The card is labeled as Schumaker’s, but only a small part of the player’s right leg and foot are visible, as the squirrel is the featured performer. This drew mounds of attention on the internet over the past few days, with some people having expressed amusement while others exhibited anger over a perceived slight to the Cardinals’ 2011 second baseman.

One thing is for sure; it led to an avalanche of publicity the trading card company could not buy. As noted by a pleased Topps spokesman I reached on Tuesday, “This thing has really blown up.”

Concerned members of the public can stand down now, as contrary to a number of news stories, the Rally Squirrel card is an extra and does not replace Schumaker’s regular 2012 baseball card.

“Schumaker has a standard base card where he’s sliding into home plate,” the Topps representative affirmed. “The squirrel is a short printed fun card.”

As a reassurance to Cardinals fans and collectors alike, the Topps spokeman closed with the following. “There will be way, way more of his standard card available though for all the St. Louis Cardinals fans.”

Update: Enterprising private business people are already listing the Rally Squirrel card for sale in the secondary market. For example, through the online auction website ebay.com, starting prices for the special card are $200 or more.

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Included in row order below are Allen Craig, Kyle McClellan, Kyle Lohse, David Freese, Carlos Beltran and Skip Schumaker.

The Cardinal Nation subscribers should check out on the main site where I loaded the comments from each of the above speakers. I did the same Saturday and Sunday as well. Over two dozen interviews are posted.

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I put a lot of thought into those selections and take them very seriously. As a result, they end up being solid choices, but conservative in nature, by definition hardly bold. In conjunction, I have been encouraged to take another run at the subject – from a much different perspective.

I would not call the following “predictions” as much as I might label them longer-shot, lower-importance (non-top five), but still interesting potential stories of 2012. I have no idea if none or all seven of the ideas detailed below will actually come to pass, but they each represent ideas that have been bouncing around my head.

Cox passes Adams

Coming off his superb 2011, during which he was named Texas League Player of the Year, Matt Adams is being viewed by some as the heir apparent to Lance Berkman at first base for 2013. While that may happen, I have an alternative thought.

What if Cox continues to hit in Triple-A and Adams slows down? David Freese seems locked at third for St. Louis and Daniel Descalso can cover as a reserve. Matt Carpenter may be a secondary competitor for a bench spot down the line as a third baseman or maybe even a corner outfielder.

So, where would Cox fit in St. Louis? How about a move to first base, where he, not Adams, could become the starter in 2013? An alternate scenario would be for Freese to take his questionable ankles over to first, but I remain skeptical that Cox’ defense at third will be satisfactory at the major league level.

The possibility also exists for either Cox or Adams to be traded, but if the race is close, Cox has a major league contract and a spot already on the 40-man roster. For that reason, under the right conditions, I could see him making his MLB debut ahead of the more-heralded Adams.

Miller forces his way into the bigs in 2012

Many observers see top prospect Shelby Miller’s name penciled into the Cardinals 2013 rotation as a replacement for either Kyle Lohse or Jake Westbrook. Here is how it might happen even sooner.

The identity of the team’s current unofficial sixth starter is unclear. Lance Lynn would perhaps be the most likely candidate, but it appears that he will go to camp with a good shot at holding down a relief spot in St. Louis.

My current projected Memphis rotation is uninspiring – Brandon Dickson, Nick Additon, Brian Broderick, Michael Blazek and Maikel Cleto. Then, there is Miller.

I can envision a scenario in which Miller pitches well in the first half for Memphis and if/when a second-half opening appears in St. Louis’ rotation, the 22-year-old receives the call. Would it be aggressive? Yes. Would I recommend it? Maybe not, but I could see it happening.

In recent years, the Cardinals have typically let young starters acclimate to the majors in a relief role before subjecting them to the pressures of starting. Then again, Miller isn’t a typical pitcher.

Motte becomes team’s oldest reliever

That title seemed more eye-catching and exciting than the original title, “Romero sleeps with the fishes.” The Cardinals’ second bullpen left-hander was with four organizations last summer and couldn’t make the major league roster of two of them.

I don’t have to go too far out on a limb to suggest a Brian Tallet-like year is ahead for the 35-year-old, one in which he is gone no later than mid-season. It could be sooner.

Where I might be reaching a bit more is to suggest the Cards may go with an in-house right-hander to replace Romero. This would depend on a bit of a rebound from Kyle McClellan, especially recovering his past ability to retire left-handed hitters.

As the opening day roster currently looks, there is not enough room for all the experienced relievers. One pitcher from the group of Eduardo Sanchez, Lance Lynn and Mitchell Boggs may have to go back down to Memphis – at least until there is an opening.

None of the non-Romero relievers on the roster have yet reached 30 years of age, but Motte is closest. A Romero departure would make Motte the grand old man of the pen – not counting 65-year-old bullpen coach Dyar Miller, that is.

Speaking of Motte…

Sanchez becomes closer

Anyone who has read my minor league writings over the past few years knows that I have been a big backer of Venezuelan right-hander Eduardo Sanchez. Unlike almost every other reliever who has come up in recent years, the 22-year-old was not shuttled back and forth between St. Louis and Memphis in 2011. When he arrived, he was ready.

Only a shoulder injury kept Sanchez out of the second-half relief picture. He came back to pitch briefly at the end of the season and also threw a few innings in winter ball to ensure he is sound.

Jason Motte did a spectacular job in a set up role last summer before taking over the ninth inning role for the final month of the season and the playoffs. He comes into 2012 camp as the incumbent closer and should leave Florida with the job.

I just have the funny feeling that when Motte’s inevitable bump in the road is encountered, Sanchez will be ready, and this time, won’t relinquish the job.

Komatsu lasts longer than expected

As of right now, the Cardinals bench is sorely lacking in veteran presence. With Allen Craig slated to start the season on the disabled list, the five position player reserves will look something like this:

C Tony Cruz or Bryan Anderson
MIF Tyler Greene
IF/OF Skip Schumaker
1B/OF Mark Hamilton
OF Erik Komatsu

The only other player close would seem to be outfielder Adron Chambers. When the Cards selected Komatsu in the Rule 5 Draft, they said they would prefer to keep Chambers in Memphis playing every day.

I do think the Cardinals will end up inviting a few on-the-way-down major leaguers to camp on minor league contracts to compete for bench jobs, but I have no idea who they might be. So here, I am going with the guys we know.

In this scenario, Komatsu would get to hang around at least until Craig comes off the disabled list. He might even last longer if he hits and Hamilton doesn’t. An injury or two to others would improve his chances even more. Hamilton has the advantage of long-ball potential, though that was strangely missing in 2011. (A variation on the theme would have Matt Carpenter making the team instead of Hamilton, but it wouldn’t change Komatsu’s standing.)

Komatsu has no career at-bats above Double-A, so is hardly a lock for anything. Yet, if he plays well enough, he may log more major league service time than anyone might expect. Remember Brian Barton?

Dry powder used on second base

As folks know, the 2011 mid-season adjustment approach taken was to sacrifice offense (Colby Rasmus) to strengthen both the rotation (Edwin Jackson) and bullpen (Octavio Dotel and Marc Rzepczynski). While that remains a possible scenario in 2012 as well, my gut tells me there will be a higher priority elsewhere.

I suspect that second base will become the Cardinals 2012 trade deadline target for improvement. While I recognize Daniel Descalso’s 2011 contributions, especially in filling the David Freese injury gap at third base, I am less convinced the steady but unspectacular Descalso will hit enough to be an above-average MLB second baseman.

The other in-house options are not necessarily better. Schumaker has given the job his all, but would be better deployed as a reserve outfielder and utilityman than a starting second baseman. Greene has the potential, but we’ve been saying that ever since he was drafted number 30 overall in 2005, just two picks after Rasmus.

Kolten Wong is the best second baseman in the system. Since the 2011 first-rounder is still a few years away, following the Rafael Furcal model again would not be out of the question. In other words, take a chance on a veteran, perhaps in the final months of his current contract, and if he works out, try to convince him to hang around for a year or two more.

Skip logs most starts in center

How this one might come to pass is actually pretty easy to envision. Carlos Beltran’s body, specifically his aged knees, overrules his head. As a result, the hopes of him playing centerfield on a semi-regular basis, at least against left-handed pitching, are scuttled.

