Kuzul

The St. Louis Cardinals boast the best development system in all of baseball. Yet, the Cardinals have been hampered with a nagging thorn in their side at the shortstop position since the days of Edgar Renteria.

Renteria patrolled the Cardinals middle infield from 1998-2004. Since then, the organization has had little luck in finding a cornerstone shortstop. The likes of David Eckstein, Cesar Izturis, Brendan Ryan, Rafael Furcal, Pete Kozma and Daniel Descalso were decent fill-ins, but nothing to write home about.

Landing a shortstop this offseason tops the to-do list for general manager John Mozeliak. 

Here are two ideal solutions for solving the Cardinals’ need for a shortstop.

Make a Trade

This appears to be the most logical option for Mozeliak. He has an abundance of young pitching, which is the most sought-after commodity in the game.

Jed Lowrie is one player that should spark the Cardinals interest. The Oakland Athletics just signed Nick Punto to a one-year, $3 million deal with a vesting option that could add up to an additional $2.75 million, according to Jeff Passan of Yahoo Sports.

With Punto signed, it would make sense for Oakland to shop Lowrie. The 29-year-old Lowrie would give the Cardinals lineup considerable pop either at the top or bottom. Lowrie smashed 15 home runs and drove in 75 RBI last season in 154 games played.

Sign Stephen Drew

Stephen Drew, who will turn 31 before spring training, is represented by Scott Boras—the toughest agent in the game. Boras will try to squeeze every last dime out of whichever team ultimately lands his client.

Boston offered Drew a $14.1 million qualifying offer. As expected, however, Drew declined the offer.

According to Ricky Doyle of NESN.com, Drew is looking for a multiyear deal that could turn into a more appealing contract elsewhere.

Money is not a problem for the Cardinals. They have plenty of green to throw at Drew if they so desire.

According to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals will benefit from $25 million in national-TV dollars in 2014.

Why not cash in on Drew?

Drew hit .253 with 13 homers and 67 RBI for the Red Sox last season. Though he struggled during the postseason, especially the World Series, the younger brother of former Cardinals’ outfielder J.D. Drew would be a good fit for the Cardinals.

Drew provides power and has the uncanny ability to spray get extra-base hits. 

Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch believes Drew makes the most sense for the Cardinals.

“He’s a reliable glove, who did play some outstanding defense late for the Red Sox,” Goold wrote during a recent live chat. “He’s not a HR hitter, but he has the pop for extra bases, and is probably good for another if not several strong offensive seasons.

“He fits the ethos of the Cardinals and has that familiarity with the organization that the Cardinals seem to value so much. And here’s the best part: He won’t cost a prospect. Just money and a draft pick, a draft pick that the Cardinals will get back when [Carlos] Beltran signs elsewhere.”

The above represent two of many options the Cardinals could pursue. If the Cardinals are able to trade for Lowrie or sign Drew, both their offense and defense would be upgraded tremendously.

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The Cardinals made it known that Trevor Rosenthal will remain their closer in 2014.

After taking over for the fatigued and broken down Edward Mujica, Rosenthal, 23, was phenomenal in the second half of the 2013 season and the postseason.

The hard-throwing Rosenthal was unhittable. He routinely made opposing hitters look foolish as they whiffed at his 98-plus mph heat.

That said, are the Cardinals making the right decision by keeping Rosenthal as their late-inning stopper?

All together now…yes.

Surely, there will be those that say Rosenthal isn’t up to the challenge. He’s too young, too green for such a daunting task. He isn’t physically and mentally ready for such a challenge, you say?

Allow me to jog your memory and ease any lingering nerves.

Last season, Rosenthal made 74 appearances. In his 75.1 innings of work, he gave up 63 hits and allowed just 22 earned runs. His 108 strikeouts were the third-most by any reliever. Only Cincinnati’s Aroldis Chapman (112) and the Dodgers’ Kenley Jansen (111) recorded more strikeouts than Rosenthal.

Moreover, in the eighth inning or later, Rosenthal tallied 99 strikeouts.

