Back!

Wow…I almost forgot I had this blog. I looked at my last post (of a robust 2) and it was before the 2005 season. A lot has changed since then. Here’s a quick review:

• In 2005, the Cardinals won 100 games but lost in the NLCS to the Houston Astros. The Astros were then beaten by the Chicago White Sox in the World Series.
• The Cards moved into a new version of Busch Stadium, which is spectacular. No one will ever forget the memories of our old cookie-cutter, but this new home is beautiful.
• THE ST. LOUIS CARDINALS WON THE 2006 WORLD SERIES!!!
• 2007 and 2008 have been down years when compared to the glory days of 2004-2006. Jim Edmonds, Scott Rolen, and David Eckstein are gone. Jason Isringhausen is not likely to return. Mark Mulder turned out to be a bust. But a new crop of youngsters have come through the system, and with some surprises (namely Rick Ankiel and Ryan Ludwick) this team is watchable if not exciting.

So this offseason, the Cards find themselves in the position of having money to spend and prospects to trade. So far, they’ve brought back Kyle Lohse and Jason LaRue, signed Trever Miller, and traded for Khalil Greene. The remaining holes to fill? The Cards still need a second baseman, a closer, and some insurance in the rotation because, let’s face it, counting on Carpenter will be just as much a mistake in 2009 as it was in 2008. They need to make whatever he contributes a nice bonus, not a glaring necessity.

Greene is a nice low-risk/high-reward guy. He only has one year left on his contract, and he’s in desperate need of a fresh start. Miller will fill the need for a lefty reliever nicely, as long as his shoulder holds up.

It’s great to be back but I’m going to have to wrap this up for now. I’ll be posting as often as I can. Next week’s Winter Meetings should be pretty active. Check back for more info…