In the week or so since the Cardinals were unceremoniously bounced from the 2009 postseason by the LA Dodgers, I’ve found ways to keep myself occupied enough to get over the sweep and move on. That’s not to say I didn’t wallow a little…and I did a lot of questioning, honestly, about the woulda/coulda/shoulda’s in the NLDS. 


What if Matt Holliday had swung at just one of the three strikes he saw when the Cardinals had the bases loaded and no outs in the 1st inning of Game 1? Even grounding into a double play would have been more productive than not flinching as three strikes whizzed by. What if Tony LaRussa had put Rick Ankiel in left field to start the top of the 9th inning of Game 2? Talk all you want about Ankiel’s plate appearances; the guy is an awesome fielder. I didn’t think about it at the time, but subbing in Ankiel would be a classic “playing the odds” move by LaRussa. This time, he didn’t make a move. How come? What if it would have been Adam Wainwright starting Game 1 and Chris Carpenter starting Game 2? Could things have been different if Wainwright turns in the same dominating performance a game earlier?


These questions will never be answered. It’s time to move on.


Now the questions surround the big names on the Cards’ free agent list, both present and future. Will Holliday return? What about Mark DeRosa, John Smoltz, and Joel Piniero? Have we really seen the last of Rick Ankiel in a Cardinal uniform? And just how long will the Cardinals wait to re-sign Albert Pujols?


The Pujols question is one that almost answers itself. I say don’t believe the hype around this interview from the Dominican Republic where Pujols stated he wasn’t in a big hurry to sign an extension. He has a meeting with Dr. James Andrews regarding his troublesome elbow this week. He also happens to be under contract for two more years, and the Cardinals have other holes to fill for 2010 and beyond. Why would he be in a rush? If anything, the urgency should be on the Cards’ front office to shore up the team around Pujols. He’s said before that he’s not about money; he wants a chance to win. Bring in the right players and pay Pujols what he’s worth, and he’ll stay.


As far as the other guys are concerned, it would be great to have them all back.


Holliday is the big dog in this backyard. He’ll get multiple years and possibly nine figures. Postseason gaffes aside, this guy is the protection Pujols needed and LaRussa coveted. If he can hit behind Pujols with numbers in the .320/25/100 range (his career averages), and Ryan Ludwick can do about the same, that’s a new “MV3” era in the making. Plus it would be a shame to see Holliday reduced to being a 2009 rental after all the prospects the Cards surrendered to get him. Unfortunately, because Holliday is capable of putting up those kinds of numbers and isn’t quite 30 years old, many teams with deep pockets will covet his services. This will certainly be the story to watch (along with the John Lackey negotiations) in the offseason.


DeRosa may be the Cards’ best in-house free agent option. His versatility makes him invaluable. His clubhouse presence is nothing but positive. He plays the game the right way: hard. And he would give LaRussa the most opportunities to move guys around. The Chicago Cubs’ nosedive can be directly traced to the trade of DeRosa last offseason. They’re prepared to throw the kitchen sink at him to come back for 2010. Keeping him in red will help the Cardinals and kill the Cubs. Sign him.


Piniero will want to test free agency…his 2009 season was ridiculously good. But starters who thrived under Dave Duncan then left for greener pastures haven’t exactly done well. Offer him arbitration…he’s a Type B free agent, which would give the Cards a supplemental pick if he refuses, and if he accepts they get another year of a quality pitcher.


Smoltz also could be considered versatile, since he has had so much success as both a starter and a reliever. He wants to start, and as a #5 he would probably do just fine. The Cards will probably need to bring up Jaime Garcia as a starter this year, however, so the bullpen may be the better place for Smoltz anyway. Regardless, his experience would be huge for the youngsters on the pitching staff. If they can bring him back for a reasonable price, they have to do it.


Ankiel is another guy that makes sense as an arbitration candidate. His disappointing season at the plate did not go unnoticed by other teams. Scott Boras can say whatever he wants; Ankiel will not get a huge contract this season. In fact, after all the Cards did for him over the years, maybe he owes the team a little. It certainly wouldn’t hurt him to come back where he’s a known commodity and try to polish his portfolio a little. From the Cards’ perspective, it would be tough to replace that defense, either as a starter or off the bench (see the move that never happened, above).


And, for what it’s worth, I firmly believe LaRussa and Duncan will be back for 2010. They don’t want their tenure in St. Louis to end with the 2009 season’s playoff stumble. Everyone from the front office to the fans in the stands knows that this year’s team should have accomplished more. Now it’s time to set the wheels in motion to make sure the 2010 Cardinals do accomplish more.



Chris Reed is a freelance writer from Belleville, IL who also blogs on the Cardinals at http://bird-brained.mlblogs.com