Opposing hitters wouldn’t fair much better against Rosenthal if they used an oar instead of a bat.

If Rosenthal’s regular season performance doesn’t spark your interest, then his postseason encore should do the trick.

Rosenthal was flawless during the Cardinals’ run to the World Series. In 11.2 innings, Rosenthal allowed just four hits (three singles and a triple) and struck out 18.

In the Fall Classic against Boston, Rosenthal allowed one hit in his 4.2 innings of work. He struck out nine.

There’s been talk of inserting Rosenthal into the starting rotation, something Rosenthal is open to. But the obvious need for his services in the bullpen outweigh everything else.

“This is a touchy topic in the fact that we know Trevor would like to start and be a starter someday,” Mike Matheny told Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “And we don’t deny the fact that that could realistically happen and he would do a terrific job at it. … When you look at our club and what we have … we have need for that bullpen … all based around our closer. We have a lot of confidence in how he has been able to handle that position.”

There’s also the Jason Motte factor.

Motte, who missed all of last season recovering from Tommy John surgery, will be ready to go in 2014. Motte recorded 42 saves in 2012. He’s more than capable of resuming his old role.

But let’s be honest; Rosenthal makes Motte look pedestrian, so to speak. Rosenthal’s stuff is downright filthy. I’m not taking anything away from Motte. His stuff is also nasty. But Rosenthal is more developed. Also, how good would the Cardinals’ late-inning relief look if Motte worked the eighth and Rosenthal the ninth?

It would be unfair.

So, why would the Cardinals alter a promising and working formula?

No reason. Leaving Rosenthal in the same spot he finished 2013 is the right move.

“Right now there is no reason to go anywhere differently than how we ended,” Matheny told Goold of the Post-Dispatch. “Trevor Rosenthal is a guy who is going in there getting the saves for us. That’s how we’re heading into this spring.”

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St. Louis’ World Series loss to Boston was disheartening and frustrating.

Despite falling short of their 12th title in franchise history, the Cardinals‘ historic accomplishments shouldn’t go unnoticed. 

The Cardinals’ window for success isn’t closing anytime soon. The future remains bright, but the offseason marks an important period for upgrades and constant evaluation.

That said, cost-effective upgrades are going to play a role this winter. 

The middle infield will undergo a makeover. In 2013, Cardinals shortstops finished 29th in batting average (.222). An addition to the outfield could become mandatory (pending the status of free agent Carlos Beltran), and a power bat off the bench would be beneficial to a club that lacked pop during late-game situations in 2013 (see: 2013 postseason). 

On Monday, Boston gave shortstop Stephen Drew a one-year, $14.1 million qualifying offer, and it’s becoming more likely Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak will pursue other alternatives. 

The most realistic option would be acquiring a shortstop via trade. The question is, at what price?

The Cardinals are loaded with young pitching, which is the most sought-after commodity in the game. Also, according to Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals will benefit from $25 million in national-TV dollars in 2014.

This means Mozeliak won’t be gun shy to land a big-name player if the right opportunity presents itself.

A few names come to mind in terms of the shortstop position.

According to Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch, the Cardinals used the better part of the last year scouting the market for suitable candidates. The likes of Cleveland’s Asdrubal Cabrera, Colorado’s Troy Tulowitzki and Baltimore’s J.J. Hardy stood out. 

Cabrera is a foreseeable option. The 27-year-old hit .242 with 14 home runs and 64 RBI last season. However, Cabrera is signed through 2014, where he will earn $10 million, according to baseballreference.com.

Though, money probably won’t be an issue for the Cardinals. The Cardinals will “shed more than $40 million from the payroll,” according to Goold. Tulowitzki, whom the Cardinals inquired about in past years, could come at a heftier price, which would include some of the Cardinals’ top prospects.

According to Rick Hummel of the Post-Dispatch, the Rockies would want “a top-flight young pitcher, a left-handed-hitting first baseman/outfielder and another prospect” in return.

