Cardinals shutout Mets in spring opener, 7-0

When Anthony Reyes took the mound to start the game for the Cardinals yesteraday, he knew he was out there to prove himself worthy of a rotation spot.

But he was going up against one of the fiercest lineups in all of baseball, the Mets, who have the likes of Jose Reyes, David Wright, Carlos Delgado, and Moises Alou in their lineup. But nevertheless, he proved himself quite well, as he pitched the starting 3 inning of the game scoreless, helping the Cardinals win over the mets 7-0.

And while he was on the mound, the Cardinals, who were playing their first real spring training game, were doing fine at the plate, as they scored 3 runs in the bottom of the second to take a good early lead.

Heading into the 4th, the Cardinals replaced Anthony Reyes on the mound with non-roster invitee, Hugo Castellanos. Hugo, originally from Nuevo Laredo, Mexico, pitched just as good as Reyes, if not better, through three innings, keeping the Mets scoreless.

So while things were looking good on the mound, things were also looking good at the dish. The Cardinals scored 2 runs in the 5th and 2 runs in the 6th, taking a 7 run lead over the still scoreless Mets.

And with three innings left in the game, Cardinals minor league pitchers Kelvin Jimenez, Mark Worrell and Jason Motte each pitched a hitless inning, keeping the score at 7-0 to keep the Cards on top through all 9 innings.

Anthony Reyes picks up the win, while he and Hugo Castellanos did just the same, pitching 3 innings of baseball on 2 hits.

The Cardinals were quite solid at the plate yesterday, earning 11 hits on their 7 runs. The biggest damage came from both from Skip Schumaker and the veteran, Juan Gonzalez. Skip went 3 for 4 with an RBI, while Juan had 2 hits in 3 at-bats with a run scored and a RBI. 21 year-old Colby Rasmus, who pinched ran for Albert Pujols in the 5th and was later placed in the outfield, had a double in his only at-bat of the game along with a walk. Brian Barden, who replaced Troy Glaus at third late in the game, went 1 for 2 with 2 RBIs.

Coming up today, the Cardinals play the Mets again, giving the Mets a chance for revenge. The Cardinals will have a tough one as they go up against the new Met, Johan Santana, who will be making will first non-official start as a Met. Going up against him will be the Cardinals “ace” Adam Wainwright. The game is scheduled to start at 12:05 CT.

Cardinals Victorious over SLU, 15-2

When the St. Louis Cardinals took the field yesterday in their exhibition game against the St. Louis University Billikens, they were wearing red caps with a large ‘K’ on them, in honor of those who were shot at the Kirkwood high school shooting on February second.

Those hats might have brought luck to the Cardinals. Or maybe it was just the fact that they were playing a collage team, but either way, the Cardinals took advantage of the Billikens inexperience, winning 15-2 in 7 innings.

The game was the Cardinals first organized game since September. The Cardinals had minor league pitcher Mitchell Boggs start against the Billikens pitcher, Chris Merrik. Boggs had some trouble right off the bat as he let up a run in the first inning. But the Cardinals came right back as DH Brian Barton got a hold of one and drove the ball over the right field fence with Colby Rasmus on first, giving the Cardinals a 2-1 lead.

But it didn’t last long, as the Billikens came right back with a run in the top of the second, tying the game up. George Hebert took over the pitching duties for the Billikens in the bottom of the second and pitched a scoreless inning. But from there, it was all Cardinals. P.J. Walters came in to pitch for the Cardinals, and did likewise to Hebert.

In the bottom of the third, the Cardinals broke the tie with 3 quick runs. And after Walters pitch another inning without the Billikens scoring, the Cardinals came out in a hurry in the bottom of the 4th, scoring 10 runs after an Amuary Marti pinch-hit Grand Slam.

Clayton Mortenson came in to pitch for the Cardinals next for 2 innings, pitching perfect without a hit. The Cardinals were able to pick up another run in the bottom of the 5th. Heading into the top of the 7th, with Cardinals up 15-2, Chris Perez pitched a scoreless inning. And after that, the game was called by mutual consent.

Pitching for the Cardinals was very solid throughout most of the game. Mitchell Boggs, who started the game, had the roughest outing, allowing 2 runs through 2 innings. Both P.J. Walter and Clayton Mortenson pitched 2 perfect innings. Chris Perez, who closed the game, pitched an inning of baseball with one hit. Walters earned the win.

