Kuzul

The St. Louis Cardinals have already experienced what it was like to be without Jaime Garcia earlier this year when he missed time with a left shoulder sprain.  And now, they will be without Garcia for their playoff run.

Following his start in Game 2 of the 2012 NLDS, which lasted just two innings, the Cardinals placed Garcia on the disabled list with rotator cuff strain and inflammation in his left shoulder (h/t Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch).

This injury will have a big impact on the Cardinals’ playoff run moving forward.

Garcia would have played a major role for the Cardinals this postseason, but the Cardinals are not necessarily worse off without him.

During the 2012 season, Garcia had a 7-7 record and a 3.92 ERA over 20 starts. Almost all of the Cardinals other starters had a better year than Garcia.

Lance Lynn had been lights out as a starter during the regular season, but he was on the Cardinals playoff roster as a reliever. During the regular season, Lynn was fourth in the National League with 18 wins and he posted a 3.78 ERA in the midst of an All-Star campaign.

As a result of Garcia’s injury, Lynn will now shift back into the Cardinals’ starting rotation, according to Jenifer Langosch of MLB.com. Rookie pitcher Shelby Miller has also taken Garcia’s spot on the NLDS roster. This will make getting past the Washington Nationals in the 2012 NLDS a bit more difficult.

There is no denying that this move hurts the Cardinals bullpen. Lynn pitched fairly well in the pen during the Cardinals’ World Series run last year.

However, the Cardinals starting rotation arguably gets better by making Lynn a starter once again. If he could put together a few six inning shut out performances then the bullpen will not be needed as much, which would make his shift a lot easier to handle.

The key wild card that could determine how this injury impacts the Cardinals is Miller. He is just 22 years old and he has only appeared in six MLB games.

With that being said, Miller was rated as the eighth best prospect entering the 2012 season by Baseball America and he did pitch well in the month of September (via Baseball-Reference).

Sending a young, starting pitching prospect to the bullpen has worked out well for teams in the past.

In 2008, David Price was just 22 years old when he made five appearances in September. He was dominant enough to convince the Tampa Bay Rays to put him on their postseason roster.

Price delivered in the playoffs. Between the 2008 ALDS and ALCS, Price made five appearances and allowed just one earned run in 5.2 innings while striking out eight.

If Miller is able to replicate the performance that Price had, then the Cardinals will be in a good position to defend their title in 2012.

Between Lynn and Miller, the Cardinals could be able to replace Garcia without much of a problem. While losing Garcia is tough, the Cardinals have the pieces that can help them to overcome the loss.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Are the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals better than the 2011 team? Well, the 2011 Cardinals won the World Series and it’s difficult to finish the season with a better result than that.

In 2012, the Cards also finished with a lesser record (88-74) than the 2011 club (90-72). But last year, St. Louis had to go 18-8 in September while the Atlanta Braves collapsed with a 9-18 record to win the NL Wild Card.

This season, the Cardinals didn’t need a late-season surge to qualify for the postseason but were the beneficiary of the NL’s extra wild-card spot. Yet St. Louis also had to win the one-game Wild Card playoff on the road against a Braves team with a better record to advance to the NLDS versus the Washington Nationals. 

The 2012 edition of the Cardinals is also missing Albert Pujols, one of MLB‘s best hitters, from the lineup, along with one of the best managers in baseball history in Tony La Russa. Yet this team did make the playoffs and could return to the World Series in an NL playoff field in which no clear favorite has emerged. (The Cincinnati Reds might disagree with that.) 

Though it remains to be seen whether or not the 2012 Cardinals can match the accomplishments of the 2011 team and win a second consecutive World Series championship, it could be argued that this year’s squad features a more complete roster of pitchers and position players. 

The Lineup is Deeper

While the lineup did lose Pujols, the Cardinals arguably replaced him with several players this year.

