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St. Louis was shoved into the blistery winter without its 12th World Series championship, falling to Boston in the Fall Classic. General manager John Mozeliak entered the offseason knowing he had a glaring hole to fill for 2014: shortstop.

Mozeliak was patient in finding the perfect fit for the future. Options were numerous, but the solution arrived in the form of Jhonny Peralta, whom the Cardinals nabbed during free agency.

Mozeliak also enhanced his club’s depth by landing Peter Bourjos, the center fielder whom the Cardinals received from the Los Angeles Angels in the David Freese trade last month.

In terms of “smarts,” Mozeliak outsmarted the competition and flashed his brilliance within the span of a few days by shipping Freese and signing Peralta.

First, the upside of the Freese trade and Peralta signing.

Freese will forever be remembered for his heroics that lifted the Cardinals to their 11th championship in franchise history in 2011.

However, after a subpar 2013 season which saw Freese hit just .262 with nine homers and 60 RBI, the Cardinals were in a dilemma: Hand Freese a contract between $4 million and $4.5 million next season, or let him walk and get nothing in return.

Mozeliak simplified the equation by using proper judgment; he opted to trade Freese and get a reliable resource in return.

With Freese out of the fold, Matt Carpenter will shift over to his natural position at third base, making room for the young and green Kolten Wong at second.

Also, the addition of Bourjos will prove highly beneficial for the Cardinals. The Cardinals ranked last among National League teams in stolen bases (45) last season. Bourjos is a speedster. He was successful 22 times in 2011.

National media pundits gave the Cardinals a thumbs up for the Freese trade:

Carpenter moves to 3B, Wong moves to 2B, Bourjos takes over CF and Cards now better defensively at all three positions

— JIM BOWDEN (@JimBowdenESPNxm) November 22, 2013 

Stan McNeal of Fox Sports Midwest and USA Today:

Scout on Bourjos: “The perfect player for St Louis. Great makeup, plays with same intensity throughout every game… And he can fly” #stlcards

— Stan McNeal (@stanmcneal) November 22, 2013 

The Peralta signing drew widespread criticism, which was partially deserved. Peralta was suspended for 50 games last season as a result of Major League Baseball’s investigation concerning the Biogenesis of America anti-aging clinic.

His poor judgment came into play. Questions arose surrounding his suspension, and backlash soon followed. 

Arizona Diamondbacks pitcher and union player representative Brad Ziegler tweeted the following after the Cardinals signed Peralta: 

It pays to cheat…Thanks, owners, for encouraging PED use “@JimBowdenESPNxm: Peralta – Cards agree to 4-year deal: http://t.co/rkpdAO3QaL”

Brad Ziegler (@BradZiegler) November 24, 2013

Albeit, some may believe Peralta shouldn’t have been given another chance.

My question: Why? This is professional sports, a spectrum full of second chances.

Peralta served his suspension. He was reprimanded for his illicit and dumbfounded actions.

Mozeliak defended the addition of Peralta by saying the Cardinals aren’t the “morality police.” Per R.B. Fallstrom of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch: 

“Character and makeup are something we weigh into our decision-making,” said Mozeliak. “In his case, he admitted what he did, he took responsibility for it. I feel like he has paid for his mistakes, and obviously if her to make another one, then it would be a huge disappointment.”

For now, the Peralta signing upgrades the shortstop position for the Cardinals both offensively and defensively. The 31-year-old hit .303 with 11 home runs and 55 RBI in 2013. Moreover, he only committed four errors in 103 starts at shortstop for Detroit last season. 

If you want to label the Peralta signing as the “dumbest” offseason move by Mozeliak, be my guest.

But I have a hunch that Cardinals fans are ecstatic about their new shortstop. 

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The St. Louis Cardinals fell short of their 12th World Series title to Boston, but the National League champions will recharge their batteries and prepare for what many hope to be another deep run next fall. 

A number of Cardinals saw their seasons go awry as they failed to meet or exceed expectations. That said, here are three Cardinals who are destined to have bounceback 2014 seasons.