I’m not sold on Mozeliak selling out for Tulowitzki, whose career has been marred by injuries. Not to mention his towering contract that will pay him $14 million next season, $20 million for each of the following five seasons and then $14 million in 2020.

If Mozeliak lands a shortstop, Matt Carpenter will likely shift to third base, and David Freese, who underperformed in 2013, could serve as a nice addition off the bench. The same holds true if the Cardinals re-sign Beltran. Matt Adams will see more time at first base, meaning Allen Craig will shift to the outfield with Matt Holliday, Oscar Taveras, Beltran and possibly Jon Jay. 

As far as the outfield is concerned, the Cardinals officially handed Beltran a one-year, $14.1 million qualifying offer on Monday, which guarantees them a draft pick in return if he signs with another club. Beltran will almost certainly decline the offer and elect free agency. The Cardinals could ink him to a short-term deal, but a multi-year agreement doesn’t appear likely for the aging switch-hitter. 

If the latter holds true, the Cardinals could (and should) promote within. The young Oscar Taveras is waiting in the shadows to begin his big league career. By the same token, another outfielder would add depth, which never hurts.

As Mozeliak continues to evaluate the roster, he will surely sign a significant upgrade or two for next season. If not, this offseason will be a complete bust.

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Albert Pujols didn’t define the St. Louis Cardinals franchise.

Sure, he was one of many cornerstone players to ever don the birds on the bat. But this rich and historic organization won before him and with him, and now they are winning without him.

From 2001-2011, the Cardinals won 40 postseason games, including two World Series championships with Pujols in the middle of the lineup. Following the Cardinals’ most recent title in 2011, Pujols walked as a free agent and signed a 10-year, $254 million deal with the Los Angeles Angels.

Life without this franchise’s most coveted star was surely going to be rough, right? Only the completely delirious believed such a notion.

Matter of fact, Pujols continues to help the Cardinals win crucial postseason games.

Think of it this way: had Pujols decided to stay under the Arch, owner Bill DeWitt and general manager John Mozeliak would have their hands tied for the next decade with such a monstrous contract making it nearly impossible to land key free agents and take on additional contracts.

With Pujols long gone, DeWitt and Mozeliak were able to keep the Cardinals core intact for years to come.

Yadier Molina, the best catcher in the game, signed a five-year, $75 million deal in March of 2012, pitching ace Adam Wainwright signed a five-year, $97.5 deal last March and Pujols’ current replacement, Allen Craig, agreed to a five-year, $31 million deal last March.

Behind the plate, Molina is the driving force behind the Cardinals’ pitching staff. His chemistry with each pitcher and overall knowledge of the game are second to none.

Wainwright closed out the 2006 World Series when the Cardinals extinguished the Tigers in five games, and he has another ring from the 2011 championship season.

Craig’s .454 average with runners in scoring position led the National League this season.

This is the same core of players that are annually displayed each October. 

Most importantly, when Pujols bolted for Los Angeles, the Angels dealt the Cardinals the 19th overall selection in the 2012 Amateur Draft. With the pick, the Cardinals took a young lad by the name of Michael Wacha out of Texas A&M.

For the second time in as many starts, the 22-year-old rookie flirted with a no-hitter. He made history Monday afternoon when he took his no-hit bid into the eighth inning of Game Four of the Division Series against the Pirates. It was the longest no-hit bid by a rookie pitcher in postseason history. In the biggest game of his life with his team on the verge of elimination, Wacha stood tall on the mound en route to forcing a decisive Game Five at Busch Stadium Wednesday night. 

Without Pujols, the Cardinals are continuing to venture down their illustrious postseason winning path. They’ve won nine playoff games games without him and are looking for their 12th World Series championship.

Thanks, Albert.

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Having already clinched its first National League Central division title in four years, St. Louis completed a three-game sweep of division rival Chicago Sunday to secure the NL’s best record and home-field advantage throughout the 2013 playoffs.

With 11 World Series championships, the Cardinals will venture into October hunting for their second title in three years.

