and the ability to review plays of this nature.  The impact on the game will surely be significant.  Plays that have become a routine call will now have to be executed in a more deliberate way.  The outcome of games may be impacted greatly in the future.

This was not one of those games.  The tag was made.  Game 1 of the NLCS belongs to the Cardinals.

More specifically, it belongs to Carlos Beltran.

The above referenced Facebook page and the subsequent website that it represents is a fan site and bears no official connection to the St. Louis Cardinals or Major League Baseball.

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