Colby Rasmus went 2 for 2 with 2 walks, 4 runs scored and an RBI. Brian Barton, who was reportedly injured and was a questionable start, went 2 for 2 also, scoring 3 runs with 2 RBIs and a walk. Amuary Marti, in his two at bats, went 2 for 2 with a grand slam and 4 RBIs. David Freese, who was recently traded to the Cardinals, went 2 for 3 with 2 runs scored an RBI and a walk.

Today, the Cardinals will be taking on their first major league team, as they play the Mets. The Cardinals will go up against John Maine and pitching against him will be the Cardinals “ace” Adam Wainwright. The game is scheduled to start at 12:05 CT.

All the hats that were worn by the players will be signed and auctioned off later on MLB.com.

Hello Spring Training

Let the games begin.

Three spring training games, all exhibition games, were held yesterday, starting off the 2008 baseball season. Each of those three games had a major league team playing against a collage team.

The New York Mets, who some say have the best team in all of baseball, played university of Michigan at Port St. Lucie, Florida and surprisingly just tied them 4-4. UM was actually ahead of the mets going into the bottom of the nine with a scored of 4-2, but the Mets were able to get a couple points ion the bottom of the nine to tie the game up.

But over in Lakeland Florida, the Detroit Tigers where whooping up on the Florida Southern Collage. After the nine inning of slaughter, Detroit came out with a 17-4 win after hitting 5 homeruns.
And at the Florida Marlins camp in Jupiter Florida, the Marlins took a 7-2 win over the university of Miami, even though UM out hit Florida 10-8. Marlin’s minor league player Lee Mitchell hit a pinch-hit homerun in the 6th.

So with those games in the books, its time to let the real spring training game begin. The first non-exhibition games will start at 11:05 CT when the Mets play the Tigers and the Phillies take on the Reds. Also, the White Sox will play the National League champion Rockies, and the Royal will play the Rangers, both game starting at 2:05 CT. And at 6:05 CT, the Nationals will take on the Marlins. And along with all those game, the Pirates, Cardinals and Braves will each play their first exhibition games.

The Cardinals will be play the St. Louis University Billikens and will have minor league pitcher Mitchell Boggs sent to the hill to start the game for them. Several other minor league pitchers are scheduled to pitch in the game and lefty Chris Perez is scheduled to close out the game in the 9th.

And looking ahead to tomorrow, when almost ever major league team will play a spring training game, the Cardinals will be taking on their first major league team, as they play the Mets. The Cardinals will have a tough one as they go up against the veteran John Maine. Going up against him will be the Cardinals “ace” Adam Wainwright. The game is scheduled to start at 12:05 CT.

So with it all starting all over again, its time for a whole new ballgame. Here’s to a great 2008 season.

Redbird Report: Spring Battles

All throughout baseball this week, pitchers, catchers and even some early arrivals of position players have reported to there spring training camps. 12 of MLB’s teams set off for Arizona, where the Cactus league will soon begin for spring training. The other 18 teams set off for Florida, where the Grapefruit league is held.

The St. Louis Cardinals, who are among those in the Grapefruit league, reported to their camp in Jupiter Florida on last Thursday. Almost all of the 66 players who were invited to spring training have shown up for early workouts before the first Spring Training game, about 10 days away. The main activities that players will preform at their camps consist of simple exercises, like running and weight lifting. But before that, all players must complete a physical.

Among those who were invited to the Cardinals Spring Training camp include all the main roster players, many prospects, like Colby Rasmus, Bryan Anderson, Chris Perez, Adam Ottavino, and some other minor league player and non-roster invitees, like D’Angelo Jimenez, Josh Phelps, Mark Johnson, and even 38-year old Juan Gonzualez, who will try to prove the Cardinals over for one last season in the bigs league.

Gonzalez, who has only 1 at-bat in the Major league since 2004, and hasn’t played pro baseball since 2005. With currently seven outfielders, Rick Ankiel, Chris Duncan, Ryan Ludwick, Skip Shumaker, Brian Barton, Colby Rasmus, and Gonzalez all competing for 3 outfield jobs, Gonzalez will have to earn his spot on the team. The oldest of the 6 outfielders, not including Gonzalez, is Ryan Ludwick, who is 29 –9 years younger than Gonzaluz. But with the outfield for ‘08 looking very young, a veteran like Gonzual might be just what the Cardinals need.

