Kuzul

When camp broke, St. Louis Cardinals prospect Matt Carpenter seemed destined to start the 2011 season as the third baseman for Triple-A Memphis.

After putting up a .458./.552/.708 line in his first 24 spring at-bats, he may have thrust himself into a possible bench role and his debut in the Show. FOXSportsMidwest.com’s B.J. Rains reported yesterday that Carpenter and middle infielders Ramon Vazquez and Daniel Descalso have entered a competition for the final spot on the Cardinals roster.

Carpenter, the 2010 Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year, is looking to follow a slightly similar career path (albeit delayed) to that of the last third baseman to win MLPOY for St. Louis—Albert Pujols.

Both players were drafted in the 13th round, played third whilst rocketing through the minor league system, won the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year Award and in their first full big league spring tore up Jupiter with hitting ability that has to be seen to believed.

Today, manager Tony LaRussa decided to test Carpenter by hitting him second today against Twins ace Carl Pavano in a star-studded lineup that included every projected Opening Day starter—except third baseman David Freese.

“[He’s getting] a lot of at-bats and playing time now,” La Russa said to MLB.com reporter Matthew Leach. “It could go away. We could decide he’s not ready or it just doesn’t fit. He may be ready, but it doesn’t fit our club. But the difference here is that [reserve infielder Nick] Punto is out, so there are not only spring training at-bats, but there’s a month of a spot for somebody. So we want to be inclusive, not just decide ahead of time.”

Carpenter went 1-for-4 on the day with two strikeouts, but let’s not forget that this was against a major league pitcher.

So, can we take this seriously?

My answer: Absolutely. Depending on what you’re looking at.

If you think that we’re looking at the second coming of Albert, you’ll be sorely disappointed. Carpenter is already 25, and doesn’t have a shot at a starting role as of now. He’s not the next great in a line of Cardinals third basemen that includes Ken Boyer and Scott Rolen, either.

But if you’re looking for an infielder that can come off the bench for a big hit, play solid defense and can give your starter a day off every once in a while, then Carpenter is your man.

He brings a certain confidence to the plate that not even some of the veterans on the St. Louis roster provide. He also shows immense respect for himself and the team, as evidenced by this sound bite he articulated on Saturday to MLB.com’s Leach:

“All that is really out of my control…All I can control is when I get an opportunity to play, giving it my best effort and having good at-bats. Try to play good baseball. That’s kind of how I’ve been going at it. When I got invited here, I was just excited to be a part of it. I got the opportunity to play, and I was trying to make the most of it. Things have kind of been going well for me, and I’m just trying to continue that.”

Right now, he’s exactly what the Cardinals need with starting third baseman David Freese expected to need time off every three games or so to rest his ailing ankles. As a lefty, Carpenter brings the added bonus of complementing the right-handed Freese as a platoon partner if LaRussa sees that Freese is struggling.

LaRussa, who has publicly expressed that the team has an opening for Carpenter, also chose to keep the TCU graduate in for four at-bats today. This spring, Matt Carpenter is playing for more than just seasoning. He’s playing for a job.

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After Adam Wainwright went down for the season, Kyle McClellan looked like the leading candidate to take the open spot in the starting rotation. After his first outing of the spring, that spot is now McClellan’s to lose.

He looked strong in three shutout innings, needing only 38 pitches against the Astros today. He threw 25 of those for strikes, and only two balls even made it out of the infield off the bats of a Houston lineup that only started two of its regulars. McClellan only faced one batter over the minimum.

St. Louis also got strong returns from its relief corps, getting a scoreless fourth from lefty Trevor Miller. Prospect Bryan Augenstein sat down six batters in a row, and John Gast gave up a single but erased the runner with a pickoff in the seventh.

Southpaw Raul Valdes allowed two hits in the eighth but got a double play to get out of the jam, and Fernando Salas earned his second save as the Redbirds came away with a 1-0 victory.

Matt Holliday knocked in the only run.

McClellan had a 4.04 ERA in 68 games during as a rookie in 2007 and improved to a 3.38 ERA in 66 the next season. His best season came last year, when he posted a 2.27 ERA (3.92 xFIP) in 68 games.

