by Lindy's

Updated: March 10, 2008, 6:51 PM EST 39 comments

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Ace pitcher Chris Carpenter blew out his elbow on opening night and things kept going downhill, as St. Louis finished 78-84 to end a run of seven straight playoff appearances and complete its first losing season since 1999. Pitcher Josh Hancock was killed in April in a car wreck, and finally, general manager Walt Jocketty was fired a few days after the season ended, symbolic of a divided frontoffice.

The Cardinals still have a chance to be competitive because ofthe presence of first baseman Albert Pujols, who hit .327 with 32 home runs and 103 RBIs last season. He carried the offense for long stretches while third baseman Scott Rolen and center fielder Jim Edmonds battled injuries and combined to hit just 20 homers. Rolen was shopped all winter and eventually sent to Toronto for Troy Glaus. Edmonds was traded to the Padres.

It's a sign the Cardinals are in the midst of a transition to younger players. They found two new power sources in leftfielder Chris Duncan and rightfielder Rick Ankiel. Duncan has 43 home runs in his first two major league seasons, despite not playing on a full-time basis. Ankiel, who washed out as a pitcher because of control problems, returned to the majors last season as an outfielder and had 11 homers and 39 RBIs in just 172 at-bats.

Adam Wainwright and Braden Looper moved from the bullpen to the starting rotation last year and were the only two Cardinals to win in double figures. Wainwright was 14-12 with a 3.70 ERA, and Looper went 12-12 with a 4.94 ERA.

Closer Jason Isringhausen continues to be one of the game's better closers, as he converted 32 of 34 save opportunities last season with a 2.48 ERA. The question is whether a patchwork rotation and an injury-prone lineup will give him many save chances this season.

Pitching

When Carpenter went down and wound up having reconstructive elbow surgery, it was a mortal blow because the Cardinals already had little starting depth beyond their ace. Carpenter likely won't pitch this season until at least July. Wainwright and Looper return after making the transition to starters, but the rotation is still thin. Righthander Joel Pineiro went 6-4 with a 3.96 ERA in 11 starts after being acquired in a July trade from Boston last season and was quickly re-signed. Lefthander Mark Mulder will try to bounce back after having shoulder surgeries each of the last two years, and the Cardinals signed Matt Clement to a one-year deal in hopes he can return to form. Isringhausen is still one of the best in the business at the back end of the bullpen.

Starters

Chris Carpenter — RHP
2007 line: 0-1, 7.50 ERA, 1 GS, 6.0 IP, 9 H, 1 BB, 3 SO, .346 BAA, 13.50 H/9, 1.50 BB/9, 4.50 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Waslimited to one start. Underwent season-ending Tommy John elbow surgery July 24 and is expected to be sidelined until midseason.
Scouting report: Outstanding delivery. Loose arm. Throws quality strikes with four pitches: a fastball (90-95 mph) with excellent life up and down, a quick-biting cutter, a power curveball with very arm speed and movement. Mixes up his pitches very well. Pitches through adversity. Great presence on the mound.
Grade: 4.0.

Adam Wainwright — RHP
2007 line: 14-12, 3.70 ERA, 32 GS, 202.0 IP, 212 H, 70 BB, 136 SO, .269 BAA, 9.45 H/9, 3.12 BB/9, 6.06 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Was 7-5 with a 2.71 ERA, 77 Ks and 30 BBs after the All-Star break.
Scouting report: Sound delivery. Quick overhand arm action. Good downward angle. Gets consistent arm-side run and sink with his fastball (89-93 mph); cuts it to the other side of the plate. Throws a sharp, two-plane curveball with excellent rotation; changes speeds off it. Mixes in a slider that looks like a bigger version of his cutter and a changeup with fading movement. Potential workhorse.
Grade: 3.2.