While some will call for Allen Craig to play there, think about how Chris Carpenter and the other pitchers would feel about an outfield behind them that consists from left to right of Matt Holliday, Craig and a hobbled Beltran? Trying the Musial statue out there might be comparable.

The centerfield incumbent, Jon Jay, has shown the ability to handle the position defensively, but goes through long stretches where his offense is sub-par.

My thought is that when all is said and done, given the current roster, Schumaker ends up making the most starts of any Cardinal in center in 2012. We don’t yet know the managerial tendencies of Mike Matheny, so I readily admit that I would feel more strongly about this idea had Tony La Russa remained at the helm.

It would take much of the second half for this to play out, and require the club to remain in playoff contention to unfold. (Otherwise, we might see Adron Chambers receive more time.)

OK, so there they are. Seven ideas of potential 2012 stories that should generate some discussion, if nothing else. Vote for your most likely and least likely from this list and comment below.

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For 2009-10, the Cardinals had that in shortstop Brendan Ryan, one of the game’s very best defenders. Yet the organization could not deal with Ryan’s personality and sent him packing last winter.

Shortstop Ryan Theriot had bounced from the Chicago Cubs to the Dodgers in 2010 and didn’t perform particularly well at either stop. Arbitration-eligible, he seemed destined to be non-tendered last fall. Instead, the Cardinals acquired him for reliever Blake Hawksworth and named Theriot their 2011 starting shortstop.

Theriot contributed some key hits for the Cardinals, but his defensive shortcomings became painfully obvious. Manager Tony La Russa initially refused to move Theriot to second base, perhaps because he felt he had no better options at short.

Solid-fielding veteran Nick Punto had been signed prior to last season and could have been a credible alternative to Theriot. The problem was that the former Minnesota Twin could not stay healthy, missing big chunks of the season during three disabled list stints.

On July 31, GM John Mozeliak made another deal with the Dodgers, this time shooting much higher in acquiring veteran shortstop Rafael Furcal.

The 34-year-old solidified the middle infield and served as the Cardinals’ new leadoff hitter. Furcal began slowly with the bat, with a .667 OPS in August before posting a strong .819 OPS in the final month of the season. He struggled in the post-season, with a paltry .569 OPS, but overall was considered a key ingredient in the World Series push.

An energetic performer and enthusiastic teammate, Furcal was re-signed by St. Louis for $14 million for the next two years in a deal announced ten days ago. With few obvious alternatives on the market, the Cardinals are considered by some to have overpaid.

Dogged by injuries in recent seasons, Furcal is no longer an offensive force. Once having stolen 46 bases in a season, his total dropped to nine in 2011. The switch-hitter’s on-base percentage of .316 as a Cardinal was 50 points lower than his .366 mark in Los Angeles the season prior. His career OBP is .348, with the overall annual trend downward.

The club’s main alternative at short is 28-year-old Tyler Greene, a strong performer in Triple-A. After three years of trials with the Cardinals, however, he has yet to prove he should remain in the bigs, let alone be given a starting job. Greene is out of option years, so would either need to stick in 2012 or his time in the organization may be over.

The two veteran middle infield reserves departed following the season. Theriot, again eligible for arbitration, was cut loose by the Cardinals earlier this month. Punto signed with Boston for 2012, doubling his Cardinals salary in the process. Essentially, their role on the team will be assumed by some combination of Furcal, Greene and Daniel Descalso.

For the five years following the Fernando Vina era, which ran from 2000-03, the Cardinals’ second base position was a revolving door of players on low-cost, short-term deals. Tony Womack, Mark Grudzelanek and Adam Kennedy each had their days, augmented by journeymen like Scott Spiezio and Aaron Miles to help hold down the fort.

That changed prior to the 2009 season when La Russa announced Skip Schumaker would become his team’s starting second baseman despite the outfielder’s lack of infield experience. After three years of maximum effort but below-average results defensively, the club seems ready to take another direction in 2012.

Descalso, a 25-year-old rookie in 2011, proved himself as a solid reserve at third base and second last season. If the left-handed hitter proves worthy in spring camp, he seems positioned to take over for Schumaker at second, his primary position as a minor leaguer.

In that scenario, Schumaker, also a left-handed batter, would probably spend more time as an outfield reserve. His roster spot was assured when the Cardinals rewarded him with a new, two-year contract announced earlier this month.

Though Allen Craig also saw action at second base in eight games last season, he would seemingly be considered more of an emergency option than a primary solution there.

Time still remains in the off-season for the Cardinals to acquire another second baseman either as a free agent or via trade, propelling Descalso into a utility infield role along with Greene. Still, given the club’s recent history of low-budget choices at second base, they may just as well decide to ride with what they have up the middle.

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Before this gets underway, clubs have a decision to make. Teams must specifically decide if they want enter the process by an annual deadline. The alternative is that the player will be granted free agency. This year’s cutoff is midnight Eastern time tonight, Monday, December 12.

The St. Louis Cardinals have four eligible players, pitchers Kyle McClellan and Jason Motte and infielders Skip Schumaker and Ryan Theriot. Each of them might make in the $2-$4 million range next season.

In the polls below, please specify what you think the Cardinals should do. Should they offer contracts to none, all four or something in between?

Further, should the money not spent on Albert Pujols affect the Cardinals’ arbitration decisions on these four? In other words, should the Cardinals be willing to risk spending more on these players because they no longer have Pujols, or do you consider the two to be separate?

What happens next?

If the club agrees by “tendering a contract” by the deadline, the player and team are bound together for the upcoming season. They can either negotiate a contract at any time or participate in an arbitration hearing to be scheduled in February. Each side submits in advance the salary level it believes is fair. If it reaches the hearing stage, one of the two submitted contract amounts will be decided upon by the arbitrators after hearing each side’s case.

If the player is “non-tendered,” he becomes a free agent, eligible to sell his services on the open market to any club, including the Cardinals.

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In support of 30 Clubs, former Cleveland general manager Hart and ex-major league second baseman Reynolds were kind enough to answer a series of my questions, providing their view of a number of Cardinals-related subjects. The details follow.

Q&A with Harold Reynolds

Brian Walton: As a former middle infielder, how do you rank the Cardinals starting pair of Skip Schumaker and Ryan Theriot offensively and defensively in comparison to the other teams in the NL Central?

Harold Reynolds: Skip Schumaker and Ryan Theriot do not make for one of the top middle infield combinations in the NL Central. They both will make the routine play, but you won’t get anything spectacular out of them. Offensively, it depends on where they hit in the lineup. If Theriot hits in the one or two hole, he should have no problem scoring over 100 runs, with Matt Holliday and Albert Pujols hitting in the middle. But think about the middle infields in the NL Central. Every team has at least one middle infielder that is a star or can be a star. Brandon Phillips and Rickie Weeks are All-Stars. Neil Walker and Starlin Castro can potentially be All-Stars. I don’t think you can say the same for St. Louis. But Schumaker and Theriot will not make or break the Cardinals’ season.

BW: Do you agree with the Cardinals not running ahead of Albert Pujols, knowing an open first base could mean an intentional walk with Matt Holliday next? Why or why not?

HR: I think your personnel dictates whether or not you’re going to run with Albert at the plate. If it’s Vince Coleman or Ozzie Smith standing on first base, trust me, they’re running, no matter what. I don’t know if it’s as much by design as it is the personnel on the team.

BW: With a catcher like Yadier Molina behind the plate, how did you change your baserunning strategy?

HR: When you got a great catcher like Yadier Molina, your biggest fear as a base runner is getting picked off by the catcher, and not necessarily being thrown out trying to steal a base. As a result, your secondary lead changes. When the pitch is thrown, the base runner won’t have a big lead because if he gets too far off the base, the catcher is going to throw behind the runner.  Ivan ‘Pudge’ Rodriguez and Benito Santiago were great at throwing behind the runner. Molina is the same way because he puts fear in runners.

BW: Compared to other catchers you have seen, how do you rank Molina in terms of throwing and game calling?

HR: He’s one of the best catchers in the game. How many catchers can both hit and play solid defense? You can count them on one hand. Runners are just flat out not going to run on Yadier Molina. The combination of intelligence, ability and durability makes him one of the top defensive catchers in baseball. He also can hold his own at the plate. He’s a positive for St. Louis, and I don’t think he’s going to stop winning Gold Glove Awards anytime soon.

