Posada’s contract ends and he is aging.
Martinez/Varitek is in transition.

Biggest variable of all……… he is signed before the new park fiasco begins. He adds ballast to the public pressure that will quickly mount from both MLB and local fan base. Selig helped Pohlad for years to get that ball park built. Opponents didn’t figure they would go ahead when the funds for the retractable roof fell through……… They did anyway. The Twins went in 20 million more this year in players salaries………..just an investment. I believe the Twins get their Roof within 3 yrs. Selig will lead the charge until his tenure is over.

After reviewing Albert’s at bats so far this year……….. Factoring in the MM influences and the MH influences, I smell smoke. I mention this as it applies to the topic of contracts. BD, bless his heart, has a very strong position at the moment. Most scenarios favor his wallet above Albert’s expectation to break records concerning mega contracts. I mention this because the extra pressure from said position is the exact opposite of last years posture at this time which Albert found so stimulating………no support at all. Albert is not a player that can go out and hit 23 hr and 79 rbi’s………. he will be go out with injuries like a wild animal chewing its own leg off to get out of a trap before that happens. All failure scenarios favor BD. If Albert goes down or becomes chronic, BD makes the insurance money at the same time he gains leverage in the Albert sweepstakes…………..and that’s allot of money.

Do I think that’s where this is going? I don’t know. Albert just might start hearing God again.
That makes a nice story in my book even though that doesn’t look promising.

Do I think the Cardinals can win with Craig at 1st base? Your damn right they could win. They might even dominate if we can avoid the tantrum and distraction that seems headed our way.

Bottom line…………there is going to be some pressure on Albert to end his posturing and except the 200/8yr deal before the season starts……..that would go into effect immediately and would end a very large number of negative future possibilities. If you asked my advice Albert, I would say, ” its just baseball big guy”, 200 pays your rent”. Lets put the legend based on the validation of your spirituality to bed. Play ball…….have fun………that’s the pathway to all your dreams anyway.” Stop posing for statues before your time.”

As I see things, the only roster question is if T Green or Mather makes it. Green continues to prove he is overmatched by MLB pitching, so Mather has the edge. Garcia will make it, that’s 12 pitchers. Craig makes it. Freese of course.

Gotay proved to be mediocre both offensively and defensively. Sort of a Lugo wannabe.

I hope Lopez heats up at some point. Otherwise, he’s going to be that guy that Tony plays all the time even though he sucks.

Just like he likes McGwire, TLR likes Skip. Skip works out with McGwire in the off-season. So does Holliday. And Holliday voluntarily re-signed with the Cards. These men seem to get along. The Cards gave Skip a 2 year deal this winter, to give Skip a little more security. They ate the last year of Kennedy’s contract when they boldly decided last spring to gamble Skip could shift to 2B. This helped promote Rasmus and having a 2B/OF gave TLR a neat flexibility.

Of course TLR does not want to jerk Skip around, willy nilly, alternating him at 2B or in the OF. However, if Rasmus were injured and if there are not acceptable alternatives, the Cards are unlikely to forget they have an elite defensive CF stationed at 2B.
Jay had some hits today, Mather a long ball. If they heat up, either could be backup CFs. But if they do not, there are still 2010 alternatives for CF (Robinson, Ludwick, Lopez, Greene) plus moving Skip (backfilling him with alternatives for 2B such as Lugo, Lopez, Gotay, Greene).
Skip’s a loyal warrior. And he is getting paid $1MM bucks, so he is is unlikely to whine about being asked to contribute in CF, in the event of a Rasmus injury.

I had been thinking one of Jay or Mather had to make the team, to backup Rasmus. However, now I remember Skip, this would not be so. The Cards could go with an April bench of catcher (LaRue), Felipe Lopez (backing up 3B, SS, 2B), Lugo (unless traded), Craig (backup 1B, LF, and RF), and a 5th player (from among Jay, Mather, Greene, Gotay, Stavinoha). That would be a pretty good bench. And it hinges on the useful flexibility of Skip as 2B/backup CF and an abundance of IFs.

We is the general public, including Jumbo.

Even we outsiders know some flycatchers are better than others. Since Jay, Robinson, Henley, Jones, Chambers, and Pham can cover ground, this gives them some capacity to play in center. At AA, IIRC, the Cards had Jay in CF and Robinson in a corner, yet when these men were together at Quad Cities, Robinson played CF. This spreads out CF experience. One characteristic in recent years is to give minor leaguers more position flexibility. This is useful with these 6, because its a little hard to project any as an everyday ML OF.

DeJesus may be a good on base man and CF, but is part of a numbers crunch for 2010.

If Rasmus is knocked out, alternative CFs include Ludwick or Jay/Robinson or Mather (or possibly Felipe Lopez or Tyler Greene).
Not long ago, the Cards had Shaun Boyd and Reid Gorecki as AA CFs. Today, the organization seems in stronger shape with 6 men under development at AAA/AA: Jay, Robinson, Henley, Jones, Pham, and Chambers.

The next inning, Jay was moved to left with Mather deposited in center.

Thanks for the kind words, CC. We all try to differentiate our reports and I’d like to think having been on the back fields this spring offers an advantage.