The Cardinal Nation blog

The St. Louis Cardinals will apparently have to option out a pitcher on Wednesday. Who do you think it will be?

Reviewing various starting pitching options for the St. Louis Cardinals in Jaime Garcia’s absence.

Game scores put recent St. Louis Cardinals pitching dominance of Shelby Miller and Adam Wainwright into historical perspective.

Comparing recent contracts of Allen Craig, Paul Goldschmidt and Anthony Rizzo.

Comparing Shelby Miller’s almost-perfect game to others in St. Louis Cardinals team and Major League Baseball history.

Trevor Rosenthal is on pace for 92 mound appearances for the St. Louis Cardinals in his first full season in the major leagues.

A look back at every opening day pitcher in the 16-year history of the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds.

Matt Adams had been blocked from everyday play at first base by Allen Craig for at least the next four years. Craig’s new contract extended it to six years.

Why Matt Adams should be the biggest backer of defensive success by Matt Carpenter and Daniel Descalso with St. Louis.

Just 10 games into spring training, St. Louis Cardinals manager Mike Matheny is almost ready to declare his fifth starter.

Spring pitching phenom Michael Wacha would likely not be a St. Louis Cardinal had Albert Pujols remained.

Despite a lot of activity, the bottom line for the St. Louis Cardinals middle infield has barely changed since the end of 2012.

Five St. Louis Cardinals players will soon be taking leave from the club’s spring training camps to participate in the 2013 World Baseball Classic.

First baseman Matt Adams’ chance of making the St. Louis Cardinals out of spring camp took a couple of blows over the weekend.

St. Louis Cardinals photos from Monday’s third and final session of the 2013 Winter Warm-Up at St. Louis’ Hyatt Regency at the Arch.

Selected St. Louis Cardinals player photos from Sunday’s second day of the 2013 Winter Warm-Up at St. Louis’ Hyatt Regency at the Arch.

A look ahead to the top projected stories across the Cardinal Nation in 2013.

Two weeks bring two ridiculously one-sided trade ideas from the world-wide leader in which the St. Louis Cardinals would play the victim.

Two young St. Louis Cardinals players assumed major roles for the 2012 playoff-bound club, centerfielder Jon Jay and first baseman Allen Craig.

St. Louis Cardinals had five selections in the first round of the 2012 draft, their most in over two decades.

In his first year in the St. Louis Cardinals’ rotation, second-year pitcher Lance Lynn led his team in victories.

Former general manager Jim Bowden thinks the St. Louis Cardinals should trade their two best pitching prospects plus Jon Jay to the Colorado Rockies for Carlos Gonzalez.

The 2012 St. Louis Cardinals made an under-the-radar trade at the deadline that met their needs perfectly, adding reliever Edward Mujica.

The hard-throwing right-hander made the unusual move from Double-A to the majors before settling into the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals bullpen.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ top prospect made his major league debut in September.

The hot market for free agent pitching could improve the rotation bids of young St. Louis Cardinals starting pitchers.

If you were running the St. Louis Cardinals, would you be willing to give up one of your top pitching prospects for a shortstop? Would you have a choice?

The 2012 St. Louis Cardinals stole the most bases in eight seasons with the best success rate in nine years.

Lance Lynn has done something no other St. Louis Cardinals pitcher has accomplished since 1960.

The 2012 St. Louis Cardinals reached another offensive balance milestone on Saturday, this one in run production.

The St. Louis Cardinals have three hitters with 20 or more home runs and two more with 19. We look at how that distribution stacks up in team history.

The identity of the tallest men to ever play second base for the St. Louis Cardinals may be very surprising. We’ve seen three this season alone.

Will Chris Carpenter return to starting in September for the St. Louis Cardinals? Who might his pitching partner be?

Reversing field, the St. Louis Cardinals reportedly plan to have Shelby Miller make his major league debut in September.

Two of the St. Louis Cardinals biggest RBI men padded their totals on Sunday.

How does Carlos Martinez’ Double-A results stack up against more highly-touted prospects Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal?

The St. Louis Cardinals will need to make a change to their rotation when Jaime Garcia returns on Sunday. Vote on your preference.

Whether it was a delayed benefit from a no-shake rule or seeing others pass him, St. Louis Cardinals top prospect Shelby Miller has experienced a turnaround recently.

A look at some estimates at the costs involved in the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals keeping or not keeping reliever Octavio Dotel.

St. Louis Cardinals rookie Matt Carpenter is delivering like a veteran pinch-hitter off an inexperienced bench.

Wondering out loud if the St. Louis Cardinals would consider a trade of their centerfielder for pitching for the second consecutive season.

Looking at pace to the majors in innings-pitched, rather than calendar time.

Looking at the St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect’s surprising jump from Double-A to the majors from multiple angles.

The St. Louis Cardinals top position player prospect, outfielder Oscar Taveras, carries a Canadian passport.

Wednesday night marked the 17th time since 2000 that two different St. Louis Cardinals pitchers allowed home runs in the same inning.

Will right-handed pitcher Shelby Miller join former top organizational prospect Colby Rasmus as trade bait for the St. Louis Cardinals?

OK, it was just one stat over two starts, but St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn logged two rare high-strikeout games.

An ineffective Fernando Salas has been sent down to Triple-A Memphis. Was his increased workload in 2011 a factor?

Despite the current injury situation of the St. Louis Cardinals, their top first base prospect remains at Triple-A. I believe that is the right way to go – at least for now.