BW: What does Colby Rasmus need to do to become an elite centerfielder?

HR: He’s on the right track. He’s got the right swing and approach. It may sound silly, but a kid with his ability just needs to keep playing every day. You learn more and more playing every day. There aren’t too many good centerfielders in the National League right now. Colby has the chance to be right up there at the top soon.

Q&A with John Hart

BW: What are some of the considerations in being a seller at the deadline and how do you weigh them? (fan support, player support, etc.)

John Hart: The contract status of the player you might be moving is important when you’re thinking about dealing him. You also have to think about if the player fits on your club next year. If you don’t think so, you ultimately try to maximize his value by getting the type of players he’s worth. You also have to think of the circumstances around the club. If the team has been bogged down with injuries, then you may want to stick with the core of the club for another year.

BW: With Adam Wainwright out, if the Cardinals stumble this season, would you consider trading Chris Carpenter at the deadline? Why or why not?

JH: I think the Cardinals, who are perennial contenders, will be more inclined to stick with Carpenter in 2011. If the team struggles out of the gate, St. Louis will most likely explore the trade possibilities. But just because Wainwright is out, I don’t think St. Louis feels they’re out of this division. If Jaime Garcia improves and Kyle McClellan can step in, St. Louis should still be right there. Milwaukee and Cincinnati aren’t powerhouse clubs. Look, if St. Louis falters, you can consider dealing him, but what about 2012? If Pujols comes back, aren’t you going to have championship aspirations? With Wainwright’s health still unknown, you’re going to need an ace-type pitcher in the rotation. I think Wainwright’s health is an important key to Chris Carpenter’s place on the team.

BW: Do you think Lance Berkman was wise to sign with an NL club and were the Cardinals wise to sign him?

JH: I think St. Louis wanted to thicken the lineup when they signed Berkman. He knows the NL Central and St. Louis didn’t have to go out on a limb to get this guy. If he gets enough plate appearances, he should have a pretty good offensive year. The big question is how he’ll do defensively, and will his body be able to take the rigors of playing the outfield. Lance obviously thinks he can handle it. He’s going to need some time off and I think St. Louis knows that. For a short term fix, and the fact that St. Louis didn’t tie up a lot of years and money, it wasn’t a bad move for a club looking to win a Championship.

BW: Do you think the Cardinals could have locked Albert Pujols up contractually before the 2010 season had they pushed harder or do you think Pujols’ demands may have been too high? What would be the max in years and AAV you would give Pujols and why?

JH: That’s a smart baseball group over there. These contract negotiations didn’t take them by surprise. It just gets more difficult to sign a player when they get closer to free agency. Look, you’re talking about a dominating player who has been with St. Louis since day one. My instincts tell me that he’s going to stay in St. Louis. I think the key, more so than dollars, will be how many years St. Louis is willing to invest in Pujols.

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Other than third base and pitching, the second base and shortstop positions delivered the lowest OPS on the 2010 St. Louis Cardinals at .671 and .600, respectively. The two spots had yielded respectable .746 and .736 marks the year prior.

The regular starters up the middle both seasons were second baseman Skip Schumaker and shortstop Brendan Ryan. Schumaker, a converted outfielder, is considered a below-average fielder while Ryan is known for his defense, but also for an approach that rubbed some teammates the wrong way.

One widely-discussed example occurred in sight of television cameras on August 9. Ryan was late taking the field behind pitcher Chris Carpenter because he had the wrong glove. Following the inning, a visually perturbed Carpenter called the shortstop down the dugout tunnel before reading him the riot act.

Ryan’s 2010 had begun on the wrong foot when he underwent elective wrist surgery to address chronic pain that worsened during off-season sessions he and Schumaker were having with new hitting coach Mark McGwire in Los Angeles. The early February procedure meant Ryan fell behind in preparation for the season and he later admitted that he never felt comfortable at the plate.

Ryan’s batting average hunkered below .200 for most of the first two-thirds of the season and he finished at .223. The 28-year-old had batted .292 the year prior, his first as a major league regular. Which season was the outlier became a point of concern and debate. His manager felt Ryan’s offensive struggles had been affecting his play in the field, as well.

The more-experienced Schumaker also suffered through an offensive regression in 2010. After hitting .300 in each of his first two full seasons, the 30-year-old got out of the gate very poorly. Though apparently healthy, he batted just .212 in April and didn’t manage to cross the .250 line until late June. Skip ended the year at a career-low .265. While his desire in the field has never been questioned, several advanced defensive metrics rank Schumaker among the lowest in MLB at his position.

General Manager John Mozeliak stated a desire to get more production from the middle in 2011. Post-season comments from manager Tony La Russa praising Schumaker while putting Ryan’s starting role in jeopardy clarified the team’s strategy going forward. Skip was staying and Brendan was out.

On November 30, the Cardinals acquired infielder Ryan Theriot from the Los Angeles Dodgers in return for pitcher Blake Hawksworth. Theriot, 31, had been dealt to the Dodgers at the July 31 trade deadline last summer after spending his entire big league career with the Chicago Cubs, for whom he started from 2007 into 2009. After a substandard stint with the Dodgers during which he batted a career-worst .242, Theriot had been replaced as a starter and was rumored to be a non-tender candidate.

Theriot, who has played at both second base and shortstop in his major league career, is not considered a strong defender. As the trade was announced, he was installed as the Cardinals’ new starting shortstop and quickly settled on a $3.3 million contract for 2011. That heightened focus on trading fan-favorite Ryan, who had been placed on the block earlier in the off-season.

After Mozeliak was unable to work a deal for Ryan during Baseball’s Winter Meetings, a trade was announced on December 12. The Seattle Mariners acquired Ryan for a hard-throwing but wild Class-A reliever Maikel Cleto. The relatively-low return made the dump trade even more unpopular with a vocal segment of the Cardinals fan base.

Key infield reserves in 2010 are not expected to return. Felipe Lopez, usually a second baseman, had been signed in February. He was pressed into regular third base duty during the summer and struggled mightily.  Earlier, he saw 48 games of action in the middle prior to his September release.

Aaron Miles joined the team in June and following the season left the Cardinals as a free agent for the second time. In between, among the switch-hitter’s starts were 18 at second, often against left-handed pitching. That remains an ongoing and glaring weakness of Schumaker (.211 average in 2010 and .206 career vs. LHP).

Currently slated to be the 2011 middle infield backups are a pair of farm system products with considerably less experience then their predecessors. Tyler Greene, a natural shortstop, had several short stints in St. Louis the past two seasons, while Daniel Descalso, the 2010 Triple-A all-star second baseman, made his MLB debut in September exclusively at third base.

St. Louis’ reserve second baseman in 2011 could see some sporadic starting action replacing Schumaker against lefties, though instead La Russa could easily play Skip even more regularly than in 2010 due to concerns over the inexperience of his new bench.

Behind them at Memphis will be an even greener crew that is projected to include light-hitting Donovan Solano and Double-A players Jose Garcia and Pete Kozma. The latter two are unproven at Triple-A, having yet to appear in a single game there. Solano’s Triple-A OPS last season was an uninspiring .616.

Depending on with whom you speak, the Cardinals either improved their middle infield offense and team culture for 2011 or they downgraded their defense considerably while not significantly improving their hitting.

Either way, the middle infield should remain a closely-watched area of the 2011 club.

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On Saturday, St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Skip Schumaker came up in the seventh inning in what would be his final plate appearance of the day. He already had two hits and a fly out, with a chance for his second consecutive three-hit game.

Instead, the recently-restored leadoff man gave up his at-bat for the team, sacrificing Brendan Ryan to third base. Rather than scoring on a sacrifice fly, Ryan came home on a Matt Holliday home run. The final pair of runs turned out to be extremely important in the Cardinals’ 4-3 win over Oakland.

Friday night’s three-hit performance was Schumaker’s 24^th as the first batter in the Cardinals’ order in his career. That moved him into a tie for eighth in three-hit games by a Cardinals leadoff hitter in the last 40 years with another second baseman from years past, Julian Javier. As one might expect, Lou Brock leads in all categories by a substantial margin, with Vince Coleman and Curt Flood making up the top three.

Since 1960, Schumaker is also eighth in three on-base games with 58 and sixth in four on-base games at 18.

St. Louis Cardinals, leadoff hitters, 1960-current

Thanks to researcher Tom Orf for the above tables.