The NL’s No. 1 seed, the Cardinals don’t boast an unstoppable rotation or an influx of power hitters with 30-plus home runs or 100-plus runs batted in. Rather, the youngest team to reach the postseason in 2013 has been ignited by green faces. Twenty rookies to be exact, including 12 rookie pitchers.

As always, questions surround youth and inexperience. The same can be said of injuries. And St. Louis is no stranger to the latter.

Here are five questions facing the Cardinals as they prepare for the postseason: 

1) How will the young rotation hold up?

Staff ace Adam Wainwright heads a rotation lacking postseason experience, but one full of raw talent. Wainwright finished with 19 wins, tied for the most in the NL. Backing Wainwright will be Lance Lynn, who completed his second season as a starter and rookies Shelby Miller, Michael Wacha and first-year starter Joe Kelly.

Lynn, who posted 11 wins to four losses prior to the All-Star break, struggled in season’s second half. In 14 starts, Lynn was 4-6 with a 3.93 ERA in 84.2 innings pitched.

Miller, a highly coveted prospect, shined en route to a 15-win campaign. But the 22-year-old hurler worked 173.1 innings, the most he’s ever pitched, including the minors. (Miller pitched 139.2 innings in 2011 while spending stints in Palm Beach and Springfield).

Kelly is relatively new to the starting role, though he was in the mix for the fifth spot in the rotation during spring training. The hard-throwing right-hander owns the third-best record (8-2) in the NL following the All-Star break.

Wacha, another touted prospect, has just nine major league starts under his belt.

Of the five starters, only Wainwright and Lynn have started postseason games.

Will the young guns continue to grow and rise up to the challenges of the postseason, or will they skitter and fall into decline?

2) How will the bullpen hold up?

At times the bullpen has been vulnerable, especially with the late-season struggles of closer Edward Mujica. Five relievers will be making their postseason debut, including Kevin Siegrist, Seth Maness, Sam Freeman, Carlos Martinez and Tyler Lyons.

According to Fan Graphs, Cardinals rookie relievers are a combined 14-7 with five saves and a 2.74 ERA over the course of 256 appearances and 265.2 innings pitched. Those numbers rank in the top five in the NL. More impressive, Cardinals rookie hurlers own an NL-best 3.6 wins above replacement.

On the other side, the Cardinals boast six pitchers who have postseason experience, including Mujica, Trevor Rosenthal, Randy Choate, Fernando Salas, John Axford and Jake Westbrook. Combined, the group is 3-0 with a 2.195 ERA with three saves in nearly 50 innings of work.

Will the rookies continue to shine in October? If not, the Cardinals will be in trouble.

3) Will the offense carry over into October?

This is perhaps the biggest question looming over the club. The Cardinals scored the most runs (783) in the NL over the regular season. They also boasted the most doubles (322) and RBI (745).

However, the Cardinals struggled at the plate during the 2012 playoffs. In comparison to the other four NL teams that reached the postseason last year, the Cardinals ranked fourth in average (.234), third in on-base percentage (.312) and last in slugging percentage (.367).

Will Matt Holliday, Carlos Beltran, Yadier Molina and Matt Carpenter continue to rip the cover off the baseball? Will rookie sensation Matt Adams continue his power surge?

After a slow start to the season, Holliday posted a .348 clip with nine homers and 47 RBI following the All-Star break. 

4) How will the Cardinals cope without Allen Craig?

There’s no question the Cardinals will miss their best clutch hitter in Craig, at least for the Division Series. Craig, who continues to nurse a sprained foot, posted monumental numbers with runners in scoring position, hitting .454 with four homers and 83 RBI and scoring 57 times this season. The 29-year-old, who signed a five-year extension last offseason, also led the league with runners in scoring position with two out, accumulating a .448 mark with 38 RBI and a pair of homers to boot.

However, rookie Adams aka “Big City” has crushed the ball since taking over for Craig at first base. The rookie left-handed slugger ended the regular season with a .284 mark to go along with 17 home runs and 51 RBI. As a left-handed hitter, those figures are mighty impressive.