Lance Berkman took over for Pujols at first base, coming off a resurgent season in which he hit 31 home runs with 94 RBI and a .959 OPS. Assorted injuries kept Berkman from making much of a contribution this season, but his move to first base created an opening in right field, allowing the Cardinals to sign Carlos Beltran. 

Did Beltran replace Pujols’ production in the lineup? He finished with a lower batting average and OPS, but with 32 home runs and 97 RBI, Beltran came close to matching Pujols’ run production. 

Berkman’s injury also provided Allen Craig with more playing time. Craig posted strong numbers as a reserve in the regular season and postseason last year, batting .315 with 11 homers and 40 RBI.

But with twice the number of plate appearances this season due to becoming the starting first baseman, Craig contributed a .307 batting average, .876 OPS, 22 home runs and 92 RBI.

Elsewhere in the lineup, Jon Jay provided more production at the plate than Colby Rasmus did before he was traded last season. Jay batted .305 with a .773 OPS in 502 plate appearances this season, giving the Cards an everyday player in center field that they didn’t have last year. 

Others Stepped it Up

Perhaps the other hitters in the Cardinals’ lineup knew they would have to increase their production with Pujols gone. But maybe those players also made natural improvements and benefited, as Craig did, from increased playing time.

Yadier Molina was already one of the best catchers in MLB and had a fine 2011 season, batting .305/.349/.465 with 32 doubles, 14 homers and 65 RBI. But Molina became an MVP candidate this year, compiling a .315/.373/.501 triple-slash average with 28 doubles, 22 home runs, 76 RBI and 12 stolen bases. 

David Freese hadn’t been able to make it through a full season without getting hurt. But the World Series MVP played in 144 games in 2012. By staying healthy, he was able to hit .293/.372/.467 with 20 home runs and 79 RBI. 

Cardinals pitchers elevated their level of play as well. 

When Chris Carpenter was sidelined during spring training after developing a nerve problem in his right shoulder, Lance Lynn was brought out of the bullpen in what may have been seen as a placeholder move until St. Louis could acquire or develop an adequate replacement for the starting rotation.

But Lynn developed into one of the team’s best starters, putting together an 18-7 record and 3.78 ERA. He was also the Cards’ best strikeout starting pitcher, racking up 180 K’s in 176 innings. 

Kyle Lohse had a fine 2011 season with a 14-8 record and 3.39 ERA. But this year, he became one of the elite pitchers in the NL, compiling a 16-3 record and 2.86 ERA. Lohse pitched well in the NL Wild Card Game as well, allowing two runs and six hits over 5.2 innings.

In the bullpen, La Russa went through several different closers during the 2011 season before settling on Jason Motte as the ninth-inning stopper. Following up on Motte’s postseason performance, current Cards manager Mike Matheny kept Motte as the closer all season long while also establishing regular roles for each reliever. 

Motte responded with 40 saves, nearly as many as the 47 saves the St. Louis bullpen earned collectively last season. Mitchell Boggs developed into an excellent setup man, while Fernando Salas provided a middle-inning strikeout threat. 

It’s yet to be determined if this year’s Cardinals team is better than the team that won the World Series last year.

Is it possible that the 2012 club could actually have more talent and a deeper roster yet not finish with championship results? Sure, but it would be hard to make that argument—especially when St. Louis still might not advance past the NLDS. 

If the Cardinals get into the NLCS and World Series, however, the moves and decisions that general manager John Mozeliak made before and during the 2012 season should definitely be celebrated.

Follow @iancass on Twitter

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Denying the St. Louis Cardinals their rightful playoff destiny isn’t generally a wise move.

They were the ultimate underdog story in 2011 by erasing a double-digit lead late in the season, only to barely make the postseason and then rampage through their opponents to a World Series title.

In 2012, MLB placed the Cardinals in an unappealing position within the new wild-card format.

They then advanced past that unenviable one-and-done playoff scenario by breaking though a veritable brick wall. The Cards overcame Kris Medlen and the Braves’ MLB record of 23 straight wins in games in which he started.