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As most St. Louis Cardinals fans know by now, the club and second baseman Skip Schumaker came to an agreement on a two-year contract to avoid arbitration. The base amounts are $2 million in 2010 and $2.7 million next year with additional appearance-related bonuses that could take the total to $5 million.

My initial view was slightly positive as it looks to be a case where both sides gave a bit. The Cards took two years at a decent price and Skip received another year of security, something he said was important to him.

Based on the comps I posted earlier for The Cardinal Nation subscribers, I believe Skip had a decent chance of winning his arbitration case. Had he made over $2.4 million this year via arbitration, barring a collapse he would have made more next year ($3-$3.5M would not seem unreasonable). At that price, the Cards could have been tempted to non-tender Schumaker next winter.

Instead, this way Skip knows he can stay and the club will at most spend $5 million over two years to cover the position. The alternative may have been to spend as much as $6 million to keep him for the two years going year-by-year or finding a new second baseman for 2011 that would cost $3 million or less.

Another factor to consider is the lack of proven depth in the Cardinals outfield. Schumaker has demonstrated his ability to play all three positions, increasing his value to the club.

According to The Biz of Baseball, the rate of multi-year contracts for arbitration-eligible players who exchanged figures with clubs is slightly up this year. In 2009, 11 of 46 eligible players received multiple years while here in 2010, 12 of 44 have gone that route, with 12 situations still open, heading toward hearings.

As the discussion continued on The Cardinal Nation message board, another perspective was put forward. Among the legitimate questions posed:

• Is Skip is good enough to warrant the need to lock him up for an extra year?
• Is the potential of saving a million dollars worth giving up the non-tender option for the Cardinals?
• Is Skip more than a platoon second baseman who struggles in the field?
• Is Schumaker a value at this price?

I decided to take a quick and dirty look at what the second base market might be like next year, using this year as a guide. This effort is not to suggest the Cardinals should not have signed Schumaker to a 2010 contract, but more to consider what their alternatives might have looked like a year into the future.

I am assuming Skip’s immediate replacement would not have come from within. While Daniel Descalso is a fringe top ten prospect in the organization, he is not a sure thing with just one-half year of standout offensive performance in three professional seasons and a sub-.700 OPS over the remainder of his minor league career. There isn’t anyone on Descalso’s heels, either. Our annual Cardinals Top 40 Prospect List at The Cardinal Nation includes just one second baseman for the second consecutive year.

This winter, there were nine free agent second basemen on the market. Eight of them have found homes for 2010, the lone exception being former Cardinal Felipe Lopez.  Most are in their 30’s. Five of the nine could be free agents again next winter. Though he was not a free agent, I included Schumaker in the group for comparison.

I listed the 2009 contributions of each player, using OPS+ for offense and UZR at second base for defense. With those scores, I ranked each of the players from 1-to-10 in each category and added the two numbers. Like in golf, low score is better. The ten second basemen are listed in that sequence.

Further, to the right, I listed the players’ 2010 and 2011 salaries, noting any additions, such as options or incentives.

* Not a free agent

Based on these measures of offensive and defensive contribution in 2009, Lopez stood substantially taller than any of the other nine. In between big-bucks signees Marco Scutaro and Freddy Sanchez are a pair of aging reserves coming off nice years, Craig Counsell and another ex-Cardinal, Ronnie Belliard.

Amid questions about his wrist, his defense and second-half falloff, new Minnesota Twin Orlando Hudson leads off the bottom five. In a most interesting comparison, both of the second basemen paid by the Cardinals last year posted OPS+ marks of 101, Adam Kennedy with Oakland and Schumaker. The former had a less-negative UZR.

Bringing up the rear is Kelly Johnson, who had a subpar year offensively with Atlanta and looks to rebound with Arizona in 2010. A year ago, some Cardinals fans endorsed a straight up trade of Johnson for Ryan Ludwick, an indication of Johnson’s prior success.

Conclusions?

A quick spreadsheet analysis like this of a single season has its obvious limitations, but if the 2009-10 free agent market is any indication of what 2010-11 will be like, then it certainly seems like a Schumaker replacement could be out there for the taking at a comparable price next winter.

My question is whether the likes of Counsell, Belliard, Carroll, Kennedy or Johnson would really be any better than Schumaker in 2011. At least Skip has the chance of improving his defense this coming season, and in doing so, perhaps moving up in the scoring hierarchy. His offense probably is where it is going to be. Clearly the top tier of Scutaro, Sanchez and Hudson are out of Skip’s league price-wise.

Then there’s Lopez, with the best 2009 UZR at second base and tied for the top OPS+ last season. Why is he still out of work?

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Here in mid-January, the St. Louis Cardinals payroll management strategy for 2010 still remains under question.

One milestone occurred in early December when during a presentation at Webster University, team president Bill DeWitt III hinted his club might not spend up to their total player budget, expected to be around $100 million.

“Clubs have a tendency — and we’ve been guilty in the past — of putting every resource into the team in the offseason. That just doesn’t leave you any flexibility,” DeWitt III said.

Showing restraint would be a repeat of an approach that was widely ridiculed during the previous winter. The term “keeping powder dry” in reference to holding back money was first coined by his father, team chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.

As we saw in 2009, if game attendance exceeds the Cardinals planning numbers, they could also choose to apply additional financial resources to players. Some combination of “dry powder” plus new expense money opened the door to trade for and take on the salaries of Mark DeRosa and Matt Holliday in June and July, respectively.

About ten days ago, back on January 7, as the club digested the Holliday re-signing, general manager John Mozeliak was quoted as saying the following:

“[Assistant GM John] Abbamondi, myself, Jeff [Luhnow, scouting director and farm director] and the group will sit down tomorrow. I’ll then also get with Tony [La Russa, manager] over the weekend and we’ll kind of prioritize what we think, if we had a bullet to use, what would we use it on. Once we get to that point, then we’ll look at what’s out there and how to use that resource if it’s there. We may stand pat. But we’ll see.”

In the process, Mozeliak outlined the two primary outcomes for some or all of the remaining budget – either acquire one additional significant player using their so-called “bullet”, keep dry powder or perhaps a combination of the two.

How much money are we talking about?

The Post-Dispatch offered a graphical summary following Holliday’s re-signing. In it, they suggest the Cardinals will have $7.4 million remaining to spend. One of the few assumptions required was an estimation of the 2010 salaries of arbitration-eligible players Skip Schumaker and Ryan Ludwick.

Though Schumaker is hinting he is close to coming to terms, completely resolving both players’ 2010 salaries may not be happening soon. At Winter Warm-Up, Mozeliak said the Cardinals would like the contracts of both Schumaker and Ludwick completed before his club dips back into the free-agent pool.

This sequencing doesn’t completely hold together to me.

In his first season of arbitration eligibility, Schumaker should be the easier of the two to sign. The real question is how big of a raise Ludwick is looking for coming off a season in which he made $3.7 million, but delivered declining results compared to 2008.

(For my detailed views of how comparable players’ salaries might be applied, The Cardinal Nation subscribers can read my January 7 article, “How Much Will Schumaker and Ludwick Make?”. At the low end, I have the two coming in at $6.9 million combined, while the P-D estimates they will make $8.5 million in total when all is said and done.)

Here’s my concern. The Cardinals surely have a planning bandwidth for the two arbitration cases and would seem to be position to have at least $6 million remaining once the two arbitration deals are done. (This assumes the Post-Dispatch estimates for the two will turn out to be $1.4 million too low, which I strongly doubt is the case.)

Both sides will formally know how far they are apart on Tuesday, when club and player arbitration amounts must be filed. Though the parties could come to terms at any time, if disagreement remains, the conclusion could drag on until a hearing scheduled as late as the third week in February – the time pitchers and catchers are due to report for spring training.

Again, either way, with conservatively $6 million or more in their chest, why would they be waiting, unless they are planning to save dry powder?

The P-D reports the Cardinals have been in contact with pitcher John Smoltz’ agent but they would like the veteran to wait for a potential offer until they have a better feel for their payroll. The paper has been in contact with the future Hall-of-Famer, who says he has heard nothing substantive from the Cardinals. Smoltz went on to say that while he would like to return to St. Louis, he is preparing to move on.

