The Cards won the World Series and then were awful last year due to losing the majority of the rotation to either free agency or injuries. What do the Cards need to do to get competitive again?
2007-11-27 08:07:27 · 8 answers · asked by Anonymous in Sports ➔ Baseball
They need to be healthy all year. Carpenter and Mulder were shot last season. Edmonds is old and a shell of what he was. Rolen is struggling to keep his bum shoulder healthy. Eckstein may or may not be on the way out. Adam Kennedy was a bust. The rest of the make-shift rotation was a huge let-down. The only bright spot was Albert Pujols and even he was sluggish out of the gates. I think Adam Wainwright is still going to be excpected to carry the load for the pitching staff and that's a problem. He's probably a great number 3, but as the staff ace, he's going to struggle.
If they made a push to bring in Cameron/Patterson/Rowand/Jones/Crisp to solidify CF and move Edmonds to a corner that would be a good first move. I think that they should take a gamble and re-sign Eckstein or pick up Cesar Izturis for his defense up the middle. Signing someone like Kazou Matsui to play 2B and serve as a leadoff man would be a good move too. Kennedy should be a back-up at best...unless they outright release him.
Trading Rolen to a team that misses out on Miguel Cabrera could be a wise move. Although he wouldn't draw nearly as much in return as Cabrera due to his age and injury history. I think that acquiring someone like Pedro Feliz (currently a free agent) would be a smart move if they trade Rolen. He plays solid defense and is a 20HR 85RBI kind of guy, which, if you ask me, is a good fit in any lineup.
The best bet for the rotation is just to help they get healthy and that some of last year's busts can rebound for solid campaigns in 2008. I think the Cards have a way to go...they have been on the way down for a few years thanks to an aging core and little, if any youth added to the mix.
2007-11-27 10:01:23 · answer #1 · answered by tkatt00 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They weren't that great a team when they won the Series, they just got hot at the right time. Combine that with age and injuries, and you're looking at a team that will need a major overhaul to contend in the next few years.
2007-11-27 16:15:11 · answer #2 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
I think age is catching up a little, and injury. Rolen can't seem to stay healthy, neither can Edmonds. And the pitching has gone way down hill. They need just a few good everyday players and a couple of pitchers and hey will be all right.
2007-11-27 16:12:40 · answer #3 · answered by grumpyoldman 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They need to solidify their pitching again, keep people out of the news (dui...) and try rebuilding the position they are losing like Eckstein. Their left side of the infeild got really old quick in Rolen and Eckstien; they need to play better defense and get back to manufacturing runs instead of looking for the HR every at bat.
2007-11-27 17:16:48 · answer #4 · answered by bdough15 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Stay healthy, and hope the Cubs, Brewers and Reds don't, and that the Astros and Pirates stay stuck in rebuilding mode.
2007-11-27 16:11:00 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Healthy starters and a middle infield.
2007-11-27 17:21:00 · answer #6 · answered by pricehillsaint 5 · 1⤊ 0⤋
time needs to pass
2007-11-27 16:11:48 · answer #7 · answered by I'm Chris Hansen 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
SPEND MONEY
2007-11-27 16:10:24 · answer #8 · answered by Fuzzybutt 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