Those who gave the nod to Atlanta in that one-game series were sorely mistaken—myself very much included.

But let’s throw by the wayside those otherworldly destinies affecting the baseball world for just a bit. St. Louis is primed to advance to the NLCS for a few logical reasons.

Experience—The Meaningful Kind

First of all, the Cardinals have been there and done that—their postseason experience should not be devalued.

Other than shortstop Pete Kozma, every starting Cardinals position player was on last season’s World Series squad. Some even have more extensive experience in the past playoff series.

And to be fair, Kozma’s backup Daniel Descalso won a ring last year as well.

The same applies to the starting rotation, closer and top set-up men for St. Louis. Closer Jason Motte, in particular, recorded five saves and a 2.19 ERA on the world’s biggest stage in 2011.

The knowledge of postseason nuances and the experience of winning as the underdog is a deadly combination.

As for the Washington Nationals, the same track record does not reveal itself.

Six out of the eight starting position players are first-timers in October baseball. Jason Werth and Adam LaRoche are the only two that can provide some guidance.

Pitching-wise, Wednesday’s starter, Edwin Jackson, threw Game 4 for the Cardinals in 2011. He did so in a losing, seven-walk effort.

Reliever Mike Gonzalez registered three innings in last year’s WS for the Rangers, but did not fare well either.

Point being, the Nationals were supposed to be good during the regular season, and they knew it. The playoffs, though, are a completely different animal.

It’s not like the youthful Oakland A’s, who were never supposed to be any good, and now have nothing to lose because of their already impossible achievements.

Washington has everything to lose—especially since they’re an overwhelming favorite over St. Louis.

It also doesn’t help that they left their most important player off the postseason roster.

The Domino Effect of a 160-Inning Detriment

The never-ending debate over Stephen Strasburg’s innings limit will rage on whether or not Washington is in the postseason.

As long as they’re on the losing side of things—which will continue for the next two games—it’s going to get real ugly.

Nationals GM Mike Rizzo made a controversial decision well before the season began, and long before he knew his team would be playing October baseball.

He decided that Strasburg, his 24-year-old franchise pitcher coming off Tommy John surgery, would operate within the parameters of a 160-180-innings pitch limit. He would not risk the long-term health of the face of the franchise, and would take full responsibility in doing so.

When Strasburg approached that manufactured cutoff point, a host of fans and outside observers clamored for the Nationals to stagger his outings so he’d be available for the playoffs.

But Rizzo and the team held their ground, and Strasburg saw his 2012 season come to an end after 159.1 innings.

Now, the Washington Nationals are deadlocked—and rather lucky to be so—at 1-1 with the St. Louis Cardinals in the NLDS. They’re fortunate because their de facto ace, 21-game winner Gio Gonzalez, walked seven and gave up two runs in just five innings. The Nationals won despite his poor day on the mound.

Jordan Zimmerman put them in an even a bigger hole in Game 2. He surrendered five runs in a mere three innings as the Cardinals stomped their way to a series-tying win. 

These ineffective performances by normally stellar pitchers reveal a couple ominous things. They are indicative of both inexperience-induced jitters and the pressure of pitching without their true ace when it matters most.

Furthermore, toeing the rubber on Wednesday is Edwin Jackson. This is where pitching matchups pose a huge problem for the Nationals.

Former Cy Young winner Chris Carpenter takes the mound for the Cardinals. The 6’6’’ hurler is 9-2 with a 3.02 ERA in his career in the postseason. Most notably, those numbers include his 4-0 record and his Game 7-winning outing in the 2011 World Series.

Again, Jackson came up short last year on the same stage. Worse yet, he surrendered eight earned runs in just 1.1 innings in his last start against his former club.

The edge goes to Carpenter in this matchup.

In Game 4, the Cardinals Kyle Lohse opposes Ross Detwiler for the Nationals.