Daniel Descalso, Infielder

Last season was a disappointment for the Cardinals’ middle infield, particularly the shortstop position. Due to the sudden end of Rafael Furcal’s season because of elbow surgery, utility men Daniel Descalso and Pete Kozma had to fill the void up the middle.

I’ll get to Kozma in a moment.

First, the 27-year-old Descalso was dreadful during the Cardinals’ run to the World Series; he went 4-for-26 for a .154 mark.

He wasn’t much better during the regular season, hitting .238 in 123 games played. More alarming is the fact that Descalso led the team with 14 errors, something he will certainly work on this offseason and during spring training.

Descalso made 48 starts at shortstop last season and turned in a .964 fielding percentage.

Even though he struggled in 2013, the future looks bright in 2014 for one important reason: There won’t be as much pressure on Descalso. At least that’s the common belief after the Cardinals traded third baseman David Freese to the Los Angeles Angels last month.

The move will allow Matt Carpenter to shift over to third base (his natural position), and with Kolten Wong likely penciled in as the Opening Day starter at second base, Descalso will serve an important role as a utility bat and glove off the bench for manager Mike Matheny.

Pete Kozma, Infielder

Pete Kozma is in the same boat as Descalso. He struggled mightily last season and never found his groove at the plate. At times, one could speculate whether a hole was in the middle of Kozma’s mitt. He committed nine errors during the regular season and was erratic in the postseason.

The biggest elephant in the room for Kozma was his porous season at the plate. With Descalso struggling, the Cardinals had no choice but to give the reeling 25-year-old Kozma over 400 plate appearances, in which he managed a slim .217 mark with 91 strikeouts.

What’s the spin on both Descalso and Kozma heading into 2014? Encouraging, really.

General manager John Mozeliak knew he had to make a move this offseason to land a big-name shortstop by free agency or trade.

He elected the former by inking Jhonny Peralta to a four-year deal that could be worth more than $50 million, according to Ben Walker of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Peralta will be the everyday shortstop for the next several years, leaving Descalso and Kozma as reserves.

The signing will benefit Matheny in the long run because the Cardinals’ bench now becomes more flexible.

Jon Jay, Outfielder

Jon Jay got off to a slow start last season, hitting .250 prior to the All-Star break. However, the 28-year-old center fielder revved it up at the plate by posting a .311 average following the Midsummer Classic.

That said, Jay was often streaky at the plate. His .370 slugging percentage ranked lowest of his four-year career.

Like Descalso and Kozma, Jay struggled during the postseason, going 10-for-25 (.192) in 17 games.

But reinforcements have arrived in the form of Peter Bourjos, who will likely start (or platoon?) in center field to start 2014, and Oscar Taveras, the talented rookie. I’d expect Bourjos to get the nod from Matheny on Opening Day. 

Jay would then become a bat off the bench, giving Matheny even more wiggle room during late-game situations. Jay will be better off with less pressure riding on his everyday performance with Bourjos and Taveras now in the fold.

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CBS Sports’ Jon Heyman was the first to report that the St. Louis Cardinals had signed free agent Jhonny Peralta to a contract pending a team physical.

Fox Sports’ Jon Morosi was the first to report that it was a four-year deal that was just north of $52 million. Heyman later tweeted that the deal was going to be for $53 million. 

Peralta receiving $53 million from any team in MLB is a bad sign, especially when it comes from one of the marquee franchises in baseball. It pays to use PEDs in baseball. Even if you get caught, teams will still be willing to pay millions if the numbers are good. 

MLB and commissioner Bud Selig spent a lot of time investigating the Biogenesis anti-aging clinic in Florida. The investigation led to the suspension of 13 players listed in this report by Yahoo Sports’ Tim Brown, including Peralta, who acknowledged taking PEDs. All 13 players received 50-game suspensions that they started serving immediately in order to complete them by the end of last season. 

Alex Rodriguez was also charged in this investigation and was given a 211-game suspension, something that he is still in the process of fighting with baseball. 

The 31-year-old Peralta is an average player who has had two above-average seasons recently in 2011 and 2013. It begs the question of when Peralta started using and if his improved numbers are solely driven by using PEDs.