Mark Mulder — LHP
2007 line: 0-3, 12.27 ERA, 3 GS, 11.0 IP, 22 H, 7 BB, 3 SO, .440 BAA, 18.00 H/9, 5.73 BB/9, 2.45 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Was limited to three starts, then underwent season-ending rotator cuff surgery in September.
Scouting report: Groundball pitcher. Smooth delivery from high three quarters. Pitches to contact with a fastball (88-91 mph) that tails and sinks from righthanders. Mixes in a curveball, a changeup and a late-in-the-count split that looks like a fastball out of his hand. Fields his position well. Injury-riddled.
Grade: NA.

Braden Looper — RHP
2007 line: 12-12, 4.94 ERA, 30 GS, 175.0 IP,183 H, 51 BB, 87 SO, .269 BAA, 9.41 H/9, 2.62 BB/9, 4.47 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Went 7-1 with a 1.82 ERA and .198 opponent BA in day appearances and 5-11, 6.75, .304 at night.
Scouting report: Converted reliever. Big, strong body. Throws five pitches from over the top: a fastball (88-93 mph) with heavy sink when it's down; a short, quickbiting slider; a slurvy-type curveball; and a changeup and split that arrive at the same speed. Gets excellent late diving action with his split. Pitches within himself as a starter. Inclined to nibble and leave himself in hitters' counts. Solid pickoff move.
Grade: 2.6.

Joel Pineiro — RHP
2007 line: 7-5, 4.33 ERA, 11 GS, 97.2 IP, 110 H, 26 BB, 60 SO, .284 BAA, 10.14 H/9, 2.40 BB/9, 5.53 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Was 6-4 with a 3.96 ERA in 11 starts for the Cardinals. Had a 3.96 ERA in 11 starts and 5.03 in 31 relief appearances in '07.
Scouting report: Dave Duncan (pitching coach) reclamation project. Throws from three quarters now instead of directly over the top. Features a fastball (88-93 mph) with good sinking life down in the strike zone. Cuts his fastball away from righthanded hitters. Mixes in a curveball with quick, 11-to-5 break, a late-biting slider and a threefinger changeup that sinks. Gets hurt up in the strike zone. Quick-reacting fielder.
Grade: 2.4.

Anthony Reyes — RHP
2007 line: 2-14, 6.04 ERA, 20 GS, 107.1 IP, 108 H, 43 BB, 74 SO, .261 BAA, 9.06 H/9, 3.61 BB/9, 6.21 SO/9.
Significant stats/injuries: Allowed hitters a .215 BA with bases empty, but gave up a .327 BA with runners on base. Didn't get first win until July 28.
Scouting report: Loose arm. Threequarters slot. Throws strikes. Features a four-seam fastball (90-93 mph) with a second stage up in the strike zone. Changes the hitters' eye level with a sharp, tilted slider and a curveball with tight rotation. Can pitch in setup or middle relief.
GRADE: 3.0.

Relievers

Braden Looper will once again be counted on to help the Cards' rotation. (Jeff Roberson / Associated Press)

Jason Isringhausen — RHP
2007 line: 4-0, 2.48 ERA, 63 G, 65.1 IP, 32 SV, 42 H, 28 BB, 54 SO, .179 BAA.
Significant stats/injuries: Ranks ninth among active players with 281 saves. Converted all 20 save opportunities at home. Had a .179 opponent BA.
Scouting report: Veteran closer. High three-quarters angle. Continues to throw hard (89-94 mph); goes to a very quick cut fastball with runners on base. Freezes hitters with a biting downer curveball. Shackles lefthanders as well as righthanders. Has a history of injuries. Great makeup.
Grade: 4.0.

Russ Springer — RHP
2007 line: 8-1, 2.18 ERA, 76 G, 66.0 IP, 0 SV, 41 H, 19 BB, 66 SO, .181 BAA.
Significant stats/injuries: Made a career-high 76 appearances and held opponents to a .181 BA. Allowed only six of 27 inherited runners to score.
Scouting report: Loose arm. Three-quarters slot. Throws strikes. Features a four-seam fastball (90-93 mph) with a second stage up in the strike zone. Changes the hitters' eye level with a sharp, tilted slider and a curveball with tight rotation. Can pitch in setup or middle relievers.
Grade: 3.0.

