Breaking Down - Mets Needs - St. Louis Cardinals

Players Under Contract past 2012: - LF Matt Holliday, RHSP Chris Carpenter, RHSP Adam Wainwright, SS Rafael Furcal, LHSP Jaime Garcia, 2B Skip Schumaker, 3B Zack Cox, RHSP Jake Westbrook, OF Carlos Beltran 

Free Agents After 2012: - RHSP Kyle Lohse, 1B-OF Lance Berkman, C Yadier Molina, LHP J.C. Romero 

Pre-ARB Eligible Players Excelling at MLB Level : - LF-1B Alan Craig, 3B David Freese, LF Jon Jay, 2B Daniel Descalso,  

Projected End of 2012 ETA: -  

MLB: 

Eduardo Sanchez RHP - Born: 2/16/1989 - Highest Level Reached: MLB St Louis Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: MINORS: 1-1, 2.45ERA, 7.1IP, 2BB, 6K, .125BAA - MAJORS: 3-1, 1.80ERA, 5 Saves, 30IP, 16BB, 35K, .144BAA  

Lance Lynn RHP - Born: 5/12/1987 - Highest Level Reached: MLB St Louis Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: MINORS: 7-3, 3.84ERA, 75IP, 25BB, 64K, .279BAA - MAJORS: 1-1, 3.12ERA, 34.2IP, 11BB, 40K, .203BAA

Maikel Cleto RHP - Born: 5/1/1989 - Highest Level Reached: MLB St Louis Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: MINORS: 8-6, 3.81ERA, 134.2IP, 65BB, 135K, .234BAA - MAJORS: 0-0, 12.46ERA, 4.1IP, 4BB, 6K, .333BAA 

AAA: 

Shelby Miller RHP - Born: 10/10/1990 - Highest Level Reached: Double-A Springfield Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: 11-6, 2.77ERA, 139.2IP, 53BB, 170K  

Zack Cox 3B - Born: 5/9/1989 - Highest Level Reached: Double-A Springfield Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: .306, 27(2B), 13HR, 68RBI  

Matt Adams 1B - Born: 8/31/1988 - Highest Level Reached: Double-A Springfield Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: .300, 23(2B), 2(3B), 32HR, 101RBI  

John Gast LHP - Born: 2/16/1989 - Highest Level Reached: Double-A Springfield Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: 9-8, 4.02ERA, 161.1IP, 61BB, 113K, .269BAA  

Jordan Swagerty RHP - Born: 7/14/1989 - Highest Level Reached: Double-A Springfield Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: 5-3, 1.83ERA, 8 Saves, 93.2IP, 23BB, 89K, .204BAA  

Joe Kelly RHP - Born: 6/9/1988 - Highest Level Reached: Double-A Springfield Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: 11-6, 3.68ERA, 132IP, 59BB, 113K, .258BAA  

AA and Below: 

Carlos Martinez RHP - Born: 9/21/1991 - Highest Level Reached: High-A Palm Beach Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: 6-5, 3.93ERA, 84.2IP, 44BB, 98K, .238BAA  

Tyrell Jenkins RHP - Born: 7/20/1992 - Highest Level Reached: Rookie League Johnson City Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: 4-2, 3.86ERA, 56IP, 13BB, 55K, .296BAA  

Kolten Wong 2B - Born: 10/10/1990 - Highest Level Reached: Low-A Quad Cities River Bandits - 2011 Combined Stats: .335, 15(2B), 2(3B), 5HR, 25RBI, 9SB (1st Round Pick 2011 MLB Draft)  

Oscar Taveras OF - Born: 6/19/1992 - Highest Level Reached: Low-A Quad Cities River Bandits - 2011 Combined Stats: .386, 27(2B), 5(3B), 8HR, 62RBI  

Charlie Tilson OF - Born: 12/2/1992 - Highest Level Reached: Rookie League Johnson City Cardinals - 2011 Combined Stats: .333 (9 hits in 27 at-bats), 2(2B), 5RBI (2nd Round Pick 2011 MLB Draft)  

Trevor Rosenthal RHP - Born: 5/29/1990 - Highest Level Reached: Low-A Quad Cities River Bandits - 2011 Combined Stats: 7-7, 4.11ERA, 120.1IP, 39BB, 133K, .247BAA  

Research:  

https://spreadsheets.google.com/pub?key=t_WBl5PYQPvrO7eNWGf0Vqg&output=html

http://topprospectalert.com/2011/11/27/2012-st-louis-cardinals-top-15-prospect-rankings

http://stlouis.cardinals.mlb.com/stats/sortable.jsp?c_id=stl#playerType=ALL&sectionType=sp&statType=pitching&page_type=SortablePlayer&season=2011&season_type=ANY&sportCode='mlb'&league_code='MLB'&split=&team_id=138&active_sw=&game_type='R'&position='1'&sortOrder='asc'&sortColumn=era&results=&page=1&perPage=50&timeframe=&extended=0&last_x_days=&ts=1324743809328&tab_level=child&click_text=Sortable+Player+pitching

 Needs:-  OF

Thoughts:

The Cardinals have a considerable amount of prospects that will graduate to the majors for opening day 2013. 

P Clieto is an ex-Mets farmhand that sat at 94 when he played for the Savannah Sand Gnats. 

This team has a tremendous amount of talent, especially after the signing of OF Beltran. 

Cream of the prospects are P Miller and 3B Cox. 

Recommendations: 

I expect Berkman to move to first base, with Craig spotting him there. This still means that the Cards needs to sign a utility outfielder in addition to the Beltran signing. 

It doesn’t seem like the fans will allow Freese to be replaced at third base, making the top prospect Cox available for trading.

There’s no deal here right now, but, if David Wright is traded to another team in the next 12 months, I would revisit putting a deal together for Cox.