At 43 years old next season, Smoltz offers at least as an intriguing relief alternative as he would be a fifth starter. His likely contract would include a base deal of several million dollars with incentives for several more, seemingly within the amount of money the Cardinals have remaining.

High on the list of other possible options could include a right-handed hitting outfield reserve who could spell Colby Rasmus in centerfield and veteran depth at third base behind untested starter David Freese.

There is one other possibility for waiting – the knowledge that as spring training nears, prices for the remaining unsigned free agents will go down. Though Mozeliak isn’t saying it, using some of that dry powder over the next six weeks wouldn’t necessarily keep them from gaining and deploying more later.

Even if the Cardinals decide not to make another significant signing this winter, they have already done enough to position themselves as National League Central Division favorites for 2010. Without immediate additional spending, not everyone will be content, however. The annual resurrection of the “DeWallet” loonies, armchair critics of ownership’s player payrolls, is quite possible if the Cardinals head into the season with a mid-$90 million payroll. Instead of applauding player development and efficient spending, the simplistic minds of the habitual complainers can only compare annual bottom lines.

After last year, I have become a believer that if the Cardinals need help during the season and they play well enough to deserve it, ownership will come through. In the meantime, the primary pressure should be on the players and coaches to win.

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The problem is that Rasmus’ chances are hitting on neither cylinder right now.

The outfielder is sidelined, for what is said to be short-term in duration, due to hamstring soreness. The 22-year-old has missed almost three games after leaving after one at-bat on Sunday against Florida. Even so, Rasmus is still leading the Cardinals in at-bats with 33.

The top prospect is batting just .242 for a Cardinals club that is leading all Florida spring training clubs in run scoring. Of the 18 players in Cards camp with at least ten at bats coming into Wednesday, only four have a lower batting average.

Two of them, Jason LaRue (.200) and Ryan Ludwick (.130), are assured of jobs. The other two, like Rasmus, are playing for their roster spots – Brian Barton (.208) and Joe Thurston (.182).

Even worse for Rasmus is that the Schumaker experiment at second base is drawing more fire as the errors mount. Rather than repeat it, I will simply link to Joe Strauss’ Wednesday article from the Post-Dispatch.

I will highlight just one point. Even with generous amounts of home-cooked scoring, Schumaker’s fielding percentage currently sits at .826. Just as there is time for Rasmus’ bat to come around, there is also time for Schumaker’s defense to improve.

Not too much time, though.

With spring elongated by a week due to the World Baseball Classic, Schumaker would never have a longer period to try to learn the position on the fly, but no one should have expected it to be successful. Hope, yes, but expect, no.

As one would assume, manager Tony La Russa doesn’t want to talk about it, because realistically there is nothing he can say.

Tony knows he doesn’t want to risk injury to his franchise first baseman as an errant Schumaker throw on Sunday almost caused. The skipper also understands he needs to maintain the confidence of his ground ball-inducing pitching staff. That group won’t be able to deal with unearned runs on a regular basis, such as the two that scored due to Skip’s most recent miscue on Tuesday.

Todd Wellemeyer, Tuesday’s victim, was likely speaking on behalf of all the Cardinals pitchers when he made the point abundantly clear after the game.

“During the season, it’s not acceptable. It’s all there is to it. I don’t think Tony will have it,” Wellemeyer said.

La Russa has already announced that Schumaker is taking a game off from playing in the field on Thursday. He has scheduled the 29-year-old to be his designated hitter against the Boston Red Sox, potentially blocking off one avenue for Rasmus to get back into the lineup in the process. Friday’s split squad games seem a good alternate target for Colby’s return.

The Skip to DH move, even as temporary as one game, should allow several of the other second base candidates to receive some more meaningful playing time at the position. Currently, “Plan B” for second base is very unclear.

In another interesting tidbit, Derrick Goold reports that Skip has requested spring time in the outfield to ensure he is ready to play there. La Russa seemed fine with the idea of Schumaker moving between infield and outfield if needed. Yet this shouldn’t be necessary unless doubts are creeping in as to the permanence of the second base shift.

La Russa admitted as much when he told Strauss the following:

“If good things happen, then you keep giving him a chance because it means a lot to him. If it doesn’t do it, we gave it the ol’ college try.”

If the Cardinals have to permanently abandon the Schumaker move, how might the dominoes fall?

A trade of outfield surplus for a second baseman would be just as ideal now as it was last fall, but the same old problems remain, along with a new one.

First of all, will a decent player become available from a club that matches up with St. Louis in terms of need? Second, what is the chance that second baseman won’t cost more in salary than the player(s) the Cardinals would give up in return?

Another recent Strauss article quoted an organization source that the signing of reliever Dennys Reyes last week exhausted all the payroll flexibility in the team’s budget until at least mid-season. Unless an exception would be made, that may narrow what few options general manager John Mozeliak could unearth over the next three weeks. Money would also seem to rule out signing an aging free agent stop-gap such as former Cardinal Mark Grudzielanek or Ray Durham.

Skip is set offensively as the club’s leadoff hitter and despite the defensive challenges, is still batting .333 this spring. With no minor league options remaining, there will be no temptation to send him down to Memphis to get more work at the position.

Who would play second?

Of the four other candidates, as noted above, Thurston isn’t hitting. Brendan Ryan, slowed by injury earlier, is just 2-for-8 (.250). I have felt those two would have the inside track, with Thurston especially interesting because he bats from the left side.

Brian Barden had two hits Wednesday and is batting .429, but has been given limited action (just 14 at-bats). Tyler Greene, one of the early surprises of camp, has seen his spring average drop to .269. Neither has been eliminated, nor is Jarrett Hoffpauir (6-for-15, .400) entirely out of it, either.

Defensively, Schumaker would undoubtedly step back into the starting left field job, at least the majority of the time, against right-handed pitchers. With Rasmus and fellow outfielder Chris Duncan also hitting left-handed and with incumbent starters Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick set at the other two outfield positions, there would be no place for Rasmus to start. Add spring RBI leader Joe Mather back into the outfield mix once Troy Glaus reclaims his job at third base and… well, you get the idea.

Clearly, the Cardinals don’t want Rasmus on the bench, whether in St. Louis or Memphis.

Like Schumaker already doesn’t have enough pressure playing for himself; he very well may be playing for Colby, too.

Don’t worry. This isn’t going to be another re-warmed review of Skip’s ancient college history at shortstop or a bashing of his uneven start at his new position.

Instead, this is a quick look at a kindred spirit, Kansas City’s Mark Teahen. As I type this, I am watching the Toronto Blue Jays entertain the World Baseball Classic’s Team Canada in an exhibition contest Tuesday.

One of the Canadian infielders is Teahen. While the versatile 27-year-old is starting at third base on this day, he will be seeing time at second during the WBC, as well, at least in drills if not in actual games. That will be at the request of the Royals.

Just like the Cardinals, their cross-state interleague rivals said goodbye to their veteran second baseman over the winter. Former Cardinal Mark Grudzielanek became a free agent and remains unsigned for 2009.

Already with over 200 career games each at third base and right field, as well as limited time in left field, at first base and even centerfield, Teahen was asked to move once again to take Grudz’ old job.

Kansas City’s November trade for veteran outfielder Coco Crisp, a former Cardinals farmhand, made the most recent Teahen shift necessary. Then, there’s the prospect of the small-budget Royals paying over $3.5 million for what would otherwise be projected as a utility player.

It’s not the first time Teahen has been moved. It’s not the second, either.

When former Nebraska Cornhusker Alex Gordon came up in 2007, starting third baseman Teahen was shifted to right field despite being the organization’s reigning Player of the Year. When veteran right-fielder Jose Guillen was signed, guess who was slid over to left?

Teahen’s first game for the Royals this spring was a disaster, with two errors and several other misplays. After almost 900 career professional games – 364 in the minors and another 532 in the majors – it was his first appearance at second base.

He tried it once before, in his first season of junior college. Despite his past utility success, Teahen’s 6-foot-3 height adds to the skepticism.

While the Cardinals are missing Schumaker’s primary infield instructor due to the WBC in Team Puerto Rico’s manager Jose Oquendo, they still have former major league second basemen Joe Pettini and others to keep the heavy focus on.

Imagine how the Royals feel about Teahen missing valuable spring training time?

Of course, it has to be discussed carefully, since the WBC is the brainchild of Major League Baseball and any club officials know better than to speak out. In this case, all the right words are being spoken, at least publicly.