Lohse bested the otherwise unbeatable Kris Medlen less than a week ago in the one-game playoff against the Braves. He pitched effectively to the tune of six strikeouts and two runs allowed in 5.2 innings for the win.

The 26-year-old Detwiler, on the other hand, is a neophyte to the experience of postseason baseball. He won 10 games and recorded a respectable 3.40 ERA on the year, but the big game has eluded him so far in his career

To the Nationals’ credit, Lohse will have to leave his regrettable 2011 playoff numbers in the past in order to secure the series for the Cardinals. At the end of the day, though, Lohse will push forward successfully with a short memory.

And to the Cardinals benefit, that will amount to a series win and trip to the National League Championship Series.

Shutting down Strasburg, eh?

Only time will tell if that was the right call.

Follow me on Twitter @jlevitt16

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The St. Louis Cardinals had already called RHP Chris Carpenter‘s season over. He was shut down for the season by surgery to correct his thoracic outlet syndrome.

The idea was that hopefully by spring training he would be back to his old self following an intense regimen this winter that would have him presumably back to normal.

That was the plan less than three weeks ago. Plans change.

Once Carpenter was first able to begin resuming baseball activities, it felt good. He threw more and kept feeling good—a sensation he hadn’t had in quite some time.

He felt so good, in fact, that rumors began to fly about whether he could throw again this season.

After several simulated games and bullpen sessions, Carpenter on Monday was believed to still be a simulated start away from making his return to the big leagues.

As Cardinals fans have already learned in the Carpenter capers of 2012, plans can change.

Given the lackluster performance by LHP Jaime Garcia on Monday evening, plans need to change.

Follow the break for five reasons why the Cardinals must activate Carpenter for Saturday’s start in Los Angeles.

Begin Slideshow

As the 2012 Major League Baseball regular season nears the final month of play, the St. Louis Cardinals are poised to reach the playoffs for an impressive 10th time in the past 17 seasons.

Since 1996, the Cardinals have a .544 winning percentage, yet even during this extended run of quality baseball, the team has had some traditional “soft spots” in the roster—namely second base, the bullpen and leadoff batter.

Not that the Cards have received poor production in these areas; in most cases, far from it.

But the organization has tended to have turnover at these positions for various reasons—be it salary-saving measures, a series of stop-gap veterans or draftees who simply never panned out.

Oh, you say leadoff hitter is not a position?

Tell that to Pete Rose, Lou Brock or Rickey Henderson. Actually, Rickey probably already told Rickey how important the leadoff batter is.

In the case of the leadoff spot, the Cards have had some nice production over the past decade from guys such as Fernando Vina, David Eckstein, Skip Schumaker and, most recently, an aging Rafael Furcal.

All tended to provide an on-base percentage between .350 and .360. Most were tough to strike out and offered some speed at the top of the order, but none ever gave the impression that they were long-term solutions.

As Colby Rasmus failed in center field, Jon Jay began filling the void defensively, and as Furcal has declined sharply midseason, Jay has began to settle in as the Cards’ new leadoff hitter.

Here are five reasons why Jay could be the Cards’ long-term solution at leadoff.

Begin Slideshow

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Kyle Lohse has put together a very impressive season, but few outside of St. Louis seem to have even noticed.

When Kyle Lohse was the team’s opening day 2012 starter, a lot was expected of him. With Adam wainwright returning from Tommy John surgery, Chris Carpenter out with nerve issues and Lance Lynn making his debut as a starter, Lohse was expected to be an anchor to the team’s rotation.

His time in St. Louis has had its ups and downs, but since the beginning of 2011 he has been a real asset.

In Lohse‘s first season with the Cardinals he went 15-6. His 3.78 ERA was, at least at the time, the best of his career.

Forearm issues then began to plague him, making for lackluster 2009 and 2010 performances where he went a combined 10-18.