In baseball’s quest to wrap up the Biogenesis investigation in a neat bow, it allowed players who served their 50-game suspensions last season to come back in time for the playoffs. Peralta came back for the Detroit Tigers and was one of their best hitters, hitting a combined .333 in the playoffs. 

Imagine if Peralta had managed to propel the Tigers to a World Series victory after serving a 50-game suspension. It would have only managed to further embarrass baseball when the focus should be on the greatness of the sport.

Peralta’s signing sends a bad signal to the rest of baseball. Cheat, be momentarily embarrassed but hit it rich when you come back. The Cardinals should want no part of adding Peralta to their young locker room. Instead, they are welcoming him with open arms. 

Until baseball understands that they need to start hitting the players where it really hurts, in the wallet, nothing is going to change. Players need to face stiffer suspensions, face postseason bans and teams should be allowed to opt-out of contracts with players who are suspended. 

Players who are suspended should also have limits on the length of contract and amount of money that a player can make after receiving a suspension from baseball. Those may sound too harsh, but until the suspensions become real deterrents, players are still going to find ways to cheat, because the benefits still outweigh the negatives. 

Cheating still pays. It’s the only message that you can see from Peralta’s contract. One that other players and fans can easily see. 

Information used from Jon Heyman/CBS Sports, Jon Morosi/Fox Sports, Jon Heyman/CBS Sports, Baseball Reference, Tim Brown/Yahoo Sports

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It may not be as big or impactful of a trade as Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler was from earlier in the week, but the swap between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels does leave plenty to dissect and discuss.

All in all, the four-player deal involves third baseman David Freese and reliever Fernando Salas going to the Angels, and outfielder Peter Bourjos and prospect Randal Grichuk headed to the Cardinals.

Here’s a rundown of the biggest winners and losers of this move, starting with the most accomplished big leaguer of the batch.

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The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a deal that will send former World Series MVP David Freese and reliever Fernando Salas to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for outfielder Peter Bourjos and prospect Randal Grichuk.

Ken Rosenthal of Fox Sports was the first to break the news:

Obviously, the news of a slumping former elite third baseman changing hands is the highlight of the deal, but an under-the-radar element to watch is the 22-year-old outfielder named Grichuk.

Grichuk hails from Rosenberg, Texas. A surprise selection at No. 24 overall by the Angles in the 2009 MLB draft, Grichuk thus far is simply known as the player taken one spot ahead of Mike Trout.

What many don’t realize is simple—Grichuk is far from a bust and has all the intangibles of a stellar pro if he can stay healthy.

Here are three things Cardinals fans must know about their shiny new prospect.

Injury History is Shaky

The comparisons to Trout for Grichuk are unfair at face value because both men went to the same team anyway.

Grichuk can’t help the fact the Angles went with Trout, but a strange rash of injuries to begin his pro career didn’t help things in the eyes of fans—especially as he could only watch from the dugout as Trout exploded in the majors.

Per Tracy Ringolsby of the Angels’ website, Grichuk played in just 117 games his first two years as a pro. First he tore a ligament after 12 games in 2010. Shortly after his return, Grichuk broke his wrist diving for a ball.

Finally, Grichuk suffered a freakish fractured kneecap after he fouled a ball off his leg that derailed his 2011 season. Other minor issues contributed to his delay in development.

Grichuk has since managed to avoid the injury bug, and the results have been fantastic.

Batting Efficiency Not so Fantastic

Grichuk spent his 2012 season with Class A Inland Empire in 2012. He managed to stay healthy and appeared in a career-high 135 games.

The numbers speak for themselves:

Grichuk wouldn’t match his appearance totals in 2013 with Double-A Arkansas, but he came close with 128 games:

Clearly the in-game power for Grichuk is there. With two full seasons of appearances under his belt to take pitches and gain experience, Grichuk is on the upswing of his career.

Remember, he’s still just 22 years old.

Untapped Potential

The above equates to one thing—a young player with a long career ahead of him as a pro should he have both a quality opportunity and a bit of luck in the health department.

