What the team elects to do with that is anyone’s guess right now.

I wonder just how much Tony’s contract situation will affect how the team operates in the off-season? Are they going to really press for one or two more solid shots with TLR before totally committing to the kids coming up, or has the time for a self-sufficient organization already arrived?

Sorry I didn’t post more in your absence, but between being busy myself it was also hard to find much to write about, without it all being negative anyway. I actually only saw parts of games but the Cards just don’t seem to have it down the stretch for whatever reason.

Honestly I think the reason is that they are just not as good as some of the teams they are playing. The Cards don’t have the depth of other teams and rotating players in and out and up and down the lineup doesn’t seem to be working this year. Past years we had a ‘core’ of players that all played together and maybe it will just take a few years for everyone to click.

That said, team speed, especially in the form of a true leadoff batter still seems to be a need. Our best leadoff batter for the year, and one of the best in the NL this year has been Shoemaker, and yet, I saw him batting 9th the other day and Izturis leading off. Didn’t get that one, but maybe a lefty was pitching or something.

Still, it has been a nice season and there are a lot of positives to take away from this season. Tony should know much more about the team and hopefully some of the weak areas will be addressed by Mozeliak during the offseason. Besides pitching, I would like to see a ‘regular’ signed at SS that can both hit and play defense, and possibly lead off. I’ve heard that Furcal is a free agent. Probably couldn’t sign him due to cost and injury concerns, but certainly we need someone like that. Really what we need is to find a Hanley Ramirez type. Maybe we should have been sellers at the trade deadline afterall, especially considering that we weren’t buyers.

I’d expect Boras to want multiple years at probably eight figures per, based on this season.

If they’re going to do that, they might as well go after Sheets or Burnett.

Why won’t Mozeliak just sign Lohse? I need him to start for us next year! Why can’t I just have this one little thing?

Rasmus is an interesting case too. Is he fully recovered from his knee injury? Would it serve to help or hurt him to try and hit big league pitching? He was certainly doing alright this past spring…

Colby’s dad is another issue, posting on message boards all over the place about Colby being slighted, LaRussa having it in for his kid, etc. Guy, you need to let your kid play ball and have his bat and glove speak for themselves. You’re not endearing yourself, or your son, to the organization.

And Rasmus has always started a next level up slow…why not get a bunch of that out of the way this month?

Agreed on Ankiel, though. If Mather hadn’t gone down, maybe they’d have done it. Though they could shut him down and bring up Rasmus…..