Imagine the Cardinals offense in the postseason with both Craig and Adams in the lineup. For now, they’ll have to do without the former. 

5) Will manager Mike Matheny and the Cardinals learn from last season’s disappointment?

The Cardinals defeated the Cubs and clinched the NL Central Division title last Friday night, but this team has been in a similar situation before. Revert back to last season when the Cardinals squeaked into October as a Wild Card, defeated Atlanta in the one-game playoff and rallied against Washington to advance to the NLCS before coughing up a 3-1 lead in the series to eventual World Series champion San Francisco.

Manager Mike Matheny and his club are happy to own the division crown, but the Cardinals aren’t slowing down. They’re hungry for more.

Why stop now?

“People have asked me why we’re not emotional,” Matheny said last week, courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “They say we look subdued, always intense. That our actions are methodical, robotic at times. That’s what got us here. This isn’t the time to change it.”

Veterans like Beltran, Molina, Holliday and Wainwright haven’t forgotten the sour taste left behind after last October’s monumental collapse with a World Series berth one game away. This is the makeup of a championship-caliber team, a group never satisfied, always hunting for more.

“It’s kind of our personality,” Matheny said, courtesy of the Post-Dispatch. “There’s a whole lot of unfinished business. And these guys go about this game as professionally as you can. They realize that there’s a lot of work to do.”

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While the St. Louis is eyeing its third consecutive postseason appearance, a number of important events dramatically altered the 2013 season.

Most of these events are based on opportunity, while others are wrapped around raw talent. Perhaps the most important is youth, which the Cardinals boast plenty of.

First off, as weird as it may sound, the Cardinals have enjoyed great success due to injuries to some key players, including shortstop Rafael Furcal and starting pitcher Jaime Garcia.

Furcal, who was penciled in as the Opening Day shortstop, hurt his elbow during the 2012 postseason. The injury never healed, and Furcal opted to undergo season-ending surgery during spring training.

Welcome to the big leagues, Matt Carpenter, who was a hero during the Cardinals’ run to the National League Championship Series last fall.

Though shortstop isn’t Carpenter’s natural position, he’s done wonders as the leadoff man. In fact, he’s making noise in the National League MVP race. 

Carpenter, who is batting .321, with 116 runs scored, has been the best leadoff man in the NL, hands down. When batting first, Carpenter has scored 103 runs, hit 43 doubles and has driven in 67 runs. Moreover, Carpenter trails MVP contender Andrew McCutchen of Pittsburgh by six runs batted in. That’s ironic, because Carpenter bats first and McCutchen hits third.

Another prime event that changed the Cardinals’ season was the injury to left-handed starter Jaime Garcia.

Garcia underwent season-ending shoulder surgery on May 24. With an open spot in the rotation, the Cardinals turned to the young right-hander Joe Kelly.

Before the All-Star break, Kelly was just 1-3, with a 3.88 ERA in 24 games, including three starts. Following the break, Kelly owns the best record in the NL. He’s 8-1, with a 1.86 ERA in 11 starts.

That’s very impressive, considering Kelly is in his first full season with the Cardinals.

Out in the bullpen, young fireballer Trevor Rosenthal has been a late-inning stopper for the Cardinals, and one of the best in the NL. Mainly used as the eighth-inning man, Rosenthal has struck out 92 hitters, third-most in the NL, trailing Kenley Jansen of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Aroldis Chapman of the Reds.

There’s nothing more intriguing about this team than youth, which has really helped shape this season. The Cardinals’ average age is 27.4, tied for the fourth youngest in all of baseball. In fact, only one other team (Washington) is in the playoff race. The others (Seattle, Miami, Chicago White Sox and Houston) all have losing records and are out of the playoff picture.

The story of the 2013 Cardinals is wrapped around opportunity and youth, which is often overlooked by many. Still, these events have dramatically changed the Cardinals’ season.

