Upcoming Roster Moves

Ok, so with Ludwick coming off the DL, we saw Allen Craig bussed back down to Memphis. Well, now what will happen when/if everyone else is eligible to come off the DL? What could we see this year?

Our disabled list as of today, July 26, is this:

• David Freese (15 day DL since of 6/28). I don't see Freese, who should be eligible to come off the DL Wednesday, coming back for another month due to the fact that he wasn't close to coming back before he broke his toe. This guy and his self-induced foot injuries...
  

• Kyle Lohse (60 day DL since of 5/23). The news about Lohse is encouraging. Honestly, if a pitcher has surgery during the season, I write him off for the season. But apparently Lohse is on pace to be back by August. Well, at least he's trying to live up to that contract.

• Adam Ottavino (15 day DL since 7/4). Poor Ottavino seems to have been forgotten, which sounds about right, seeing how forgettable his performance was. He's going to try to rehab his shoulder back to health, instead of getting the recommended surgery.

• Brad Penny (15 day DL since 5/22). Poor Fat Beaker has, since the end of May, been contemplating how he's let his B-R sponsor down this year and recent reports are less than encouraging about whether he'll pitch again in 2010.

• Nick Stavinoha (15 day DL since 7/12). Fat Suppan's temporary demise allowed the stars to align, freeing Allen Craig from purgatory for about 10 days. His injury was none too serious and I expect him to be ready to return to the club after his short rehab assignment.
  

Now, having watched the roster management this year, one knows that as long as a veteran (qualifications: ML contract, out-of-options) is doing something right, his job is safe. Rookies are just temporary reinforcements. Therefore the chopping block, the list of those to be ousted from the ML team is as follows [(o) means player still has options]:

Infield: Tyler Greene(o), Aaron Miles, Brendan Ryan, Felipe Lopez, Skip Schumaker, Alber...

Greene has options. It's easiest just to send him down. No one has to be DFA'd. No Veteran is carelessly cast aside. No one's feelings are hurt. Suck it up, rookie, etc. etc. Brendan Ryan I initially had ahead of Miles, but I figure that if he still gets starts while batting the way he is, his job is safe for this season. Besides, the way the roster is constructed, Greene is the only one who will have to get booted because of DL activations.

Now, if we were to trade for a SS (more than a rental) like a Stephen Drew, and no ML infielders are included in the trade, sadly I have to think that Brendan Ryan would get the short end of the stick and be DFA'd. Trading for a multi-year SS would essentially mean we're done with Boog and are willing to trade prospects to go in a different direction. [Before you get all worked up, I don't think we can't afford to do this, so I'm confident he's safe. For now.] Also, I don't think Tony or Mo is going to let Aaron Miles, someone they perceive to be so versatile, go. Plus they get to gloat to Chicago and Cincinnati that they gave division rivals a useful part.

**DISCLAIMER- I strongly dislike Aaron Miles' presence on this team and am fully aware of how vomit inducing my last two sentences were. I hope you survived.

Outfield: Jon Jay(o), Randy Winn

Jon Jay has been great in his second stint with the Cards, but is the only non-Colby member of this outfield with options and is, after all, just a rookie. Jon Jay's role is just utility OF and Pinch Hitter. Randy Winn can back up Colby in center, so Jon Jay is not necessary for that role. Randy Winn is a veteran, yadda yadda yadda, he stays.

Catcher: I've read a lot of support from people hoping for a call-up of Brian Anderson. Injury is the only thing that will bring him to the Cardinals this year (again). LaRue is cheap and knows the pitching staff. He's a vet. He'll stay.

Pitching: Fernando Salas(o), Jeff Suppan, Blake Hawksworth, Mitchell Boggs(o). All else aren't going anywhere.

Every pitchers' transaction seems to include Salas. I can't keep straight when he's on the team or not. That he's been good, and yet expendable says a lot about how far our bullpen has come and how good a season it is having. Should Lohse actually come back next month (or we trade for Oswalt, Westbrook, Nolasco, et al.) I believe Salas has a Megabus to catch, and Hawksworth becomes the longman. The rotation is then Wainwright, Carp, Garcia, somebody, Suppan.

But if both Lohse and Penny get healthy, or one gets healthy and we acquire another starter (or we acquire 2 starters - gettin' crazay) I think Suppan is expendable. He was picked up off waivers to fill a hole. I would hope no one in the Cardinals' front office has gotten too attached to 86 ERA+ and BB/9 of almost 4. I don't know if Suppan would accept being sent down or if he'd just retire. I bet if the Cardinals promise him a September call-up, he would. It's a chance for a ring, why would you turn that down?

Ottavino was just the least bad choice ahead of Hawksworth and Suppan as a rotation replacement. Now that the other two have built up some stamina in the rotation, even a healthy Ottavino doesn't supplant them.

So, blindly assuming no more injuries the rest of the year, activation from DL goes as follows:

• Stavinoha to Cardinals, Jay to Memphis

• Freese to Cardinals, Greene to Memphis

• Lohse to Cardinals, Salas to Memphis

• Penny to Cardinals, Salas to Memphis (if Salas is already in Memphis, DFA Suppan)

• Ottavino to Memphis