Some other news coming out of Spring Training this week includes the fact that pitcher Matt Clement will not be available for the opening week of baseball in April. He is estimated to be ready to pitch in mid-march. Until then, his vacancy in the rotation means that probably either Brad Thompson, Todd Wellemeyer or Anthony Reyes will be battling to get 2 of the 3 spots in the starting rotation.

Also, the Cardinals have signed left-handed relief pitcher Ron Villone to a minor league deal. Villone, 38, has played 13 major league seasons with 11 different team. He spent 2007 with the New York Yankees, collecting a  0-0 record with a 4.25 ERA in 37 games in relief. In his career, played mostly as a starter, he has a 55-57 record with a 4.76 career ERA. It is possible he might get a job in the Cardinals bullpen, due to a lack of left handed pitchers. He will be battling another lefty, Ron Flores, for a possible spot.

So with the Cardinals gearing up for ‘08, nothing is final, as the battles for the starting jobs begin.

Redbird Report: Down on the Farm

Minor league baseball teams go by the nicknames the “farm teams” because of a joke from the 1930s when St. Louis Cardinals general manager Branch Rickey formalized the minor league system, and teams in small towns were “growing players down on the farm like corn.”

70 years later, the Cardinals now have 6 affiliates, the Memphis Redbirds (AAA), the Springfield Cardinals (AA), the Palm Beach County Cardinals (A), the Quad Cities River Bandits (A), the Batavia Muckdogs (A), and the Johnson City Cardinals (R), and over 250 minor league players.

In the past season, all the of the Cardinals minor league teams combined for a 337-364 record, a .480 winning percentage, which doesn’t sound promising, although 2 of the teams did make the playoffs. The Quad City River Bandits were among the four teams competing in the Midwest league playoffs, but were defeated in the first round. The Springfield Cardinals made in all the way through the Texas league to the championship series, but lost to San Antonio to take second place.

So the Cardinals minor league teams are struggling, but many players are still thriving in the minors. There are a number of intriguing prospects, as follows:

• Colby Rasmus, OF. At 21, Colby completed his third professional baseball season in 2007. He was raised in a baseball family with his father, Tony Rasmus, being a former professional player himself, and his brother, Cory, being a #1 draft pick by Atlanta in 2006. He had a .275 batting average in 128 games with Springfield in 2007, along with a league high of 29 homeruns. In addition to his power, he has a good mix of speed, stealing 18 bases. He is considered the Cardinals #1 prospect, and was ranked by MILB.com as the 7th best overall prospect in 2007. With the trade of former Cardinal center fielder Jim Edmonds, could have a successful long-term tenure with the Cardinals at center field.
• Chris Perez, P. The big 6′4″, 225 pound relief pitcher is one of the most powerful pitcher in all of the minors. Chris, who is 22, struck out 77 players in 56.2 innings in 54 games split between AAA and AA. He had a 2-1 record with a 2.88 ERA and 36 saves. He was originally drafted in the first round of the 2006 player draft. As the Cardinals current closer, Jason Isringhausen, get older, Chris could find himself as the Cardinals every day closer in a few years.
• Jaime Garcia, P. Jamie, 21 and originally from Mexico, suffered a let down season in 2007, after he went 5-9 with a 3.75 ERA. Although he was drafted in the 22nd round in 2005, he immediately impressed in his first pro season, 2006, by going 9-7 with a 3.54 ERA. Although his stats aren’t incredible, he still has the stuff to be a great big league pitcher.
• Jarrett Hoffpauir, IF. This versatile infielder can play secondbase, shortstop and his primary position, thirdbase. At age 24, Jarrett completed his fourth professional season in 2007, split between AAA and AA. After coming out of the gate with a .345 batting average while in AA, he was promoted to AAA where he hit an eve .300, to have a total 2007 batting average of .323 with 11 homeruns and 57 RBIs. He is currently on the Cardinals 40-man roster.
• Mike Parisi, P. Originally a 9th rounder out of the 2004 draft, Mike, 24, has now played 4 seasons of minor league ball with 6 teams. He had a rather tough year in 2007, going 8-13 with a 4.91 ERA in 28 starts for Memphis. In his career, he has a 32-35 with a 4.33 ERA. Even though some of the stats aren’t pleasant to look at, he still has proven his self to be a possible 200 inning major league pitcher.
• Bryan Anderson, C. Considered by some to be the #1 catching prospect in baseball, Bryan, barely 21, has already played 3 professional catching seasons. He spent 2007 with Springfield, compiling a .298 batting average with 6 homeruns. He is a very good defensive catcher. But with Yadier Molina as the Cardinals catcher until 2012, Anderson’s future with the Cardinals is uncertain.
• Kyle McClellan, P. At 23, Kyle is a long time Cardinal Minor leaguer, playing with them since he was 18, in 2002. 2007 has definitely a turn around season for him. Before 2007, he had a career ERA of 4.31, but in 2007, he came back with a 1.82 in 40 games of relief pitching between A and AA. If he can keep it up, he has a good future in the Cardinals bullpen.
• Peter Kozma, SS. After being drafted directly out of high school as the number overall draft pick by St. Luis in 2007, he went straight into professional baseball business, at only 19. But in 2007, his first year, he put together only a .233 batting average with 2 homeruns and 4 stolen bases in 42 minor league games. But with no future shortstop on the Cardinals team, he could have a job with them up the middle in a few years.
• Adam Ottavino, P. The number one draft pick by the Cardinals in 2006, Adam, 22, completed his second pro season in 2007, going a respectable 12-8 with a 3.08 ERA in 28 starts in A. In his first pro season, 2006, he went 4-5 with a 3.32 ERA. In his three seasons collage seasons, he put together a total record of 13-13 with a 3.09 ERA with 290 total strikeout in 253.1 innings. With a little work, he could be a successful future starter
• Joe Mather, 1B-OF. After 7 seasons of minor league ball since he was drafted in the third round of the 2001 draft, Joe, 25, has finally started to make a name for himself. After hitting 16 homeruns in 2006, he came out of nowhere in April 2007, hitting 10 homeruns in the first month. At the end of the year, he had a total 31 homeruns, after being promoted to AAA. With Albert Pujols not going anywhere at first base, Joe’s best shot at making the Cardinals roster is through the outfield.
• Jason Motte, P. Three years after signing with the Cardinals in 2003, Jason, 25, join the Cardinals in 2006 for his first professional season. He had a 3.69 ERA in 2006 with a 2-3 record. He did much better in 2007, 4-3 record and a 1.98 ERA in 9 games in A, and 45 in AA. He also struck out 69 player in 59 innings.