I am not sure on which team this more reflects, but Team Canada defeated the Blue Jays on Tuesday. Former Cardinals starter Mike Maroth got the start for Toronto, allowing two runs in two innings and looking shaky in the process.

(On a side point, have you noticed how the Jays have become the place former Cardinals go to die? By my count, there have been at least five to head north in the last two years alone – David Eckstein, Scott Rolen, Cody Haerther, Matt Clement and Maroth.)

Are the Canadians this good or the Jays that bad? I am not sure, but either way, since Team Canada is in a pool with the USA and Venezuela, their WBC participation is expected to end with the first round. If that is the case, Teahen could be back in KC’s camp by the middle of the month.

Like Skip, Teahen doesn’t have to worry about his roster spot, but how can the time spent away from camp be spun in a positive manner?

Now, I’m not being critical of Teahen. He was put in a bad place by the timing of the tournament, being forced to decide between his employer and his country.

Teahen had decided to play in the 2006 WBC, but let the Royals talk him out of it. He had wanted to participate in the Olympics when in the minors and his father is a veteran of Canadian international competition.

If the Schumaker experiment by the Cardinals fails, the WBC can’t realistically be blamed. Royals backers might not be so gracious if Teahen can’t make his transition stick.

Of course, it is up to the reader to interpret what was intended, but based on the emails and message board posts, I would say that many have leapt to the conclusion that Cardinals management was either again asleep at the switch with a “too little, too late offer” or concocted another K-Rod “we made an offer, honest” thinly-designed fantasy in an ill-fated attempt to placate the mobs of angry “fans”.

Nothing could be farther from the truth.

It was widely reported that second baseman Hudson, 31, signed a one-year deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for a base salary of just $3 million, with a $380,000 signing bonus.

At first blush, that represents a significant bargain as well as a drop from the $6.25 million he earned last year with the Arizona Diamondbacks. It is light years away from the $10 million per year, multi-year contract he was reportedly seeking during the winter.

Not so fast.

Hudson’s contract includes a lot more, incentives which max out at $4.62 million, making his total 2009 earning opportunity $8 million. For the Cardinals, already forking over $4 million to released Adam Kennedy, dropping as much as $8 million more on an over-30, often-injured second baseman seems most improbable.

Despite being a three-time Gold Glove Award winner, Hudson’s defense is said by some to be in decline. The switch-hitter batted a career-high .305 last season, but only played in 107 games due to various injuries.

But wait! There’s more.

Because Hudson is a Type A free agent, the Cardinals would have been required to surrender their first-round selection in June’s First-Year Player Draft to the D-backs.

The P-D article notes that once he realized that Hudson’s asking price had returned to Earth, Cards GM John Mozeliak inquired with Arizona as to their willingness to consider an alternative – re-sign Hudson and immediately trade him to St. Louis. In that scenario, the D-backs would have received a prospect from the Cardinals, but a lesser one than a first-rounder.

Instead, the Dodgers stepped in with the above contract to Hudson and apparently no concern over forfeiting their top draft pick, 17th overall, to Arizona. Even if the D-backs wanted to cooperate with the Cardinals, they had no control over Hudson signing elsewhere instead.

Look at it this way. Should the Cardinals have matched or tried to top the Dodgers – guaranteeing Hudson $3.4 million, giving up their 2009 version of Brett Wallace plus potentially paying an additional $4.6 million or more on top of it?

I am not a big fan of the Cardinals’ “keeping their powder dry” analogy, but until I see a lot more of Chris Carpenter in real live games, I am hoping any $3.4 million, or $8 million for that matter, would be spent on more pitching instead.

If the Skip Schumaker at second base experiment fails and the club is uncomfortable with Brendan Ryan or Joe Thurston at the position, then make a trade from the outfield surplus during or at the conclusion of spring training.

For the seemingly increasing number of angry Cardinals fans, at least take the time to consider all angles before leaping to assume the worst, despite what the headlines might suggest.

Memphis outfielder Amaury Cazana Marti, labeled “The Hunter” during his successful summer campaign in Mexico, is competing against the country in the Caribbean Series. The 34- (or 30) year-old played winter ball for Licey in the Dominican Republic and his club is representing the nation in the Series.

Through his first four games, Marti has struggled badly, looking very anxious at the plate, often overswinging. After starting the series batting #5, he has been dropped down to the #7 spot and has just one single, one walk and six strikeouts in 16 plate appearances. His 1-for-15 mark translates to an .067 average. Defensively, the Cuban émigré has seen time at both corners.

The regular winter season was a different story. Against Dominican League pitching, the right-handed hitter posted a .314/.390/.535 line for Licey. He hit seven home runs and drove in 34 over 172 at-bats. However, Marti fanned 42 times.

While the 2006 draftee remains under Cardinals organizational control for 2009, he was not invited to major league spring camp as he was in 2008. Unless he is added to the 40-man roster by next winter, Marti will be eligible for the December 2009 Rule 5 Draft.

(Scout.com subscribers, be sure to check the site on Friday for my view of some potential starting pitching targets coming out of the Caribbean Series. “Playing a Hunch: Edgar Gonzalez to St. Louis?“)

How Larry Bigbie Became the Most Important Man in Baseball

A very, very interesting read about how a reserve Cardinals outfielder inadvertently opened up the government’s steroid investigation.

Skip at second a serious matter

MLB.com’s Matthew Leach is turning up the heat on the Skip Schumaker to second base story. He does not mention that this move does not address the left-handed splits problem, however. Neither Adam Kennedy (bad – .596 OPS last year) nor Schumaker (really terrible – .423 OPS in 2008) can hit lefties. So a platoon makes no sense.

They would never say it this way, instead pointing to 2010 potential, but the immediate benefit is all about making roster room for Colby Rasmus, while quietly exiting Skip from the starting outfield picture. I think it is incredibly optimistic to think Schumaker could become a major league starting-quality second sacker, but maybe a credible reserve level of play can be achieved.

If the experiment works, the five bench guys would seem to line up as Jason LaRue, Chris Duncan, Skip, Joe Mather and Brendan Ryan, with Rick Ankiel, Ryan Ludwick and Rasmus starting in the outfield.

That seems to be the plan as I interpret it.

Lefty to the left coast

The Seattle Mariners announced on Thursday that they have signed left-handed reliever Tyler Johnson to a minor league contract with an invitation to major league spring training camp.

The 27-year-old had been non-tendered by the Cardinals after missing all of 2008 and part of 2007 due to shoulder problems. Overall, Johnson pitched in 116 games for the Cardinals with a 3-5 record with a 4.32 ERA. He allowed 67 hits, struck out 65 and walked 42 in 77 career innings.

Johnson’s primary claim to fame was playing a major supporting role in the 2006 post-season. He fanned a dozen in just 7 1/3 playoff innings on just one earned run for a 1.23 ERA with the eventual world champs.

How the Troy Glaus injury situation was handled has already been well-analyzed by others, so I won’t excessively beat that horse further.

I will say that it is impossible for me to come up with a scenario where management allowed this to happen on purpose. After all, how could the club benefit by Glaus missing up to two months of the season? It’s not like they think they will play better without him and they do still have to pay him, either way.

Still, the investigative journalist side in many people will not seem to be happy until proper blame can be laid on someone. By default, that always seems to be management. In this case, it seems partially valid at least, in terms of how the communication was handled.

I find it disappointing that during the Winter Warm-up fan event, just a few days prior to the surgery announcement, both the club and player covered up the problem, likely to avoid having to answer tough questions. That is not the way to foster trust with an already-wary wary fan base.

No matter whose fault it is, it provides yet another opportunity to criticize ownership and management at a time when the fan’s confidence level in them seems to be following a George Bush popularity trajectory. Hmmm, maybe that is explainable, since Bill DeWitt, Jr. and “43” are buds.

One positive that may come from this injury is the chance to find out early on if David Freese has what it takes to become a major league third baseman. With Glaus’ contract up following the 2009 season and if the “powder dry” Cardinals continue on their cost-cutting trajectory, Glaus will most likely be playing elsewhere in 2010.

Already on a very aggressive schedule since being drafted in the first round just last June, Brett Wallace would have to wow the coaches in camp to become a serious factor to open the season in St. Louis. Yet, crazier things have surely happened.