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Season-ending surgeries sprinkled in with promising performances characterize the St. Louis Cardinals’ Top 10 prospects for the week of Aug. 19.

Injuries are part of the game, sure. Oscar Taveras, the organization’s top prospect is out for the season, left-handed starting pitcher John Gast and right-hander Tyrell Jenkins are also lost for the season due to significant injury.

However, with every downfall, a glimmer of hope emerges down on the farm. A number of young, talented players are getting hot at the right time as their season draws to a close.

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It wasn’t shocking to see many National League Central Division contenders like St. Louis, Cincinnati and Pittsburgh stand pat when last week’s non-waiver trade deadline passed.

This is especially true for the Cardinals, who garner the best development system in the game.

However, the deadline for teams eying to add the finishing touches via waivers expires Aug. 31. What will the Cardinals do? With five-time Gold Glover Yadier Molina sidelined with a right knee injury, will general manager John Mozeliak add a veteran catcher to accommodate the youth of backup Tony Cruz and call-up Rob Johnson? How about the possibility of adding a power bat off the bench for late-game situations? What about depth at shortstop?

All of the aforementioned equations represent different necessities the Cardinals could use, each carrying more importance.

So far the Cardinals remain quiet in terms of publicly expressing their plan of attack. They would be foolish to inform other general managers of what they intend to do for the time being.

An upgrade behind the plate while Molina continues to nurse his right knee would be one route Mozeliak could take.

Then again, he isn’t in a position where acquiring such player is a must, and reserve backstop Cruz is doing just fine in Molina’s absence. Cruz is no Molina, but he’s taking on his share behind the plate. 

As far as a power bat off the bench, the Cardinals remain intrigued by slugger Matt Adams, who hit his third pinch-hit home run of the season against the Dodgers on Aug. 7, the most by a Cardinals pinch-hitter since Carl Sawatski, who had four in 1961. 

But the Cardinals are in danger of snowballing. 

On June 20, the Cardinals were the best team in the game, sporting a mark of 47-26 and a 3.5 game lead over the second-place Pirates.

Since then, the Cardinals have sleepwalked their way to a 20-24 mark and have been elbowed out of first place by the Pirates, who hold a three-game advantage.

Some will argue against Mozeliak’s inability to land a trade following the deadline, others will cry afoul. Putting it bluntly, the Cardinals didn’t need to make a move before the deadline, and they don’t need to make one in the days following.

If you thought the Cardinals could sustain such excellence throughout the season, you’re kidding yourself. It’s extremely rare for a team not to struggle in a whirlwind of a 162-game schedule.

The Cardinals are in the thick of a pennant and division race. Shaking up the roster could negatively impact team chemistry.

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All was quiet for the St. Louis Cardinals as Wednesday’s 3 p.m. trade deadline passed.

General manager John Mozeliak wasn’t under the gun to make a blockbuster deal to further enhance his troops for the remaining two months of the season. 

The Cardinals, like many other organizations, stood pat instead of making an ill-advised move. By doing so, Mozeliak made the right choice for many reasons.

Most importantly, the Cardinals boast the best farm system in baseball. Their ability to consistently develop prospects is second to none. Such a drastic trade would have cost Mozeliak at least one top prospect, such as outfielder Oscar Taveras or second baseman Kolten Wong. The likes of fireballers Carlos Martinez and Trevor Rosenthal and starters Shelby Miller, Michael Wacha and Joe Kelly would have certainly been in the mix as well if such a deal became final.

Mozeliak wasn’t going to be played by pulling the trigger to improve his club for the next few years at the expense of the promising futures of so many talented prospects.

Here’s what ESPN’s Jayson Stark wrote about the Cardinals before the trade deadline.

“The Cardinals have so many prospects backed up from the Gateway Arch to Peoria, they could make just about deal they [wanted],” Stark wrote, courtesy of ESPN.com. “But in case you hadn’t noticed, [they] feel as if they have a better rotation now than the group they won the World Series with two years ago and aren’t interested in overpaying for a [pitcher or player].”

