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Friday March.29/2013

The Cardinals have been the most consistent Franchise in the National League, having appeared in 8 of the last 12 NLCS since 2000 (3-5). They have also won 2 World Series in that time (2006 and 2011.) They held a 3-1 NLCS lead over the San Francisco Giants before losing to the eventual 2012 World Champions. If there was an Atomic Bomb, I am sure that Cockroaches, Silly Puddy and the Cardinals would survive it because they just keep coming like Zombie’s.  Will 2013 be any different for the team without being able for all of the NL Teams to fatten up on the Astros?

Jake Dal Porto (Baseball Writer) Follow @TheJakeMan24

The St.Louis Cardinals didn’t do much adding this offseason. Sometimes this isn’t such a bad thing, as constant tinkering to a roster isn’t always needed. But if anything, the Cardinals have become a weaker team since losing to the San Francisco Giants in the NLCS.

Perhaps the most concerning flaw to their roster revolves around the pitching staff.

Kyle Lohse just signed a deal with inner-division rivals, the Milwaukee Brewers. Lohse posted a 2.86 ERA in 2012, and finished seventh in Cy Young voting. Among other things, he also pitched a career-high 211 Innings, compiled a career-high 134 ERA+ and barely walked 1.5 batters per 9 IP.

Adam Wainwright

Adam Wainwright went 5-1 for his last 6 starts with a 2.75 ERA. After sitting out the entire 2011 season. Wainwright looks like his former self when he was a top 3 Cy Young finisher in 2009 and top 2 in 2010. The man convinced the St. Louis Management to sign him to a 5 YR/$97.5 MIL Contract Extension. The team will need the ace to repay the favor by throwing to his capabilities in a rotation that has lost Carpenter and Kyle Lohse.

I get it, there was some reluctance to sign Lohse to a long-term deal due to a couple of different factors. For one, Lohse isn’t what you would consider to be an ace. He wins games, but he doesn’t strike many batters out, and benefited largely from a spacious Busch Stadium.

His 2.33 home ERA in 2012 versus his 3.41 road ERA paints a pretty clear picture. It should also be noted that he had a 4.82 ERA in eight years before joining up with the Cardinals in 2008.

Many pundits question Lohse’s ability to pitch outside a pitchers’ friendly park. And those pundits got their exact wish, as the hitters’ friendly Miller Park will quickly answer all the questions regarding his ability to pitch in a not-so-friendly pitchers’ park.

Regardless, 16 wins from a pitcher is hard to replace. But the Cardinals’ rotation won’t crumble in the wake of his absence.

Adam Wainwright isn’t what he used to be (he had Tommy John Surgery in 2011), but he wasn’t half bad in 2012, totaling a 3.94 ERA in 32 starts. Thus far, he’s had a dazzling spring training, compiling a 3.00 ERA in 21 Innings. If his curveball is working, he still has the potential to be an ace. It’s as simple as that.

However, if there’s one right-hander the Cardinals will miss, it’s Chris Carpenter, whose right arm continues to give him trouble. It’s hard to pin down what’s exactly wrong with Carpenter. Sporting News reports that he will likely miss the 2013 season with ongoing troubles with his neck, shoulder and right arm. B

Carpenter started only three regular season games in 2012, and he also made three postseason starts, pitching to the tune of a 2.63 ERA.

The question for the Cardinals is whether they can absorb the loss of Carpenter. They did a fairly good job good that in 2012, but going two seasons without some of Carpenter’s caliber isn’t easy. Throw in the fact that he has been about as consistent as they come since he joined the Cardinals in 2004, and it’s a devastating loss.

St.Louis does have options, though. MLB.com’s 19th best prospect, Shelby Miller, projects to start the season in the rotation. Trevor Rosenthal, who came out of the bullpen in the playoffs, can also be a starter.

The thing is, those two are inexperienced. Yes, eventually the Cardinals will have to incorporate them given their talent, but it may be too soon.

Speaking of losses…

The Cardinals are likely to be without shortstop Rafael Furcal for the entire 2013 season. Furcal had ligament replacement surgery in his elbow, which yes, is the procedure called Tommy John Surgery, except we’re not talking about a pitcher.

So now, the Cards are stuck with a combination of Pete Kozma, Ryan Jackson and perhaps Matt Carpenter. Neither of the three have ran away with the role in spring, so we could see a platoon.But clearly, Furcal will be missed.

Lastly among the key losses, will actually be the Cardinals’ former hitting coach, Mark McGwire, who left St.Louis with the Los Angeles Dodgers. During McGwire’s tenure with the Cards (three seasons), they led the National League in Batting Average, On-base Percentage –  and ranked fourth in Slugging Percentage. He also developed several of St.Louis’s younger hitters – Allen Craig, David Freese, Jon Jay and Matt Carpenter.

A hitting coach’s impact is hard to define, but McGwire clear had an impact on the Cardinals’ offense.  It is also only a year removed from losing Manager Tony La Russa and Pitching Coach Dave Duncan.  You have to wonder when all of these guys will eventually be missed? 

Throw in Albert Pujols as a perennial MVP candidate taking his talents to Los Angeles before the 2012 – and you have to worry whether or not the Cardinals have been invaded by the Body Snatchers.  Seriously, losing this amount of talent and keep competing is extremely hard to fathom.

So there you have it. The Cardinals still will have a powerful offense in 2013, and there pitching staff will be passable. But will it be enough to compete in the NL Central? Perhaps not. The Wild Card will even be a competitive race this year, with the Dodgers bulking up their roster with stars.

Only time will tell, though.

Pujols was remarkably consistent while in a St.  Louis Cardinals and overtook A-Rod for the best player in the MLB starting in the 2008 and ended in 2011, The organization looks like it made the right decision in letting the 1st Base Slugger leave last year.  But how many more players can the club lose each year before it affects them making the Post Season.   The Cardinals made it within 1 game of the NLCS despite playing their 1st season without the former franchise player.  Is there anyone out there that would bet against the team losing that series if they still had Pujols?

*** The views and opinions expressed in this report are those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of mlbreports.com or their partners.***

A big thank-you goes out to our Baseball Writer Jake Dal Porto for preparing today’s featured article.   Jake is a student from the Bay Area. Jake’s favorite sports moment was when the Giants won the World Series back in 2010. He loves to use sabermetrics in his work. He thinks they are the best way to show a player’s real success compared to the basic stats such as ERA, RBIs, and Wins. Jake also enjoys interacting and debating with his readers. Follow him on Twitter: Follow @TheJakeMan24

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