Speaking of crazy, let’s move on to second base, home of Adam Kennedy and some very unsettled plans.

One of my pet peeves was recently surfaced in the news. If I had a dollar for everyone who thinks Player A, who apparently isn’t good enough to start at his current position, can magically convert to second base overnight, I would be most wealthy. Trying it at the major league level is even more risky.

Yet, that is precisely what Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak offered up for the Cardinal Nation the other day in a chat at StLToday.com. The subject was Skip Schumaker.

“Schumaker was drafted as an infielder but has not played there since making the move to the OF. I have spoken with Tony on this and we have included Oquendo in these talks as well. Skip may get a look there this spring to gauge how comfortable he would be with trying to move back to the infield. He had a good offensively (sic) and we always look for creative ways to get players more playing time,” Mozeliak said.

Up until that point, I refused to believe the scuttlebutt about Schumaker, just as I did about the earlier rumors about outfielder Shane Robinson, who did not see action during the Arizona Fall League at second base, by the way. (As an aside, Jon Jay received a spring training invite and Robinson did not. Consider that an indication of the outfield pecking order.)

Since Mozeliak had discussed the idea of trying Schumaker at second with Tony La Russa and Jose Oquendo as he says he did, why didn’t any of them actually discuss it with the player, too? Couldn’t they have gotten the player some reps in winter ball to test the idea and increase the odds of success?

Of course, the player needs to be sold on the idea first. Earlier, at WWU, Schumaker seemed lukewarm at best, joking that there was likely a reason he hadn’t been put at second base since college in 2001 and prior. Probably knowing he had to be politically correct, the outfielder also said he would try to do whatever the coaches ask.

Why Mo divulged the idea about Schumaker in the manner he did now seems a bit odd. It may not be completely fair, but it felt to me like the GM is trying to generate hope any way possible no matter how unlikely it seems as this increasingly-long, tiring and frustrating off-season continues.

What was unsaid is that if Skip is able to cover second, that creates more outfield room for top prospect Colby Rasmus. In a season with not much new to be excited about, at least so far, more and more signals are pointing to Rasmus as becoming a 2009 focal point – if he makes the team, that is. (An indicator of the hope is the assignment of number 28 to Rasmus this spring, something that stands out among all the number 70s and 80s assigned to the other non-roster invitees.)

Joe Mather, who hasn’t ever played second, recently commented that he would be excited to get the chance to try to play there, too. La Russa had previously laughed off the idea, noting the 6-foot-4 Mather would be one of the tallest second basemen ever. Seems to me that in camp Mather ought to be concentrating on becoming a credible third base reserve, anyway.

Stop! Let’s get real here. This is the major leagues, not some rookie tryout camp. The Cardinals already had two other proven second basemen and they let them walk.

They watched Felipe Lopez leave because he supposedly wanted a multi-year deal. Yet he signed just a one year contract with Arizona for just $3.5 million. They ran Aaron Miles, who was still under team control, out of town because they were scared of arbitration. Miles signed with the Cubs for an average of $2.45 million for the next two seasons, hardly a king’s ransom.

If the Cardinals want another real second baseman, just go get one now, for Pete’s sake. Waiting until camp to determine if any of the in-house candidates are capable is a gamble. Perhaps some decent right-handed hitting second basemen will be available then, but perhaps not.

Among the second basemen still on the market today are Orlando Hudson and Ray Durham. Hudson is a Type A free agent, so his price may be too high due to the compensatory first-round draft pick lost. Former Cardinal Mark Grudzielanek is also out there and any of the three could be a serviceable Kennedy alternative from the right side of the plate. (AK is a left-handed hitter as is Schumaker, another reason the proposed switch seems questionable.)

Since the Cardinals were willing to pay Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes, there must be a little dry powder that could be spared to acquire a decent second baseman if the club wants someone who is actually proven at the position. Yahoo Sports’ most recent projection has the Cardinals coming in with a $91 million payroll in 2009, an almost 10 percent drop from 2008.

Instead, are we really supposed to feel confident about the idea of Skip Schumaker playing second base?

I am not big into playing the blame game myself, and have been trying to wait to pass judgment until the off-season is complete, but Cardinals management isn’t doing anything to help their standing in the court of public opinion. Lately, it seems just the opposite.

Kicking off part two of this series is a segment with a pair of positive stories about two unexpected top contributors to the 2008 Cardinals. Only one was a true rookie as the other claimed a starting role for the first time after bit parts in three previous seasons.

Kyle McClellan came into spring camp as seemingly the longest of long shots. He had been in the system since 2002, recovered from Tommy John surgery, been left exposed in the 2006 Rule 5 Draft and not taken and had accrued just 30 2/3 innings of pitching at the Double-A level and above coming into 2008.

Yet Pitching Coach Dave Duncan was intrigued by the right-hander’s four-pitch repertoire. During a solid spring, McClellan was moved from starting to relieving and was ultimately selected to come north with the big-league club.

The local St. Louis product would start strongly, being called upon in more and more important situations. As the season progressed, the 24-year-old’s results tailed off, however.

McClellan went on to make 68 appearances, second-most among National League rookies and third-most all-time among first-year Cardinals. He earned 32 holds, but was just 1-for-6 in save opportunities. McClellan earned the Cardinals Rookie of the Year Award, presented by the organization in September.

Moving forward, McClellan could be asked to return to the 2009 bullpen or be returned to starting.

Skip Schumaker has been in the Cardinals system a year longer than McClellan, since 2001. While the 28-year-old made his MLB debut in June, 2005, he rode the Memphis shuttle for the next three seasons.

The left-handed hitter came into 2008 in his best shape ever and with a chance to assume the old So Taguchi spot, that of pinch-hitter and late-game defensive replacement, able to play all three outfield positions.

With a superb spring, Schumaker held off top prospect Colby Rasmus. He not only made the big club for the second consecutive year, but surpassed his previous peak by becoming a starter and lead-off man.

Injuries, first to Chris Duncan and later to Rick Ankiel, along with an ability to get on base (.359 OBP) helped cement Schumaker’s starting role. As a result, he received 540 at-bats, becoming a key contributor to the 2008 Cardinals in the process. Schumaker’s primary Achilles heel is an inability to hit left-handed pitchers (.168/.238/.185 in 119 at-bats last season).

With at least six outfielders legitimately positioned to contend for at most five jobs in 2009, nothing is assured for Schumaker going forward. Because he has exhausted all his option years, he cannot be sent down to the minor leagues without first being exposed to waivers.

14) Colby Rasmus: Strong Spring, Lost Season

Who hasn’t heard of the Cardinals top prospect in each of the last two, going on three seasons now?

A little over one year ago, then-new general manager John Mozeliak wanted popular but fading centerfielder Jim Edmonds to be gone badly enough that he was willing to pay San Diego $2 million just to take him away.

Many anticipated part two of the move to be the ascension of Colby Rasmus to replace Edmonds in 2008, this despite the 21-year-old having never played above Double-A. To say Rasmus’ year didn’t evolve as anticipated would be a grand understatement.

The business reality of baseball reared its head when Rasmus did not come north with the Cardinals despite his solid showing during spring training. His primary competition from the left side, Skip Schumaker, had an equally impressive spring, earning the leadoff role on the 2008 Cardinals.

Rasmus, upset over not making the team, headed straight to Memphis and into a deep funk. He crawled into June with a 2008 regular-season OPS considerably under .700. Further complicating matters, his father received wide notoriety due to a series of critical comments posted on our Scout.com message board.

In June, Colby blistered the ball, with an OPS of .976. That same period, fellow Memphis outfielders Joe Mather and Nick Stavinoha each made their MLB debuts instead of the top prospect, earned though solid performances over a longer period this season.

On July 1, Rasmus was added to the Team USA Olympics squad, which by default would either keep him in the minors or he would have to give up his spot. Within ten days, a groin injury put the outfielder onto the disabled list, making it a moot point. Rasmus didn’t return until late August when he played in three games each in the Gulf Coast League and Florida State League.

It was too little, too late for the Alabama native in 2008.

Despite the Cardinals being short-handed in the outfield with Duncan, Ankiel and Mather out, Rasmus did not receive the call to make his MLB debut in September. In the estimation of manager Tony La Russa, Colby hadn’t played enough during the season to warrant the move.