For the last three years, McClellan has been an integral part of the St. Louis bullpen, but he was a starter in the minor leagues before undergoing Tommy John surgery, and he believes he can return to that role in his fourth full season with the Cardinals.

“It really doesn’t change a whole lot for me,” McClellan said. “This is what I want to do. The whole time I have been here, this is kind of where I want to be and the situation I want to be in. Obviously it’s extremely unfortunate with Adam but it’s somewhere where I feel like I could succeed and I have the stuff to do it.”

The biggest question for McClellan going forward is his durability. He’s never pitched at least 74 innings in a season, and only has 217-2/3 innings under his belt in the big leagues. McClellan doesn’t see this as a problem.

“I think it’s a legit question but you can’t really compare relievers to starters because as a reliever, you’re mentally and physically prepared to pitch every day,” McClellan said. “Yeah physically you may only throw 70 innings, but you’re throwing consecutive days, with no rest, with only a day rest, and as a starter, you can prepare yourself for that one day. You can go out and drain yourself for that one day and have four days to recover.

“I don’t think you can just look at it and say, ‘He’s only thrown 70, how’s he expected to throw 150?’  As long as I’m prepared physically, we’ll just go as far as I can go. You just go out and keep pitching until you can’t pitch anymore.”

McClellan also has the backing of pitching coach Dave Duncan, who recently transformed Adam Wainwright from rookie closer to a Cy Young candidate and ace starter.

“Right now he’s the guy that I think is best suited for the role, provided he can show us this spring what we need to see,” said Duncan. “He’s done that before but like I said, I’m one vote and not the final vote. In my opinion, it’s more important to get him slotted than it is anybody else.”

Duncan also dismissed any claims that McClellan will suffer from the drop in velocity that pitchers usually experience after moving from the bullpen to the rotation.

He relies mostly on deception and movement in his pitches, and he has possesses a fastball that tops out at about 93 mph, a strong curveball, and a complementary breaking ball.

This isn’t the first time that McClellan has entered camp with a shot at a starting job. Last year, he entered spring as the favorite for the fifth starter’s job, but lost the spot to lefty Jaime Garcia. It’s poetic justice, however cruel, that he could make his first start after entering spring with a solid spot in the bullpen.

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The St. Louis Cardinals are one of the most storied franchises in American sports history. They’ve won 10 World Series—second only to the Yankees. Their uniforms are perhaps the best-looking in all of sports.

But hungry fans want more. They want the Cardinals to compete harder against the Yankees’ (Jankees’) legacy. By spending the cheddar, the Cards can stay competitive.

But is this my only suggestion for improving the Redbirds? No, my pen has too much of a motor to stop there. Read my suggestions in this slideshow and voice your opinions. Let’s start the show. Next slide. 

Begin Slideshow

Serious injuries are never good things for baseball players, but the extent to which health problems affect someone’s career depends a lot on the situation.

For example, a young player who still has time to recover before he enters his prime is likely to bounce back, and a guy in the middle of a long-term contract doesn’t have to worry about finding a new job right away.

But for talented stars entering free agency or to a lesser extent, their arbitration years, getting seriously hurt could end up costing them several million dollars. And for older players whose ability to maintain their current levels of performance, a bad injury could mean a forced retirement.

In this slideshow are the 10 MLB players who would have the most to lose if they were struck by serious injuries.

Begin Slideshow

Francisco Liriano has been on top of many recent MLB trade rumors, and teams all around the league seem to be questioning his availability.

Pitching in the Major Leagues can help take a franchise to the top and acquiring a player like Liriano could make or break a team that is looking toward the postseason.

The following are ten teams that could eventually make a deal for the pitcher and should be very interested in his market value.

The list begins with the Atlanta Braves…

Begin Slideshow

I gotta’ say…it must SUCK to be a Cardinals fan right now.

After dominating for the last decade (seven playoff appearances in 10 years), the Cards started the ‘10s out with a thud. And, while losing never feels good, St. Louis’ pain was heightened by being ousted by the Cincinnati Reds, a bitter rival.