For those who remain bitter about the inability of Mozeliak to land another workhorse for the rotation, allow me to jog your memory on where the Cardinals starting pitchers stand in comparison to the rest of Major League Baseball.

The Cardinals own the third-best ERA (3.28) in all of baseball, have thrown the fifth-most innings pitched (666.2), allowed the third-fewest earned runs (243) and boast the sixth-best opponents batting average (.245).

Secondly, the Cardinals are the league’s most productive offensive team, even despite their dreadful seven-game losing skid, which was snapped with a 13-0 rout over the Pirates Thursday night.

The Cardinals have scored the most runs (518), have the best average (.273) and boast the best on-base percentage (.334) in the NL.

Sure, Mozeliak could’ve gone after an upgrade at shortstop over Pete Kozma, who has the second-lowest average (.236) among all qualified MLB shortstops, according to ESPN.com.

But, Mozeliak, according to Derrick Goold, of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, said he did not explore the market for a shortstop.

“Pete does a very good job defensively,” Mozeliak said, according to Goold. “And from an offensive standpoint up until this last week our team has been scoring runs, and we didn’t really feel compelled to chase something that wasn’t really there.”

As one of the best teams in the game, the Cardinals begin the race to October as an organization loaded with depth at every position.

Most importantly, they remain a very rugged team for any opponent to beat.

“We feel we have a very good team,” Mozeliak said, according to Goold. “When you look at the opportunities that might have been out there to truly improve everything comes at a price. We didn’t feel the price was right.”

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This season has a familiar tune to it. It’s a lot like 2011, when the Cardinals lost Adam Wainwright for the season.

However, this time around, the Cardinals are dealing with the loss of one of their most effective relievers, Jason Motte—the hard-throwing closer who will likely undergo season-ending Tommy John surgery to repair his flimsy elbow—who tied for the National League lead with 42 saves last season.

Just 13 games into the season, Motte’s absence has already caused reason for alarm. The Cardinals are struggling to close games. Their late-inning arms are failing with the game on the line.

Is it time to panic? Not hardly.

We’re talking about a bullpen that allowed the seventh-fewest earned runs in the NL (205) last season. It’s essentially the same group that tied for the third-highest strikeout-to-walk ratio (2.64) last season.

The season remains young, and manager Mike Matheny is still deciphering which players are most effective in every role out of the bullpen.

Here are three reasons why the Cardinals can overcome the loss of Motte.

Mitchell Boggs, RHP

A lot of you will disagree with me, but I firmly believe Boggs has the stuff to close out games.

Yes, he has struggled at times. He blew the save against Arizona April 3. The right-hander came on in the bottom of the 12th inning, with the Cardinals clinging to a 9-8 lead. Here’s how Boggs fared: single, hit batter, sacrifice bunt, sacrifice fly and a run scored.

The Cincinnati Reds rocked him during the Cardinals’ home opener April 8. Manager Mike Matheny called on Boggs to work the ninth inning of a 4-4 game. Here’s Boggs’ series of unfortunate events: walk, flyout, wild pitch, intentional walk, double, intentional walk, walk, infield single and an error. When the smoke cleared, the Reds had tagged Boggs for six earned runs on just two hits. What was once a close game was written off as a blowout.

“[That was] the worst outing of my career,” Boggs said, courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “I don’t think you can put it any other way. I wasn’t any good. There’s no other way to say it, there is no excuse.”

Moreover, the Brewers cracked him last Sunday. Once again, Boggs was called on to save the game for starter Jaime Garcia. But Carlos Gómez and Yuniesky Betancourt had other plans for the unconfident Cardinal closer. Boggs was ahead 1-2 on Gómez, the leadoff man, before the center fielder roped a line drive single to right. Boggs jumped ahead 0-1 on Betancourt, before the third baseman yanked an RBI double to right-center.

“This game was there for us to take,” Boggs said, courtesy of the Post-Dispatch.

Indeed, the Cardinals had a 3-0 lead in the eighth; though the contest was even when Boggs trotted in from the bullpen.

