Let’s be real. It has become glaringly obvious that the Birds are the third best team in the Central. The Cardinals have recently dropped home series’ to the Cubs and the Brewers and are in danger of slipping out of the playoff picture. Management has 
shot down any chance of trading Colby Rasmus or any other top farm hand in return for an impact player and have no interest in signing Barry Bonds to add extra pop to the lineup.
If the current team isn’t strong enough to hang with Milwaukee and Chicago, how can the Cardinals compete for the division and protect the future of the franchise? I have developed a three prong plan that, if executed perfectly, could propel the Birds to a division championship while maintaining a strong nucleus for the future.
The first phase of the plan deals with the shaky bullpen.
Despite Manager Tony LaRussa’s best efforts to spread the blame, the bullpen is clearly the main problem. The fact is that the bullpen has lost 22 games this season which leads the majors. This tells me two things: The starters are doing their job and the pen is in shambles. The main problem with the bullpen, besides horrible pitching, is role definition. The current roster does not contain one pitcher that is capable of consistently closing games. Izzy has lost it and Franklin is much better suited as a set-up guy. The addition of a solid closer would return McClellan to his 7th inning duties and Franklin to his comfort zone in the 8th. This would provide a solid core that Tony could mix and match around. Sounds good, but who’s the right fit?
I believe Baltimore Orioles closer George Sherrill is the guy. The Cards are rumored to be interested in Sherrill and need a pitcher that can finish games. Sherrill has bee
n doing it all year. He is currently tied with Red Sox closer Jonathan Papplebon for the second most saves in baseball with 29. Colorado Rockies closer Brian Fuentes would be a great addition, but the Rockies asking price is believed to be too high. Besides, a deeper look into the numbers indicates that Sherrill gets the job done at a slightly better rate. This season, Sherrill has converted 29 of 35 chances (83%) while Fuentes has converted 17 of 21 chances (80%). For a little perspective, Cardinals closers have converted just 27 of 44 chances (61%). If the Cards had converted 80% of their save chances so far, they would have 65 wins and be 3.5 games clear of the Cubs. Cool, how do we get him?
I suggest we trade minor league catcher Bryan Anderson for Sherrill. Anderson is one of the top catchi
ng prospects in baseball. A left-handed catcher with pop is a valuable commodity that the Orioles would likely covet. The Cards are locked into a long-term deal with Molina and have no need for a catcher. Yadi is the best defensive catcher in baseball and sports the ninth best batting average in the National League. Trading Anderson would allow the birds to solidify their bullpen while protecting valuable future assets.
The second phase requires the signing of Kyle Lohse.
Dave Duncan has turned Kyle Lohse into a stud. Anybody that watched Lohse pitch Tuesday night can tell that this guy is the real deal. He is placing balls on the black, inside and out, up and down. Everybody agrees that he has always had the ability to be a dominant pitcher and now Duncan has helped him to harness that ability.
The Scott Boras client is 12-2 with a 3.35 ERA and will definitely demand a hefty price tag if the Cardinals allow him to get to free agency. I couldn’t believe how defensive GM John Mozeliak got when the Jimmy “The Cat” Hayes inquired about the Cards signing Lohse during a recent pre-game show. Mo needs to whip out the checkbook out and end this now. Signing Lohse would send a message to the team that the Birds are committed to winning and rewarding players that help make that happen. What’s the hold up? Get it done.
The final phase involves holding out for reinforcements.
The cavalry is coming! Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright are on the mend and will be back soon. If the Birds can keep it close over the next three weeks, th
ey will finish the season with a rotation that can shut down the opposition every three out of five days. A playoff rotation consisting of Lohse, Carpenter, and Wainwright would cause serious problems for any challenger. The Cards need to keep it together until then.
First and foremost, the Cardinals need to settle their bullpen issues. The addition of Carpenter and Wainwright will be worthless if the pen continues to cough up leads. Who know what the Birds will actually do, if anything? One thing is for sure, it’s not quitting time. It’s late in July and the Cardinals are within striking distance. They shouldn’t pack it in just because they didn’t expect to be here. Do something!