Ryan Franklin — RHP
2007 line: 4-4, 3.04 ERA, 69 G, 80.0 IP, 1 SV, 70 H, 11 BB, 44 SO, .234 BAA.
Significant stats/injuries: Had a 1.23 ERA before the All-Star break. Had a 5.25 ERA and allowed six of his eight HRs in the second half.
Scouting report: Versatile reliever. Quick worker. Throws a full complement of pitches, including a low-90s fastball he locates to both sides. Complements his fastball with a cutter; a sharp, late-biting slider with good tilt; and a tightly spun curveball. Uses a straight change early in counts and a dive-in-the-dirt split as an out pitch. Rubber arm.
Grade: 2.7.

Catching

Yadier Molina is as good defensively as any catcher in the game, and he threw out an amazing 54 percent of base stealers last season. While his defense alone is enough to keep him in a starting job, he also added a .275 batting average with six home runs.

Yadier Molina — RHP
2007 line: .275 BA, 353 AB, 30 R, 97 H, 15 2B, 0 3B, 6 HR, 40 RBI, 34 BB, 43 SO, .340 OBP, .708 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Underwent season-ending knee surgery Sept. 24, but is expected to be ready for spring training. Threw out 54 percent (27 of 50) of base stealers.
Scouting report: Contact hitter. Slider-speed bat. Likes the ball up and sprays line drives. Pulls for occasional power. Top-tier receiver. Moves very well behind the plate; blocks balls in the dirt to either side. Has a quick release to go with outstanding arm strength. Likes to throw behind runners. Instinctive.
Grade: 3.2.

Infield

Pujols is the Cardinals' rock at first base and clearly their most indispensable player. Second baseman Adam Kennedy hit .219 in 2007 and will try to bounce back with a new double-play partner in shortstop Cesar Izturis, a good-field, no-hit type who signed as a free agent to replace the popular David Eckstein.

Albert Pujols — 1B
2007 line: .327 BA, 565 AB, 99 R, 185 H, 38 2B, 1 3B, 32 HR, 103 RBI, 99 BB, 58 SO, .429 OBP, .997 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Extended his MLB record to seven consecutive seasons with at least 30 HRs to begin his career. His streak of 107 plate appearances without a strikeout ended in the season finale.
Scouting report: Outstanding swing. Great eye-hand coordination. Stays back; gets his bat into the zone very quickly and keeps it there a long time. Hits the ball up or down, fastballs or breaking balls. Causes serious damage to all fields. Quality 1B. Displays a quick first step in either direction and soft hands. Surprises with his agility around the bag. Throws accurately starting the double play.
Grade: 4.6.

Adam Kennedy — 2B
2007 line: .219 BA, 279 AB, 27 R, 61 H, 9 2B, 1 3B, 3 HR, 18 RBI, 22 BB, 33 SO, .282 OBP, .572 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Underwent season-ending knee surgery Aug. 14. Hit just .214 on the road and .207 at night.
Scouting report: Upper cut swing. Dead fastball hitter. Likes the ball middle in and hits around it. Gets too pullconscious at times. Hits too many balls in the air. Solid defender. Has good hands and turns the double play very well. Doesn't display the range of a few seasons ago because of persistent knee trouble.
Grade: 2.2.

Cesar Izturis — SS
2007 line: .258 BA, 314 AB, 31 R, 81 H, 14 2B, 2 3B, 0 HR, 16 RBI, 19 BB, 19 SO, .302 OBP, .618 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Hit .300 in the No. 2 hole (with the Pirates) last season and .294 in road games. Had a .973 fielding percentage in 90 games at SS with the Cubs and Pirates.
Scouting report: Contact hitter. Swings both ways, but handles the bat much better from the left side. Prefers the ball up and out over the plate and sprays it around without any power. Hits the ball in the air too much for a singles hitter. Quality SS. Possesses very soft hands and smooth footwork. Gets excellent jumps to either side. Relies on a quick release to mask an arm that hasn't come all the way back from elbow surgery in 2006.
Grade: 2.4.