Still, heading into the 2010 offseason, there was hope in St. Louis. National pundits were quick to write the Reds’ success off as a fluke, and Cardinals fans took comfort in the belief that a top-heavy roster led by Albert Pujols would bring them quickly back to the top of the mountain.

Then began the Pujols circus, a four-month negotiation disaster that got the Cardinals no closer to signing their star to a new deal (Pujols now enters the last year of his contract). As of February 23, the Pujols camp put a moratorium on contract negotiations, as the future Hall of Famer was intent upon focusing on his Spring Training preparations.

Finally, as if angst levels weren’t already at a record high in St. Louis, it was announced Friday that club ace Adam Wainwright would be shelved for the season due to injury (perhaps you heard). Wainwright will undergo Tommy John Surgery, a procedure that takes more than a year to come back from.

Indeed, these days St. Louis is a miserable place to be, and no amount of Budweiser will change that. If baseball in St. Louis was ever in need of a savior, it is now.

Now, more than ever, heads turn back to Pujols. Not only is Pujols’ 2011 performance now more important than ever (though, unless he can pitch, he won’t come close to replacing the value of Wainwright), but the Cardinals organization must really be feeling the heat to get something done to keep their stud in town for the long haul.

Last week, I identified 10 things that needed to happen if the Cardinals were to trade Pujols. Now, I will outline the five things the Cardinals could (and should) do, if they are serious about re-signing their star.

Begin Slideshow

Albert Pujols is a man who is on the road that very few get to take: a road to greatness.  

In today’s game, there is so much speculation about steroids, HGH and whatever undetectable enhancers are out there that the reliability of many of the records, feats and accomplishments seem tarnished. 

Pujols is one of the few that has not been associated with any of it. He has steered clear of controversy. The worst thing he’s done is complain about Ryan Howard’s MVP in 2006, claiming the award should go to someone on a playoff team. 

This year the slugging first baseman will inevitably be surrounded the whole season with questions like “where will you sign next year?” and “are you worth $30 million a season?” and “can you keep up your Hall of Fame numbers?” 

That’s all fine and dandy. We all know Pujols will get his money, we know he is all but a shoo-in for the Hall, and it’s unfortunate, but we are in a sports world where the Cardinals‘ most popular player in years might not be with them next year. 

Things could get really ugly in St. Louis, especially if they’re not in contention around the All-Star break. So while we have a chance, let’s look at Pujols from a standpoint that everyone is familiar with: a monstrous home run hitter who can destroy baseballs on a whim. 

It’s funny, baseball is sport where the tide can turn on a dime, and when its does, everyone can feel the imposing sense of doom. Just ask a Boston Red Sox fan. It’s also very uncommon that one is faced with situation where you know how it ends before it starts. 

Remember the 2005 NLCS with the Houston Astros one strike away from a World Series birth and lights out closer Brad Lidge on the mound. Pesky David Eckstein singles and Jim Edmonds follows with a walk, leading to that fateful encounter between Lidge and Mr. Pujols.

For Lidge, he had the opportunity to get Eckstein and put that game away. You cannot give teams extra outs, especially in a situation like that. 

One strike, no balls and when Lidge hoofed that slider everyone knew it was gone. It couldn’t have been placed any better. An effortless swing with unleashed power and that ball was crushed like no other I have ever seen. 

That is what makes the game so great. Regardless of all the issues facing players today, the game has some unrelenting hold on us where we forgive and remember one moment in time when that player was bigger than the sport he played. 

Devon is the founder of The GM’s Perspective

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Towards the end of this offseason, there were a lot of rumblings about Albert Pujols and his need for a contract extension. 

Pujols has said throughout that he wants to remain with the St. Louis Cardinals and that he would not deal with the contract once spring training had started. Although Pujols took the noble path of not allowing the contract to interfere with the current season, there was no agreement met between the two parties.

Now that spring training has officially started, the Cardinals have a much greater issue to deal with, which is the season ending injury of Cy Young Award hopeful Adam Wainwright.

Perhaps, with this early season ending injury to Wainwright and the unsettled issue of Pujols’ contract, it is time for the the Cardinals to move Pujols in order to begin to rebuild.