Since his health issues were lined out, however, he has been better than at any point in his career. In 2011 and 2012, he has a combined 28-10 record. That is a dramatic difference that deserves recognition.

So far in 2012, Lohse has the third best ERA in the NL (2.64), is tied for fifth in WHIP (1.08), sixth in wins (14) and ranks eighth in IP (174.0). He also leads the league in outs in the air with 211.

Lohse has the best win percentage in the NL (.875). Equally as important as his 14 wins this year is the fact that he has been hit with only two losses in his 27 starts to date.

These numbers may not all be the best in the league, but definitely deserve more attention than he has gotten.

So, why is he not being noticed?

Not a Flashy Pitcher

Lohse is not a strikeout pitcher like Cliff Lee or Stephen Strasburg. He’s not the most animated or exciting to watch.

What he does do is consistently get the job done.

Sure, strikeouts are fun to watch, but if you can get a batter out in two pitches with a popout instead of a five or more pitch strikeout, then more power to him. The fewer pitches per batter translates into a very important fact—more innings pitched.

He’s Never Been a Big Name

He’s been solid, but he’s never been a big headline grabber.

We see guys like Strasburg, Jered Weaver and Felix Hernandez in the headlines every fifth day, but that’s not the case with Lohse.

While his individual outings might not be big news to some, his season is certainly big news.

His comeback over the past two seasons has been nothing short of monumental. To go from being a sub-.500 pitcher to leading the league in winning percentage is a huge accomplishment.

Many Other Pitchers Have Been Amazing

Another reason we haven’t seen him in the headlines this year is because so many other worthy pitching stories have come along.

From numerous no-hitters, perfect games and success stories like R. A. Dickey, there have been a lot of pitchers in the news in a big way.

Lohse, on the other hand, has done what he does best—come out under the radar, put together good outings and wait five days. Lather, rinse, repeat is the best way to explain Kyle Lohse in 2012.

Double-Edged Sword for Cardinals Fans

There is a potential downside to the success Lohse has seen this season. With free agency looming just around the corner, he is primed and ready for what will likely be the best contract of his career.

With two solid, healthy seasons in his rear view mirror, he and his agent, Scott Boras, will likely be looking to get him exactly what he has earned.

While he may like to stay in St. Louis, the fact that the Cardinals just re-signed Jake Westbrook could be viewed as a concession to the fact that Lohse will be gone to free agency.

Regardless of where he is headed, Cardinals fans have a lot to be thankful for in Kyle Lohse.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Starting pitcher Jake Westbrook and the St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to an extension that will keep him in St. Louis through next season and possibly 2014.

The Cardinals tweeted the news: 

Cardinals announce a contract extension with Jake Westbrook that carries through the 2013 season & includes a mutual option for 2014.

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) August 21, 2012

CBS’ Matt Snyder also passed along this statement from Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak: 

Jake continues to be a steady and sturdy part of our pitching staff and we are pleased to announce his extension. His veteran presence is important to the makeup of our team. Jake has demonstrated his leadership with his commitment and hard work, resulting in both a terrific 2012 season and career.

This extension is not a shock; Westbrook looks comfortable with the Cardinals. He’s providing them with some very solid innings, and they’re wise to lock him up before he hits free agency at the end of the season. 

This season, the 6’3″ right-hander is 12-9 with a 3.50 earned run average and has 95 strikeouts in 154.1 innings.

He is now 28-22 with a 4.02 ERA ever since coming to St. Louis in a three-team, trade-deadline deal in 2010. 

What likely got the Cardinals moving on this deal is that starter Kyle Lohse’s contract is up at the end of the season, and he is going to command a ton of attention and a lot of money on the open market. 

Having Westbrook already in the fold for next season limits the damage that would occur if Lohse should leave, and it takes the pressure off the front office to re-sign him if the dollars he is seeking rise beyond his value. 