Cardinals Vice President of Amateur Scouting and Player Development Jeff Luhnow spoke to MLB.com in September about Rasmus.

“I think he’s going to focus 100 percent on being ready for Spring Training and making this club,” Luhnow said. “That’s where his head needs to be. Forget who’s posted what online, or what people are saying about what he’s doing or not doing. He and I had a good long chat [Tuesday], and I believe he’s got the right attitude.

“When you talk to him directly, he has one goal and one goal only, and he’s pretty focused on it. I tried to communicate to him that I have that same goal. That we all do, really.”

2008 was basically a lost year for Rasmus, with nothing considerably different today versus 12 months ago other than the uneven Triple-A experience. As of yet, Colby is not required to be added to the 40-man roster and just as was the case last year, remains a long-shot to make the Cardinals out of 2009 spring training.

So far, Rasmus has been rumored to be virtually untouchable when other clubs make trade inquiries. Once upon a time, the subject of the next top story was in a similar place.

13) The End of the Anthony Reyes Era

Depending on how you look at it, the official date for this event might have been July 26 or perhaps December 11. Others argue the die had been cast several years earlier.

Prior to Rasmus, the Cardinals’ most celebrated prospect was a former right-handed pitcher from the University of Southern California, Anthony Reyes. Only because of injury concerns and signability questions was Reyes on the board when the Cards took him in the 15th round of the 2003 draft.

By 2005 and 2006 as he steadily moved up the line, Reyes was considered the top prospect in the Cardinals system. The possessor of a blistering fastball was called upon to replace the forgettable Sidney Ponson in May, 2006 and would go on to make 17 starts in the majors in his rookie season.

Reyes’ crowning moment as a Cardinal was in Game 1 of the 2006 World Series in Detroit. The Cards, major underdogs to the Tigers, took the opener behind eight-plus innings of two-run baseball by Reyes. He holds the record for fewest career wins (six) by any Game 1 Series starter in the history of the game.

His 2007 began with a solid 3-0, 2.70 ERA in spring training, and concluded in a historic manner, but not in a positive sense. Reyes took ten consecutive defeats to start the regular season, tying the club record set in 1898. In between more time in Memphis and ending the season in the bullpen, Reyes’ .125 winning percentage (2-14 record) tied the franchise’s single-season futility record, established in 1896.

Though he did not make the 2008 rotation, Reyes was placed on the club to start the season as a reliever. Whispers of a difference of opinion between the front office and the coaching staff ensued. Reyes was demoted to Memphis for the fifth time in the last two years on May 5, making room for Mike Parisi‘s MLB starting debut.

Reyes arrived back from Triple-A in mid-June but was scratched from his first start with right elbow inflammation. Once his rehab was complete, Reyes remained with Memphis until the July 26 trade to Cleveland.

All the Cardinals received in return was a 24-year-old reliever named Luis Perdomo, assigned to Double-A Springfield. The Cards thought so little of the Dominican Republic native that they left him exposed in December’s Rule 5 Draft, where he was taken by the San Francisco Giants for $50,000.

With that, the final tie to the Reyes era in St. Louis is officially gone. All that remains are some mixed memories, a feeling that things could and should have been different and the mere pittance of $50,000.

Not mentioned in the above was the ever-present 800-pound gorilla during Reyes’ entire stay in St. Louis. Of course, that is the widely-reported difference in opinion regarding the right-hander’s pitching style that placed La Russa and Duncan in one corner and Reyes in the other.

I was with the Cardinals at the time of the trade and recorded La Russa’s remarks from his office. Here is an excerpt, during which the pitcher and the media were assigned ample helpings of blame.

“I regret some of the nonsense that became a distraction about his style of pitching didn’t match. That didn’t work in his advantage. You just don’t need distractions when you are trying to be… I am talking about veterans; it doesn’t make any difference…

“I regret the fact that people brought up the fact that they didn’t think he was the right kind of pitcher. Dave Duncan gives every pitcher that comes here his absolute best shot, which has been proven over time to do as good of a job as anybody. It was a story line that kept getting pushed that he wasn’t Dave’s kind of pitcher. No.

“You can’t pitch there (gesturing high in the zone). You have to pitch here (middle) and there (low). Everything that Dave told him is what he tells all these guys. It can happen to anybody when you are younger. It can distract you,” said La Russa.

Now 27 years of age, Reyes is penciled into the Tribe’s 2009 rotation. His post-trade, six-start American League debut went fabulously, as he posted a 2-1 record with a 1.83 ERA upon a late-season recall from Triple-A.

12) The Rockies Deals that Weren’t: Matt Holliday and Brian Fuentes

On numerous occasions, La Russa has asked for a power bat to hit behind Albert Pujols in the Cardinals batting order and recently, he has reinforced his desire for a proven closer.

This past summer, two members of the floundering, yet defending NL champion Colorado Rockies were linked to the Cardinals. Outfielder Matt Holliday was one year away from becoming a Scott Boras-led free agent while the contract of closer Brian Fuentes (pictured) would conclude at the end of 2008.

While neither became a Cardinal last summer, nor did any other significant player, unless you count the temporary addition of Washington castoff Felipe Lopez.

Before Holliday was dealt by the Rockies to a surprise suitor, the Oakland A’s, on November 12, the Cardinals reportedly offered three players for him. Outfielders Ryan Ludwick and Skip Schumaker and starting pitcher Mitchell Boggs were the players rumored to possibly be heading west.

Moving two outfielders for one would have relieved some of the outfield logjam. Yet after the emergence of Ludwick last season, there was considerable public debate over how much of an upgrade Holliday would offer offensively.

Another important factor was money. Holliday is set to be paid $13.5 million next season, while Ludwick can remain under club control for three more seasons and will likely make a third or less of Holliday’s 2009 take.

The Cardinals haven’t done any better trying to get Brian Fuentes, though it has been for different reasons.

A lack of confidence in emerging closer Chris Perez and 2009 rookie-to-be Jason Motte left La Russa to proclaim Fuentes as the Cardinals’ top priority during the early December Winter Meetings.

It is true that being left-handed and a closer would meet two of the Cards’ stated needs, yet drawing that high of a profile may or may not have been the manner in which Mozeliak would have preferred to play his hand. Still, the GM backed up the proclamation with a two-year offer reported to be in the $16-$18 million range.

Fuentes didn’t bite, stating he prefers to play in his home state of California with the Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim. The Halos lost their closer, Francisco Rodriguez, to the Mets as a free agent. If they ante more money and/or the third year Fuentes desires, that deal should get done.

In the meantime, the second-fiddle Cardinals have grown tired of waiting and may have withdrawn their offer entirely.

Rarely, if ever, has so much ink been spilled in and around St. Louis over two players that actually never became Cardinals.

11) The Passing of George Kissell (link one) (link two)

George Kissell was undoubtedly the greatest Cardinal organization man of the latter half of the 1900′s, that despite few fans having ever heard of him.

The 88-year-old’s official title was senior field coordinator for player development, but he was more commonly known as the man who taught thousands of farmhands how to play the game the Cardinals way for over a half-century.

Before perishing in October due to injuries suffered in an automobile accident, Kissell served the organization for 69 years. Most recently, he assisted the Cardinals’ minor league affiliates and handled instructional duties for the minor leagues during spring training and extended spring training.

Kissell began by spending ten years in the minor leagues as an infielder and worked in many capacities since 1940. From 1946 to 1968, he was a manager, coach, scout and minor league instructor. Kissell was on the Major League coaching staff from 1969 to 1975 and was special field assistant to General Manager Bing Devine in 1976.

In 2005, the Cardinals unveiled a plaque outside the clubhouse at the Cardinals Complex in Jupiter to honor Kissell which reads, in part: “Every player in the Cardinals’ Organization since 1940 has had contact with George Kissell and they have all been better for it. … Well known for his emphasis on fundamentals, George taught several generations of Redbirds how to play baseball.”

Further, in a December memorial service in Kissell’s former home of St. Petersburg, Florida, Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt, Jr. proclaimed that the club’s four practice fields in Jupiter would be named in Kissell’s honor.

Already posted:

Top 20 Cardinals Stories of 2008: #16-20

Coming soon:

Top 20 Cardinals Stories of 2008: #6-10

Top 20 Cardinals Stories of 2008: #1-5

Projected Top St. Louis Cardinals Stories of 2009