There has been talk about Pujols being able to see a contract as high as $30 MM after this season and if he desired money anywhere close to that, he will no longer be a Cardinal.

It may be best that the Cardinals deal Pujols now. The Cardinals are in need of a starter to replace Wainwright for this season and perhaps Chris Carpenter for next season. There is an option on Carpenter for next season.

Carpenter is still certainly an ace, who last year pitched for an ERA of 3.22 with 16 wins, nine losses, 179 strikeouts and a WHIP of 1.18, but since he will be 36 next season, who knows if the option on Carpenter will be acted on. The Cardinals could very well be in need a of new starter for next season, depending on what happens with Carpenter, but they will definitely need one for this season to replace Wainwright.

If the Cardinals did deal Pujols, they would be able to have Lance Berkman play first base, as it is his natural position. Although Berkman may only be able to fill that hole for a season, he would make a good replacement for this season. Also, the Cardinals have a good depth when it comes to replacing a first basemen and an outfielder.

Pujols would be missed in the lineup for sure, but his market would be big. It would be better for the Cardinals to replace Wainwright by dealing Pujols than it would be for the Cardinals to hold Pujols and look at the free agency or farm system to replace Wainwright.

Loosing Wainwright is a worse blow to the Cardinals than it would be for them to lose Pujols. The time may have come where the Cardinals should deal Pujols and allow their team to rebuild for the future and have a chance at competition for this season as well.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Our 2011 fantasy baseball projections will be released one-by-one until the top 100 players have been revealed. These rankings consider past achievements, current performance and expected future results based on standard 5×5 H2H settings.

Ready to be blown away?

Since 2005, only one major league pitcher (with at least 900 innings) has an ERA lower than that of Roy Halladay. It’s not Johan Santana. Or Roy Oswalt. Or CC Sabathia. Or Felix Hernandez.

Give up?

Over the last six seasons, no qualifying pitcher has an ERA lower than Chris Carpenter’s mark of 2.88. His dominance has come despite missing all but four starts between 2007 and 2008 due to Tommy John surgery, and he’s still posting ridiculous numbers.

But nobody seems to notice.

Carpenter’s current ADP on Mock Draft Central is 95, while Rotowire ranks him 120 overall. The Yahoo! composite rankings have him just outside of the top 100.

Both Matthew Berry and I, however, rank Carpenter inside the top 60.

Why such a high ranking for the 35-year-old starter (he’ll turn 36 in late April).

Despite falling victim to the sub-2.50 curse last season, Carpenter’s ERA (3.22) ranked 23rd among qualifying pitchers, just behind Cliff Lee and CC Sabathia and just ahead of Jon Lester and Tommy Hanson.

Carpenter’s strikeout totals are average, but his walk rate was above 1.90 last year for the first time since his first season as a Cardinal in 2004. This has allowed him to post stellar WHIP totals.

Carpenter’s go-to pitch – his hammer curve – was better than it’s ever been in 2010, clocking in at 12.8 runs above average (fourth best in the majors).

His contact, first strike and swinging strike rates are all right at the league average, but for Carpenter, that has never mattered.

Expect a sixth-consecutive sub-3.50 ERA (minus the two years he missed to injury, of course) from Carpenter in 2011. He’s no longer a sexy pick, but he’s well worth the price.

ORIGINAL ARTICLE: FANTASY BASEBALL INSIDERS

Latest from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• Adam Wainwright to Undergo Tommy John Surgery: Updated Pitcher Rankings
• Keeper Conundrum: Bryce Harper or Mike Trout?

Fantasy Baseball Insiders’ 2011 Big Board:

• Top 50 (projections included): Is Pujols Still the Top Pick?
• No. 51: Ubaldo Jimenez
• No. 52: Rickie Weeks
• No. 53: Derek Jeter
• No. 54: Adam Dunn
• No. 55: Justin Morneau
• No. 56: Justin Verlander

MLB Trades: Fantasy Impact:

• Frank Francisco Traded to the Blue Jays, Who Will Be The Team’s Closer?
• Mike Napoli Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact
• Vernon Wells Traded to the Los Angeles Angels: Fantasy Impact
• Adrian Beltre Traded to the Texas Rangers: Fantasy Impact