Time will tell where Lohse ends up, but Westbrook is in St. Louis to stay. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to have a lot of personnel decisions facing them this offseason.

Some players are unfortunately going to have to be let go, as there won’t be enough money to go around.

From Lance Berkman to Tyler Greene, the Cardinals need to move on and let some other players get a chance to succeed.

Let’s take a look at three players the Cardinals shouldn’t re-sign for the 2013 season.

Lance Berkman, 1B

I love Lance Berkman, but there just won’t be room for an aging, injury-prone first baseman on the roster after the 2012 season.

With the emergence of Allen Craig this season, Berkman has even admitted that Craig deserves a bulk of the playing time at first.

And, with Matt Carpenter on the roster as a more-than-capable backup, there doesn’t seem to be much need for Berkman in the future.

Since Berkman can’t seem to stay healthy, hopefully he’ll retire after this season to avoid any contract drama this offseason.

Jake Westbrook, SP

Westbrook has had a very good year for the Cardinals, compiling an 11-8 record with a 3.79 ERA.

However, the Cardinals will face several tough decisions when it comes to starting pitchers in the near future, with Westbrook and Kyle Lohse set to have their contracts expire this offseason and Adam Wainwright’s and Chris Carpenter’s contracts expiring after the 2013 season.

There simply won’t be enough room to keep all four of these starters, especially with Jaime Garcia signed long-term and the emergence of Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly.

Westbrook is probably the odd man out in the rotation, so letting him go this offseason would be a good move.

Tyler Greene, 2B/SS 

The Cardinals signed Greene to a one-year, $483,000 contract before the 2012 season.

He hasn’t even come close to living up to that meager contract and hasn’t lived up to expectations at all during his time in St. Louis.

If any player has ever needed a change of scenery, it’s Greene. He needs to get away from St. Louis and get on with his career somewhere else.

Maybe he can be a productive player in the big leagues; I don’t know. But one thing is for sure: He’ll never be a productive player in St. Louis.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

While the St. Louis Cardinals did make a move before Tuesday afternoon’s non-waiver trade deadline, their NL Central opponents made a bigger splash.

Will the Cardinals be able to make it past the Pittsburgh Pirates or the Cincinnati Reds? Have those teams shown they mean business in 2012?

I think the second question answers itself.

The first question, however, isn’t as clear-cut as some may think.

Through 102 games, the Reds sit atop the Central Division with a 61-41 record. They don’t need to get too comfortable, though.

The Pirates, 58-44, follow by only three games and made several moves in the last week. showing that they plan to go all-in for 2012.

The Cardinals sit seven full games out of first place with a 54-48 record and made only one move before the trade deadline. Is it enough?

Follow the break to see how these deals affect the Cardinals’ efforts to defend their title.

Begin Slideshow

If the St. Louis Cardinals are considering dealing the organization’s top-pitching prospect, Shelby Miller, there are a handful of potentially available pitchers they could go after.

While there is no guarantee they would be willing to part ways with him, his performance in 2012 has at least shown that he is not untouchable.

His last start was a major improvement, but he has not easily made the transition to Triple-A baseball.

Miller is 4-8 on the season with a 5.79 ERA with the Memphis Redbirds. In 82.1 innings pitched through 18 starts, the 21-year-old RHP has surrendered 17 home runs and 46 walks.

On the positive side, he also has 94 strikeouts. He still has some nasty pitches, but has not responded well to the improved hitting of the Pacific Coast League. Opposing batters are hitting .280 off of him to date.

Don’t let his record fool you. Miller still has what it takes to develop into a top-tier major league pitcher.

While his trade value might not be what it would have been last year, many clubs still know what he is capable of when he gets back on track.

If the Cardinals did decide to move him, what kind of impact players could they get?

In the case of most top-tier starting pitchers, Miller alone won’t make a deal. Following are a list of pitchers that might make the Cardinals more likely to move Miller.

Begin Slideshow