by BY DERRICK GOOLD dgoold@post-dispatch.com > 314-340-8285 , St. Louis Post-Dispatch

Each opportunity that seemed to be bounding his way would juke unexpectedly and seem out of reach. The Cardinals let Cesar Izturis walk only to trade for Khalil Greene and install him at Ryan's position. Although they released Adam Kennedy to free up second base, the Cardinals were going to move Skip Schumaker there rather than open it to Ryan. He even started spring thinking he had exhausted his options and had to be offered to 29 other teams before returning to the minors.

Turns out, some fine print meant he had one option left.

Another misread.

"I can remember this offseason that (Aaron) Miles tells me he's signed with the enemy (the Cubs), and I'm thinking, 'Man, I lost one of my best buddies but that should create more opportunity for me,'" Ryan said. "But ... in spring, it became, 'Man, this seems like it's going to be an opportunity that just slips by, slips by ...'"

Then Ryan got a shot no one saw coming. And he showed how very little slips by him.

Ryan, 27, turned what threatened to be an impeded season into a breakout summer, emerging as the Cardinals' starting shortstop in June, through the playoffs and going into 2010. When Greene succumbed to acute anxiety - a condition that required two turns on the disabled list - Ryan took over and became one of the finest defensive infielders in the National League. He complemented his team-stabilizing glove with a .292 average and a .340 on-base percentage.

For many members of the Cardinals' brass, that's enough for Ryan to be riveted into the role for next season. Manager Tony La Russa, always one to kindle competition, said it's a mistake to say: "You look so good. Buy a house."

Ryan "needs to come to spring training ready to earn the playing time," La Russa said. "But, Brendan Ryan will come to spring training a lot different than last year."

Having Ryan earn the job gives the Cardinals greater roster flexibility and stability than they've had from the middle infield in several years. Since Gold Glove-winner Edgar Renteria left at the end of the 2004 season, the Cardinals have spent an average of $3.95 million at the position, rotating through World Series MVP David Eckstein, Cesar Izturis and, briefly, Greene. Greene cost the Cardinals two righthanded minor-league relievers and $6.5 million, the largest salary for a Cardinal shortstop since Renteria.

Ryan, who is a year away from being arbitration-eligible, made $405,000 in 2009 and can be renewed at a salary set by the Cardinals for 2010. He portends to be a bargain, mainly because the Cardinals - a team that has emphasized defense at short - see Ryan as possibly their first Gold Glove shortstop since Renteria.

"I think he's played enough where he's legitimate," La Russa said. "The question is - will word get out?"

Ryan came into the season as a personality, known more for his effervescent antics than for his defensive acrobatics. But the summer proved to be a learning experience for him ... and the Cardinals .

By all accounts, Ryan matured as a player and teammate. He muzzled his chatterbox tendencies in the field because Chris Carpenter, for example, frowns on fraternizing with opponents who reach second base. It was Carpenter who later said he had never pitched with a better fielding shortstop behind him. La Russa has said Ryan's range is among the best of shortstops he's managed.

In 830 2/3 innings at the position, Ryan had 354 assists. He was the only shortstop in the majors who played fewer than 850 innings and had more than 250 assists. Baseball Info Solutions tracks a player's plus-minus, rating infielders on how many plays inside an assigned zone they miss (minus) against the plays outside that zone they make (plus). Ryan's plus 24 was the second-highest of any shortstop, twice the total of Colorado's Troy Tulowitzki (plus 11). No other shortstop with a plus 11 or higher had fewer than 930 innings.

"His Baseball instincts are really off the charts," Schumaker said. "Sometimes he can even get himself in trouble because he's so aggressive, and he wants every ball. But that's a good thing. He makes those plays. He saved a lot of runs."

Ryan also became a source of runs.

La Russa toyed with Ryan in the No. 2 spot of the order because his speed and improving on-base approach was a snug fit ahead of Albert Pujols. In the season's final two months, Ryan hit .310, and only Pujols and Matt Holliday had better slugging percentages than Ryan's .432.

If repeating his defense is enough to secure the job, improving his offense would be job security.

The Cardinals have been seeking a surefire shortstop in the system for several years. Tyler Greene was a first-round pick in 2005, and he is earmarked as Ryan's capable backup. Pete Kozma, the 2007 first-round pick, hit .216 in Class AA. Ryan, drafted in 2003's seventh round, has always had fans, including general manager John Mozeliak, but until this season hadn't had opportunity.

He handled it cleanly, bad hops and all.

"I had to find a way to let it all hang out, and when you're in there everyday you get a feel for things," Ryan said as the playoffs approached. "There's going to be a lot to take away from this season. It's been real special ... to show what I can do on an everyday basis. That's a lot of pride taken there.

"I think they can tell I want to be the shortstop."

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