As the Cardinals minor league and major league players report to spring training this month, each will being try to prove himself worthy of the big leagues. Out of all those prospects, Hoffpauir has the best overall shot at making the team, but Rasmus and Mather are both competing for outfield spot as well. Catcher Bryan Anderson and pitchers Jaime Garcia and Chris Perez have also been invited to spring training.

So with the Cardinals preparing for another season in the big leagues, they are also preparing to “grow” some more player in the minor leagues.

Redbird Report: Rotation Edition

In Cardinal country, the pitching staff does things slightly different.

When looking to the Cardinals ‘07 pitching staff, you be confused, considering that 12 total pitcher started a game and out of those 12, 8 of those players had also been a reliever in the recent years. The ace, Chris Carpenter, only started one game. The pitcher who started the most games, Kip Wells with 34, had a 7-17 record with a 5.70 ERA. And the pitcher who was in his first full season of pitching, Adam Wainwright, ended up winning 14 games and was the only pitcher on the team to have at least 200 inning.

So after a season of uncertainty in the rotation, the Cardinals had plenty of work to do in the offseason. One big question about the ‘08 rotation is “who will be in it?”. So I’ll take my shot and answering that.

Out of the starters from ‘07, Adam Wainwright, Braden Looper, and Anthony Reyes will all be back for ‘08. Joel Pineiro will also be back after he resigned for two-years worth $13 million total dollars. Also, pitchers Chris Carpenter and Mark Mulder will be back sometime in mid-season, after they recover from their injuries.

You can add Matt Clement to that list as well, after he signed a one-year deal last month.

So even with all those names in the mix, some other pitchers should not be forgotten. Brad Thompson, Todd Wellemeyer each have a chance, for they did some starting in ‘07, and also Ryan Franklin, who has had plenty of starting experience in the past.

So, when you add all those players up, there’s a total of 10 pitchers competing for 5 jobs in the rotation.

This is how I see it, even though the rotation will be greatly effected by their spring training performance, the opening day rotation is predicted to look like this:

#1 starter, Adam Wainwright
#2 starter, Braden Looper,
#3 starter, Joel Pineiro
#4 starter, Matt Clement
#5 starter, Anthony Reyes

Now, those first 4 spots are probably right, but that #5 slot is is still up for grabs, so don’t be surprised if one of the other pitchers is in there.

