The Cardinals again look poised to play above their talent level. Are they as good as the Cubs? Probably not. But this team again could surprise, particularly if right-hander Chris Carpenter stays healthy.
The Skip Schumaker experiment at second base is yet another issue that need not to be decided by Opening Day; the Cardinals recognize that Schumaker might not be a finished product at the position immediately, but are satisfied that he is making progress.
New shortstop Khalil Greene looks poised for a bounceback season, and La Russa can patch third base with Joe Mather or David Freese until Troy Glaus recovers from shoulder surgery.
Then there is the bullpen, which was perhaps the team's biggest question entering spring training. Manager Tony La Russa spoke of wanting an established closer, but who's to say that Jason Motte cannot develop into the next Joakim Soria or Jonathan Papelbon?
Chris Perez, another young pitcher, looms as a potential alternative if Motte falters, and the Cardinals feature better bullpen depth than most clubs — Motte, Perez, Ryan Franklin and Kyle McClellan from the right side, Dennys Reyes and Trever Miller from the left.
The team never addressed its need for a big bat to complement Albert Pujols, and the offense looms as a potential trouble spot. But few managers — if any — are better than La Russa at maximizing a team's ability.
Fox Sports
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