No first-time player in St. Louis Cardinals major league camp this spring was talked about more than right-handed pitcher Trevor Rosenthal.

Cody Stanley is the 24th name on the St. Louis Cardinals minor league drug suspension list since 2005.

Excitement about St. Louis Cardinals prospect Matt Adams sent me back to the records to compare his Arizona Fall League results with Albert Pujols’ 11 years earlier.

On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals moved Lance Lynn from relieving to starting. Why did they wait for an injury to another?

For the second consecutive spring, the St. Louis Cardinals top minor league hitter is standing out in major league camp. Let’s not get carried away, though.

Vote on when you think the St. Louis Cardinals’ top prospect will make his major league debut.

St. Louis Cardinals photos from Monday’s third and final session of the 2012 Winter Warm-Up at St. Louis’ Hyatt Regency at the Arch.

Selected St. Louis Cardinals player photos from Saturday’s first day of the 2011 Winter Warm-Up at St. Louis’ Hyatt Regency at the Arch. Two executives are also included.

Seven lower-odds storylines possibly ahead for the 2012 St. Louis Cardinals. Or not.

Three young position players made significant contributions along the way to the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2011 World Series title.

Three rookie pitchers not on the roster to open the season contributed to the St. Louis Cardinals World Championship push.

The St. Louis Cardinals starting middle infielders to begin 2011 did not last the season, with more change likely for 2012.

Eight different relievers collected saves and four of them lost the closers job, but the 2011 St. Louis Cardinals secured the conversions when they were needed the most.

After an .071 average from their designated hitters in the 2004 and 2006 World Series, the St. Louis Cardinals can look to more from Allen Craig in 2011.

Very few St. Louis Cardinals pitchers have thrown more pitches in securing a save than did Fernando Salas on Tuesday night.

A quick look at new St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn’s recent usage history.

No St. Louis Cardinals closer has ever logged his first ten saves without a blown opportunity faster than Fernando Salas in 2011.

What may be the St. Louis Cardinals’ biggest minor league promotion of the year was announced by the player himself – via Twitter.

In terms of crucial RBI for the St. Louis Cardinals, Daniel Descalso’s 2011 start trails only Mark McGwire and Albert Pujols in the last 60 years.

Links to several videos of features about St. Louis Cardinals prospects.

Fernando Salas is the only St. Louis Cardinals reliever not to blow a save or take a loss in 2011.

A series of questions to determine what you would do if you were the St. Louis Cardinals, having to decide how to deal with Matt Holliday’s unexpected time out of the lineup.

Comparing pros and cons of Matt Carpenter, Ramon Vazquez and Daniel Descalso, competitors for one job with the St. Louis Cardinals.

I hear all the early St. Louis Cardinals camp excitement about third baseman Matt Carpenter, but my thoughts are elsewhere, back in 2005.

The Ryan Ludwick for Jake Westbrook trade was one of the biggest and arguably the most surprising story of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2010 season.

Third base was a major problem for the St. Louis Cardinals for the second consecutive season.

The St. Louis Cardinals’ first pick in the 2010 draft received near-record money and a major league contract.

Which St. Louis Cardinals players may benefit or suffer from the club’s recent roster moves?

A series of quick updates on St. Louis Cardinals subjects currently in the news.

In a surprise, second baseman Daniel Descalso became the late-season third baseman for the St. Louis Cardinals.

Friday night’s suicide squeeze by Matt Pagnozzi was the St. Louis Cardinals’ first in three years.

Rookie St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Allen Craig has seven RBI in his first 15 career games.

After 50 games, outfielder Jon Jay has the third highest average of any St. Louis Cardinals player since 1920.

Jon Jay has nine two-base hits in his first 38 games, joining just 16 other St. Louis Cardinals who could say the same.

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay has been a pleasant surprise in right field for the injured Ryan Ludwick. When Ludwick returns, can Jay keep it up?

Summarizing a Twitter discussion about rules regarding trading of recently-drafted players.

St. Louis Cardinals starters have gone five innings or less in four consecutive games.

Graphs tell the story of St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Adam Ottavino’s second start of his major league career.

An over reliance on a fastball declining in velocity, no viable off-speed pitch and minimal pitching inside add up to a shaky debut for St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Ottavino.

Like a number of short-timers before him, St. Louis Cardinals reliever Fernando Salas wore number 59 for his one-game MLB introduction before returning to Triple-A.

St. Louis Cardinals prospects stack up very differently when looking at potential contribution at the major league level this season.

A look at St. Louis Cardinals second base non-roster invitees over the last five seasons.

One report has St. Louis Cardinals second base prospect Daniel Descalso joining the spring third base scrum, but it seems an isolated thought.

Already suspended for drug use, Cardinals outfield prospect is arrested for DUI and other violations.

Eight different players had a piece of the St. Louis Cardinals’ starting third base job in 2009. None of them did much of anything with it.

St. Louis 2009-drafted outfielder Tyler Bighames tests positive for drug of abuse.

The St. Louis Cardinals ventured into unfamiliar territory when making their first-round pick in the 2009 draft.

A quick look at several St. Louis Cardinals prospect-related items.

How much playing time did those called up from Memphis to St. Louis actually receive in the final days of the 2009 season?

A collection of recent St. Louis Cardinals-related links of interest with a little commentary mixed in.

Answering follow-on questions about Cardinals prospects and the 2009 Arizona Fall League