Previous articles from Fantasy Baseball Insiders:

• Guerrero to Baltimore: Why He’s Better Off in Camden Yards than Rangers Ballpark
• The Sub-2.50 ERA Curse: Why Five Elite Starting Pitchers May Regress in 2011
• 2010 Batting Average on Balls in Play Leaders: What to Expect in 2011?
• 2011 Closer’s Corner: Papelbon, Cordero & Rivera Are the Only Reliable Options

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

As we know, the injury of Adam Wainwright has put the St. Louis Cardinals in a really tough position. What was looking to be a promising 2011 season is now looking to be one of disappointment. Adam Wainwright has been the Cy Young runner-up in the National League the past two seasons. According to the Wins Above Replacement statistic, Wainwright was worth 5.7 and 6.1 wins in 2009 and 2010 respectively.

If that’s not bad enough, Albert Pujols, the team’s franchise player and the best hitter in all of baseball, said that he will test the free agent market this coming offseason.

Although things aren’t looking great at this moment, don’t fret, Cards GM John Mozeliak. You’re in luck, because I have a trade that will solve all of your problems. I propose the Cardinals trade Albert Pujols to the Dodgers for Andre Ethier and Chad Billingsley.

Albert Pujols

Those of you who are still reading this may be scratching your head at the idea of trading Pujols. WAR had Pujols at 7.3 wins last season. His best all-around season by WAR was in 2003, when he was worth 9.5. Still, the Cardinals are in an interesting predicament.

As expected, Pujols wants the same “respect” A-Rod got with his $30 million contract. All evidence is pointing to the Cardinals not being able to afford “The Machine.” He supposedly laughed at the contract offers the Cardinals pitched to him a week ago. Last offseason, the Cardinals managed to lock Matt Holliday up long-term by promising to pay him through 2029. This likely won’t fly with Pujols, who will have the interest from clubs around the major leagues.

You may be wondering who would fill in at first base if Pujols gets traded for the two players proposed. Lance Berkman is a much better defensive first baseman than left fielder. He would relish the opportunity to play everyday there.

Andre Ethier

From an offensive perspective, few can outperform Andre Ethier in right field. His 2010 season was a down year, but still productive from the 29-year-old lefty slugger. What may not be factored into his offensive line of .292/.364/.493 from 2010 was his propensity for the walkoff hits. He has been the undisputed king of the walk off the past couple of seasons.

His defense is considered his weakness. While he may not be close to Albert Pujols offensively, he will get his fair share of hits and provide the Cardinals with a lefty bat. He costs $7.63 million in 2011. That’s much cheaper than the $30 million Pujols is demanding. In 2010, he was worth 2.2 wins because of his defense. However, he can be expected to be worth 3+ per season for the next four years.

Chad Billingsley

When fully healthy, Billingsley is a top of the rotation workhorse who is only 27 years old. He has a nasty four-seamer, cutter, curveball, slider, two-seamer and changeup. He would do a good job to fill the void left by Adam Wainwright. Billingsley costs $6.275 million in 2011, which is also very cheap compared to the salary of Pujols. He was worth 4.6 Wins in 2010, the best mark of his career. I can see him being worth 4+ per season for the next four years or so.

Trade Hurdles

There are two reasons why this trade may not happen. For one, the Dodgers’ financial situation may be worse than the Cardinals’. With the divorce of the McCourts, it’s hard to say how much money they’d be willing to take on. The Dodgers would only do this trade if they could be guaranteed to extend Pujols, which wouldn’t be possible if they didn’t have the money.

Trading away Albert Pujols may be considered GM suicide by John Mozeliak. In the end, he has to worry about his job security. While I don’t doubt the fans would take to Ethier and Billingsley, Mozeliak may receive the blame if the Cardinals’ season isn’t a success. If the Cardinals have a down year in 2011, he could use the Wainwright injury as a scapegoat and keep his job.

Overall, I feel that this trade would fill holes the Cardinals have and keep them in a position to contend for years to come. Besides, the team that gives Pujols a 10-year, $300 million deal will be as regretful as the Yankees are for signing A-Rod a couple years back.

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com