The Angels knew this. It’s exactly why they added Grichuk to the 40-man roster earlier in the week to make him exempt in December’s Rule 5 Draft and dangle him as trade bait.

Not only does Grichuk tout quality power as a hitter—he’s a force defensively with a career .985 fielding percentage, and he recently won a Rawlings Gold Glove award per the Angels’ Twitter account:

Grichuk is a sound prospect all around who will have an impact on the pros sooner rather than later. Even better, he sounds more than ready to start his journey with the Cardinals:

Fans must keep a watchful eye on their promising prospect. Grichuk has the tools to make an impact upon arrival.

Note: All relevant info courtesy of baseball-reference.com unless otherwise noted.

Follow @Chris_Roling

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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 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 Hot Stove League is in full swing and the rumors are swirling at a rapid pace. At this rate, the Cardinals will have about 10 shortstops to fill their void before the week is out.

Here is a breakdown of some of those rumors and the pros and cons with each rumored player as they pertains to the Cardinals’ needs.

Troy Tulowitzki

The Cardinals are supposedly kicking the tires on trading for Colorado shortstop Troy Tulowitzki and the possibility of bringing him to St. Louis to fill the huge hole at shortstop. 

Pros: Tulo is by far the best shortstop in the National League when healthy.  He can hit for power and has an excellent glove with great range.  The guy is game-changer and a middle-of-the-lineup presence any team would want. 

Cons:  The Cardinals would have to package a pretty sweet deal of pitching and other prospects to get Tulowitzki.  I don’t think he is worth it in the long run.

J.J. Hardy

This deal may be dead at this point, but as any baseball fan knows, deals can heat back up again at the drop of a hat.  One possible scenario to heat things back up would be for the Cardinals to perhaps offer Lance Lynn in exchange for Hardy after the Cardinals turned down the Orioles‘ offer of Hardy for Shelby Miller. 

Pros: Hardy is coming off the best year of his career.  He raked in all kinds of awards this season, including being an All-Star, Gold Glove winner and Silver Slugger.  Hardy swatted 25 home runs and drove in 76 runs while being a plus defender.  

Cons: Hardy will be 31 next season and will only be under contract through 2014. It would obviously be a bad trade for the Cardinals if they couldn’t find a way to extend Hardy beyond 2014. I would like to see the Cardinals get a core shortstop if they trade a highly valuable arm and frankly Hardy doesn’t meet that criterion.

Jed Lowrie

I am a fan of making this deal happen.  However, Athletics manger Bob Melvin says it’s not likely to happen.

Pros: Lowrie had a career year in 2013.  He hit .290 with 15 home runs and 75 RBI and knocked 45 doubles. Lowrie showed he can play when he stays on the field. Plus, Lowrie would be the cheapest option of the three shortstops mentioned. He made $2.4 million in 2013 and is arbitration eligible for 2014.  He’ll get a raise, but it will still be less than what Tulo and Hardy make.

Cons: Lowrie has only had one season, 2013, where he played more than 97 games.  So who knows what a team will get if they somehow acquire Lowrie. Will he be the guy who played 154 games or the guy who can barely stay on the field. One other con is the question raised earlier about a core-type player.  Lowrie is a better option than Hardy in that department, but his injury history could seriously cramp his core status. 

It will be exciting to see what the Cardinals will do to fill their shortstop needs for 2014.  With their deep pool of talent to shop with, the Cardinals are in the drivers seat to make whatever deal they deem suitable.

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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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It’s time for the offseason shuffle! The St. Louis Cardinals will be among the 30 MLB clubs shaping up their lineups heading into 2014, and the free agent market is the biggest tool at their disposal.

The team made headlines with their young talent this year, but it seems as if trading away the farm system is not in the plans.

“[The] preference of [John] Mozeliak is to not trade away players, but [he’s] not close-minded to it,” reports Brian Stull of 101 ESPN about the Cardinals general manager.

So which free agents may be wearing the birds on the bat in 2014? This article takes a look at three available players who would most benefit the club in terms of talent and filling in holes on the roster.

*All statistics are current on baseball-reference.com as of November 9, 2013.*

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