By mid season, assuming no pitchers have been injured, the rotation could look like this:

#1 starter, Adam Wainwright
#2 starter, Braden Looper,
#3 starter, Joel Pineiro
#4 starter, Matt Clement
#5 starter, Chris Carpenter/Mark Mulder

Since to date when Carpenter and Mulder will be fully recovered from their injuries is unknown, this rotation is not certain.

So, obviously there are still many questions that can rightfully be asked about the ‘08 Cardinals, so pull up a seat, there’s a little over 50 days until opening day.

Yo Johan! Trins Trade Ace

For months now, rumors have been spread around baseball about the trade for Johan Santana. It had become obvious the the Minnesota Twins were ready to trade off their ace pitcher very early on in the off season. And yesterday, it was all completed, and Johan was sent to another city in a trade.

Despite rumors, he was not sent to the Boston Redsox or to the New York Yankees, but rather to a different New York team, the Mets.

Yes, the Mets. Not exactly the first choice of where he would presumably go, but nevertheless, the Twins sent him there for a quartet of prospects. Pitchers Philip Humber, Kevin Mulvey, Deolis Guerra and outfielder Carlos Gomez.

Santana, 28 and will be 29 when the season starts, is originally an undrafted free agent from Tovar,Venezuela. For the last 4 years, he has been arguably the best pitcher in baseball while winning 2 Cy Young awards. He has played 8 major league seasons, all with the Twins, and has accumulated a 93-44 record with a 3.22. In his first full season, 2003, he had a 12-3 record with a 3.07 ERA. In 2004, which is probably his best overall season, he won the Cy Young award with a 20-6 2.61 ERA. 2006 was not a good year for pitchers all around, but Johan posted a 19-6 record with a 2.77 ERA, winning the Pitcher's Triple Crown and the Cy young award. In 2007, he didn't do quite as good as his previous years, but still put up a respectable 15-13 record with a 3.33 ERA. If there was one pitcher in all of baseball I would want, it would probably be Santana.

Carlos Gomez, only 23, was signed by the Mets in 2002 as a non-drafted free agent. He spent 4 different seasons in the minors with the Mets before being called up to the big leagues in 2007 in which he hit .232 with 2 homeruns. He has a minor league total batting average of .278 and 18 homeruns.

After two minor league seasons Deolis Guerra, at only age 18, has a 9-14 minor league record with a 3.28 ERA.

Kevin Mulvey, a second rounder from the 2006 draft, has a 12-11 minor league record with a 3.02 ERA at age 22.

Philip Humber, 26, is a former first round draftee by the Mets from 2004 draft. After three seasons in the minor and two brief major league stints, he has collected a minor league record of 18-19 and an ERA of 4.11.

And along with the deal, the Mets have signed Santana to a contract extension through 2014 worth $137million-$139 million.

Redbird Report: A look into the Future.

With 21 days until pitches and catchers report to spring training, the ‘08 St. Cardinals lineup will be a drastic change compared to past years.

The only guarantee is that #5, Albert Pujols, will be on the first base corner -if he’s healthy. It would be safe to also assume that Yadier Molina will be the starting catcher throughout the season, considering that the Cardinals signed him to a 4-year deal this week.

Yes, little Yadi, the youngest of the three catching Molina bros, will be with the Cardinals until 2011. It was announced last monday that he signed, avoiding arbitration. He will earn a total of $15.5 million, an average of $3.87 million a year. For Molina, that seems like a lot to spend on him, but do note that he is arguably the best defensive catcher in the game and his offense just keeps getting better as hos career goes on.

At 25, Yadier played 111 games in 2007, in which he hit 6 homeruns and had a .275batting average, a rise of .059, compared to his .216 batting average in 2006. He started his career in 2004 when the Cardinals current catcher at the time, Mike Matheny, was injured and Yadier got his chance at the bigs. He immediately impressed coaches with his mature defense. He had and .993 fielding percentage in 54 games that year. In all 4 seasons with the Cardinals, he has a career batting average of .248 and 22 homeruns, with his 8 in 2005 being his career high.

So with Yadier behind the plate, and Albert over on the first base side, the rest of the ‘08 lineup is still anybodies’ guess.

Perhaps the most uncertain part of the lineup is the outfield. But one is certain, the ‘08 lineup will not be what Cardinal fans used to.

For the past 8 seasons, center field has been Jim Edmonds territory. But with him being traded to San Diego for David Freese, and So Taguchi being released, the outfield will be much younger in the upcoming season than past seasons.

