We are spending $18MM on Glaus and K. Greene. We need to squeeze some work out of them, for all that moola. The good news: they do not want to lay around and collect unemployment like welfare bums, they want to contribute. We need to harness their good attitudes.

Or, we could try Pineiro in LF. He hit well today.

If Glaus hits well, then it is not impossible that we might trade him to an AL team in need at DH, because of his unusual circumstance of being a good hitter who has an arm problem. However, the chance of this happenning seems small, because such a deal may not be easy to find.

The Cards should be flexible and play anyone who shows signs of life. Stavinoha could get more ABs. If Craig or Jay get hot, they could get ML try-outs. If DeRosa hits, K Greene would not be so needed. If Freese bounces back, he is another option for 3B. But if K Greene plays well in the minors and there is a need, he could be tried at 3B, SS, or LF.

The bottom line: the Cards need more offense from 3B and LF.

The best place to station someone with weak arm strength is 1B. But the position is occupied with Pujols.

The Cards have no alternative but to fallback to the next position for weak arm strength, LF. A LF can lob the ball to a cutoff man. Lot of left-fielders have been poor defensively: Adam Dunn, Manny Ramirez, Chris Duncan, Lou Brock, plenty more. Teams station OFs with strong arms in RF and CF.

DeRosa has the arm strength to make the throws from 3B. His issue is different, impaired swinging because of a problem in his left (non-throwing) wrist. I have no idea if he will be able to successfully collect hits with this injury, which will require an operation, but for now he can field 3B, unlike Glaus.

A baseball season is long. It can be a war of attrition. The Cards will try to make full use of the players available in their system. Anything is possible. If Glaus becomes playable, then he may find himself in LF. If Freese returns, he can play 3B. If Khalil Greene gets a new approach, he may be stationed at 3B. If DeRosa can play through his injury, he can play 3B; if he cannot, he can go on the DL. T. Greene, Barden, Hoffpauir, Hawksworth, Mortensen, Todd, Robinson could get called back. Scherer, Solano and Jay could get a tryout. Pagnozzi should get called up in September, if not before. Lots of possibilities. The Cards will take them a game at a time and juggle the roster in search of any advantages.

Ankiel has a right shoulder problem. It deserves careful examination and realistic diagnosis, since Rick just playing with it is not working out. Thus, at some point, we could put Rick on the DL so he could have an operation or shoulder-strengthening exercise. Since his value in approaching free agency would be low, Boras could consider a one year deal with St Louis, in hopes his client, if returned to health by next year, can have a fine season in 2010.

The Khalil story is not necessarily over for 2009. He and the Cards are trying a new theapeutic approach. Since it is exploratory, there is no time line for his return to duty. But since we could use his bat, and he does not need an operation like DeRosa, don’t count him out.

Rasmus has loads of coaching resources: Hal; Aldrete; and/or his Dad.

Yes we have offensive issues. This is why we paid out so much talent for DeRosa and why it is shame that Fate has struck a cruel blow with his wrist. So the 2009 season is going to be a long hard slog, no cake walk.

Rick is not necessarily “out of here.” He is having a poor walk season. It is not impossible the Cards/Boras could collaborate on a one year deal for 2010 to see if Rick can get back on track.

Rick has long been able to hit for power. He enjoyed doing so when a pitcher. If having problems this year, his violent collision with a fence is a plausible contributing reason, not a “courtesy” or by implication a lie.

You offer your opinion Chris Duncan has a good swing. This could answer my question as to why he hit well in 2006/early 2007.

You seem to suggest that his good swing is undercut by playing near his father. This theory would not explain why Chris could succeed in 2006 near his Dad, but struggle in 2009 near his Dad.

Another possible explanation is the metal disk inserted in his neck may have got him able to play again, a welcome thing, but Chris may have lost a tiny bit. There is probably a fine line between being good versus mediocre. If a player loses a little bit, he can drop back to the pack.

1) The same problems Rick has with his swing he had with pitching. There is a disconnect between his emotional and physical self image. This resulted probably in a childhood that ignored some learning impediments (disabilities) while highlighting a highly co-dependent relationship with his father who if I recall had some real self-esteem issues. His denial of a problem is the foundation for his technical inflexibility. He is not evolved enough as an athlete to deal with technical challenges. He only knows the feeling, and this is denied him by emotional instability. This game is evolving and once you have people recognizing your problems, scouts and coach’s will nail you. Dave is not the only one doing pitch sequencing. I have written about his swing, look it up.

2) Chris has a good swing. Playing for another team could show that. He will never play around daddy again. He listens to the table talk. Tony knows Rick in out of here. He is giving him every opportunity to stay in the game because he has been told that he is gone from the Cardinals. Suggesting injury as a possible problem is a courtesy. I have made a lot of money.

3) Welly is lost in his own experience. The power of his addiction is related to the growing power of the medium. By the looks of Lohse on Sunday, there’s trouble a brewing all around.

4) Tony negotiated Dave’s contract Jumbo. Do you think it was him that suggested the option?
That was Mo, in case Tony developed a leverage position somehow. He got a nice raise and Mo was just covering his ass against another gouge. If you think about that meeting, and its result, you might infer a lot about its tone and content. Because of what obviously wasn’t talked about, you also might infer that Mo was feeling a little exposed about its content and threw in the mutual option because it created camouflage for the Pujols plan. One way or another, there are multiple players on the court.