Troy Glaus — 3B
2007 line: .262 BA, 385 AB, 60 R, 101 H, 19 2B, 1 3B, 20 HR, 62 RBI, 61 BB, 102 SO, .366 OBP, .839 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Limited to 115 games and limited all season by plantar fasciitis. Underwent surgery Sept. 17. Hit .353 in 102 ABs in the fifth hole in the lineup.
Scouting report: Power bat. Long swing. Hampered by a foot problem last season (which affects balance and weight shift). Likes to extend his big arms; launches balls in the middle of the plate, belt-high and down. Has trouble catching up with good fastballs up in the zone. Chases sliders down and away. Adequate 3B at this stage. Doesn't have much more than step-and-dive range, but catches what he gets to and still throws very well.
Grade: 2.8.

Outfield

Chris Duncan gives the Cards some pop in the outfield. (Jonathan Daniel / Getty Images)

Injury and age appeared to finally catch up to Edmonds, so the Cardinals traded him to San Diego to open center field for either Brian Barton or Colby Rasmus. Rasmus is the organization's top prospect and is being counted on as a future star. One of those two could get time in left if Duncan's struggles against lefties continue. Some wonder if Ankiel's performance last season was a fluke, but his 32 home runs in 102 Triple-A games before his big-league callup suggest he's legitimate.

Chris Duncan — LF
2007 line: .259 BA, 375 AB, 51 R, 97 H, 20 2B, 0 3B, 21 HR, 70 RBI, 55 BB, 123 SO, .354 OBP, .834 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Had season-ending surgery Sept. 20 to repair a sports hernia that bothered him the second half of the season.
Scouting report: Power bat. Patient approach. Launches middle-down fastballs from left center on around. Continues to have issues with breaking stuff and offspeed pitches. Inclined to be streaky. Scuffles against left-handed pitching. Adequate LF. Doesn't run well, but shows improved lateral jumps and range. Still has trouble going back on the ball. Lacks arm strength. Platoon OF.
Grade: 2.2.

Rick Ankiel — RF/CF
2007 line: .285 BA, 172 AB, 31 R, 49 H, 8 2B, 1 3B, 11 HR, 39 RBI, 13 BB, 41 SO, .328 OBP, .863 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Hit .319 with nine of his 11 HRs and a .691 SLG percentage in 94 ABs at home. Hit .341 with runners in scoring position.
Scouting report: Converted pitcher. Outstanding athlete. Generates impressive bat speed and power from left center on around; gets excellent carry off his bat. Prefers the ball thigh-high and down. Chases high fastballs and bad breaking balls. Projects to .270-.280, 30 home runs, 90-100 RBIs. Potentially good defensive OF. Continues to upgrade his reads and routes. Possesses prototypical right field arm strength.
Grade: 2.5.

Ryan Ludwick — RF/LF
2007 line: .267 BA, 303 AB, 42 R, 81 H, 22 2B, 0 3B, 14 HR, 52 RBI, 26 BB, 72 SO, .339 OBP, .818 OPS.
Significant stats/injuries: Established career-highs in home runs (14) and RBIs (62). Hit three pinch-hit home runs. Struggled against lefties (.221) in 122 at-bats.
Scouting report: Long inside-out stroke. Very aggressive. Likes the ball down and out over the plate and possesses power in all directions. Has trouble catching up with good fastballs up in the strike zone. Solid corner OF. Gets good jumps side to side. Comes in better than he goes back. Displays plus arm strength and good accuracy. Late bloomer.
Grade: 2.0.

Organization/management

La Russa was often distracted by off-field events last season, first for his own arrest for driving under the influence in spring training, then because of the death of Hancock on April 29. La Russa seemed likely to leave the Cardinals when Jocketty was fired after the season, as the two had a close relationship dating back more than two decades to their days in Oakland. But he stayed on with an organization that is clearly in transition. Long-time assistant GM John Mozeliak won the job to replace Jocketty, who was pushed out primarily because of his inability to get along with Jeff Luhnow, the leader of the Cardinals' farm and scouting departments. The front office had divided into camps under Jocketty and Luhnow, but Mozeliak has already made efforts to bridge the divide and get everyone pulling in one direction again.

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