“The bottom line is I had a chance to get the win for us and I didn’t get the job done,” Boggs said, courtesy of the Post-Dispatch. “I can sit here and talk about it all I want to, but until I start going out there and doing the job, it’s not good enough.”

No argument there. 

We’ve seen the agony of Boggs’ ninth-inning meltdowns. However, he’s been dealt with some harsh luck, too. It’s not as if I’m saying Boggs should be let off the hook. He certainly shouldn’t. It’s his job to shut down opponents late in games.

Boggs hasn’t allowed a home run. He’s been tagged for six singles, most of which were harmless bloopers, and two doubles.

On the other hand, Boggs has had trouble firing strikes. Thus far, he has issued seven free passes (three intentional) in 7.1 innings of work.   

There’s no question Boggs has the stuff. He led the NL with 34 holds last season, while opponents hit just .211 off him in 73.1 innings.

As the season continues to unfold, Boggs will continue to adjust to his new role. After all, he prepared to enter the season as the eighth-inning man, not the closer. It’s a completely different mindset.

Trevor Rosenthal, RHP

Trevor Rosenthal is in the midst of his first full season as a big leaguer. There was talk of the fireballer being inserted into the starting rotation. When Shelby Miller earned the gig, Rosenthal was stowed away in the bullpen.

So far, Rosenthal has shown signs of encouragement. He’s shown signs of power, with his blistering heat.

Rosenthal is tied for sixth with 10 strikeouts among active major league relievers—a key stat for any late-inning arm. His fastball has reached triple digits—an important component for a late-inning reliever.

According to FanGraphs, his fastball averages over 97 mph. 

“It’s definitely fun to…have that special ability,” Rosenthal said, courtesy of the Post-Dispatch.

The 22-year-old right-hander, however, has also struggled.

He’s made seven appearances thus far, and has allowed four earned runs on eight hits in just eight innings and has two blown saves. 

On April 8, the Reds tagged him for two hits and a run in the top of the eighth to tie the game, 4-4.

Six days later, Rosenthal surrendered a two-run home run off the bat of Ryan Braun to bring the visiting Brewers within a run in the top of the eighth.

Rosenthal got away with his overpowering fastball for a few games. However, he’s relied on it too often. If you’re consistently one dimensional, trouble will find you.

Rosenthal continues to develop his secondary pitches to accompany his heater, which is vital for success.

He’s still young, and rather green. In time, Rosenthal will blossom into the pitcher the Cardinals expect him to be.

Whether Matheny opts to lean on Rosenthal for the ninth inning remains a mystery. The youngster is more than capable of handling the role, but his off-speed pitches are crucial in keeping hitters off-balance at the plate.

Mike Matheny and Derek Lilliquist

The Cardinals have an abundance of resources—powerful arms capable of working any late-game situation.

Matheny is confident in Rosenthal and Boggs in the eighth and ninth innings. Both pitchers possess the appropriate mechanics and pitches to get the job done. The results are lacking. 

Matheny isn’t naïve, nor is pitching coach Derek Lilliquist. Expect them to tinker with the bullpen if problems continue to arise. Matheny is a former catcher, and a darned good one at that. He’s able to read pitchers in ways the average fan cannot. 

Historically, Cardinals’ closers have a long history of freakish injuries.

Closer Todd Worrell blew out his right arm on September 4, 1989. Manager Whitey Herzog filled the void with Dan Quisenberry. The experiment turned disastrous. The Cardinals went 11-15 over the final stretch of the season, and Quisenberry posted an alarming 4.66 ERA. The Cardinals finished third in the NL East.

The results were far better in 2006, when ninth-inning man Jason Isringhausen landed on the disabled list September 6 with a hip injury that ultimately required season-ending surgery. Manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan inserted rookie starter Adam Wainwright into the ninth-inning role, where he prospered en route to winning the franchise’s 10th title.

Winning without Motte can be done, but it’ll be up to Matheny and Lilliquist to determine the proper course of action over the remainder of the season.

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