The 2005 outfield was Jim Edmonds , Larry Walker and Reggie Sanders, with the average age being 36.

In 2006, with Edmonds still roaming center, and Jaun Encarnacion and So Taguchi in the corners outfield spots, the average age was 34, so the team was getting younger.

In 2007, Jim Edmonds was back for a final year and Chris Duncan and Juan Encarnacion was helping him in the corner outfield, and the average age was 31, a much younger outfield.

But in the upcoming ‘08 season, the outfield could see an even younger trio. With Juan Encarnacion not being available to start on opening day due to an eye injury, that leaves a group of 5 players, Chris Duncan, Skip Schumaker, Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel and Brian Barton, all fighting for jobs.

Ludwick is only 29, and yet is the oldest player in the outfield and has the most expierence, being an outfielder all the way back to his first pro season in 1999. Ankiel is a year younger at 28, but unlike Ludwick, he has only been an outfielder since 2005, when he gave up on pitchng and changed positions. Schumaker, like Ankiel, will be 28 in the upcoming week, and like Ludwick, has been a minor league outfielder for a good amount of time. Duncan, 26, has more major league experience in the outfield then them all with 226 games, beating out Ludwick by two games. And the youngest, Brian Barton, will be 26 in April.

When adding those ages together, the average age comes out to only 27, which is much younger than than outfield from 2005.

Looking at the stats, the obvious choice would seem to be to play Ludwick, Ankiel and Duncan in the outfield, but either Barton or Shumaker would be needed to be in the lineup, for the sole reason that they have speed and could lead off of the top of the lineup, but, second baseman Aaron Miles or Ceasar Izturis could have that spot as well.

If Duncan, Ankiel and Ludwick were to start regularly, the outfield would have some serious power. In 2007, Duncan hit 20 homeruns, Ankiel hit 11 major leauge homeruns + 32 minor league homeruns and Ludwick hit 14 homeruns. So if they played every day, Duncan and Ludwick could give you a solid 25 homerun season, and Ankiel…well, only time will tell.

And thats not even counting the power of Albert Pujols at first base and Troy Glaus third. Glaus can get you 30 homeruns, and Pujols can get 40+ in a healthy season.

So imagine this lineup:

Aaron Miles, 2B
Rick Ankiel, OF
Albert Pujols, 1B
Troy Glaus, 3B
Chris Duncan, OF
Ryan Ludwick, OF
Yadier Molina, C
Pitcher’s spot.
Ceasar Izturis, SS

The reason I put that “or” in there was because the batting order for Ludwick and Duncan would be greatly effected by whether the pitcher is a righty or a lefty, seeing that Ludwick bats right handed and Duncan bats left.

But like any Cardinals season with manager Tony Larussa, spring training will ultimately decide who plays and where.

This story and other can be read at baseballyakker.com

Figuring Arbitration

Throughout baseball in the past 2 days, one word has flooded the headlines: Arbitration.

110 total players filed for arbitration, and 56% of those players have resigned with their teams, which is 62 of them, but 48 have yet to resign with their teams.

Many players signed 1-year deal yesterday, avoiding arbitration. Among those players, the likes of Miguel Cabrera ($11.3 million total), Scott Kazmir ($3.785 million), Casey Kotchman ($1.45 million plus $50k performance bonus), Brad Hennessey ($1.6 million), Joe Blanton ($3.7 million), and Justin Morneau ($7.4 million). Also signing a deal, Matt Holliday, who signed a 2-year deal with the Colorado Rockies worth $23 million over 2 years.

The only Cardinal to avoid arbitration by signing a deal was Rick Ankiel, who signed a 1-year pack worth $900,000.

Ankiel, 28, the former-pitcher gone outfielder, came back to the Major Leagues with the Cardinals in 2007 after he had a powerful season with AAA Memphis in which he hit 32 homeruns.

But two Cardinals still haven’t been resigned after they filed for arbitration. Both Yadier Molina, who filed for $2.75 million, and Todd Wellemeyer, who filed for $1.85 million. The Cardinals offered about half as much back to both players. Wellemeyer. The #1 priority with Molina is to sign him back, although a deal for several years is in consideration.

Other players who have yet to sign back include Ryan Howard, Francisco Rodriguez, Erik Bedard, Alexis Rios, and Chien-Ming Wang.

For a complete of players who haven’t signed back, click HERE.

Cardinals-Jays swap third baseman

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