Newly acquired infielder Felipe Lopez wasted no time in getting to the Cardinals’ Spring Training camp in Jupiter, Fla.

After signing with the club on Friday, Lopez was in uniform on Saturday morning working out and taking batting practice with the team.

“I didn’t want to keep wasting time at my house when I could be here,” Lopez told Matthew Leach of MLB.com. ”I’ve wanted to be here for a long time. I’ve made a lot of changes, and it’s going great so far.”

According to FOXSports.com, Lopez will receive $1 million guaranteed, with the chance to make $1.2 million more in incentive bonuses.

The Cardinals were really the only team to show significant interest in Lopez this off-season, which was good news for him.

“I knew who I wanted to play for,” Lopez said. “This has been my first choice since I played here back in ‘08. It’s a great organization. I’m glad to be here. They treated me, like always, with open arms. It’s just positive around here.”

In many people’s minds, Lopez will become the starter at third base over David Freese, but Mozeliak and manager Tony LaRussa are refuting that idea.

“I really don’t [expect that] at this time,” Mozeliak told Leach. “I think the idea of why we went down this path was to just give Tony more flexibility in his lineup. When you look at what Felipe is capable of doing, he really has the ability to play every position on the field other than pitch or catch, and [he is] a switch-hitter. So it’s really about flexibility.”

Lopez could see some time at virtually every position except pitcher and catcher this season, and with Brendan Ryan’s wrist injury, he could see some time at short stop, and could also play second base or even outfield.

“I like to be in the lineup,” Lopez said when asked where he’d rather play. “I don’t care.”

However, Lopez could end up being the full-time starter at third base if Freese under-performs. That competition and the one for the No. 5 spot in the starting rotation will be two intriguing battles to watch this spring.

After an off-season full of speculation surrounding infielder Felipe Lopez signing with the St. Louis Cardinals, the deal finally became official on Friday.

The club agreed with Lopez on a one-year, $2 million contract with incentives on Friday, despite recent reports that the Cardinals weren’t looking to add another infielder before Spring Training.

Lopez played forty three games with the Cardinals in 2008 where he hit .385 with four home runs and 21 RBI.

Talks between the two heated up about a month ago but slowly fizzled out until the past couple of days. Lopez fired his former agent, Scott Boras, around three weeks ago, likely as a result of the talks between him and the Cardinals dying out.

Many reasons factored in to the Cardinals’ interest in Lopez. The main reason seems to be the uncertainty around short stops Brendan Ryan’s wrist injury. The Cardinals are hoping to have Ryan healthy by Opening Day, but he’s still unable to throw a ball properly or swing a bat. Lopez will fill in for Ryan until he’s healthy and then likely play all over the infield, and possibly some outfield.

The other reason is for insurance at third base. David Freese will be taking his first stab at a starting role this season and it’s unsure whether he’ll succeed or not.

But Lopez could very well end up being the outright starting third baseman once Spring Training is over. He hit .310 in 2009 with the Diamondbacks and the Brewers and clubbed nine home runs and 57 RBI.

For all intensive purposes, Lopez is a glorified Mark DeRosa, who was let go after starting at third base for half a season in 2009 with the Cardinals. He’s a guy that play all the infield position, plus the outfield, and brings a much needed left-handed bat to the lineup with the ability to hit right-handed as well.

He defines versatility – something La Russa always wants in his clubhouse. He essentially fills in for DeRosa as the utility guy, but with less miles on him.

What does this mean for the Cardinals’ lineup?

Lopez doesn’t just give the Cardinals versatility on the defensive side. The club has several options offensively now with Lopez in the lineup.

If Freese was to start, he’d likely be a season-long mainstay at the No. 6 hole in the lineup, but Lopez can hit just about everywhere. He can be a solid No. 2 hitter in front of Pujols, which wouldn’t be a bad idea with his career .338 on-base percentage. He can also hit fifth or six, as he’s shown that he can produce offensively and hit for power, or he can hit toward the end of the lineup if La Russa wants security there.

The best fit for the Cardinals and what would make the most sense would be to hit him second in front of Pujols. Aside from his high on-base percentage and batting average, Lopez also provides speed, something the Cardinals didn’t have much of last season. Although he had just six steals last season, he’s had three seasons where he stole 15 bases or more, highlighted by a 2006 season where he swiped 44 bases.

More runners in scoring position in front of Pujols and Matt Holliday equates to more runs producing opportunities, which will hopefully lead to many more wins.

This would also bump Colby Rasmus down to the sixth spot where he may be a little more comfortable. He said last season that he felt better hitting lower in the lineup.

The Cardinals already had one of the better lineups in the National League and have now effectively increased their chances of repeating as NL Central champions with the signing of Lopez.

The Cardinals will look to repeat as National League Central champions in 2010. But to do that, it won’t be easy.

The Cardinals weren’t the only team in the Central to make moves and key free agent signings this off-season. The Brewers, Cubs, Astros, and even the Reds made noise this off-season, all in hopes of chasing the Cardinals for the top spot in the division.

Below is how I see the NL Central shaping up, at least as we stand a little over a week before the first official spring game.

1.) St. Louis Cardinals – The Cardinals won the division by 7.5 games over the Cubs last season and are the clear favorites again in 2010. After resigning Matt Holliday, the Cardinals now have one of the more dangerous lineup in the Majors, with Albert Pujols, Matt Holliday, and Ryan Ludwick likely hitting at No. 3, No. 4, and No. 5 respectively. The Cardinals also return two of the top three 2009 NL Cy Young candidates in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. Also, a healthy Brad Penny mixed with pitching coach Dave Duncan could spell good things for the Cardinals’ pitching staff. On the offensive side, Brendan Ryan and Colby Rasmus have both greatly improved their hitting after working with new hitting coach Mark McGwire this off-season. Lastly, Pujols said his right elbow, which has been hampering him since 2003, is finally healthy, a scary thought for NL pitchers. Chris Carpenter’s health will be a deciding factor, as will Brad Penny’s effectiveness, to the Cardinals’ division title hopes.

2.) Milwaukee Brewers – The Brewers made a couple of notable off-season move in signing lefties Randy Wolf (11-8, 3.23 ERA in 09) and Doug Davis (9-14, 4.12 ERA in 09) from the Dodgers and Diamondbacks respectively and are likely to finish near the top of the division by riding their offensive fire-power. They boast one of the most powerful lineups in the league with Prince Fielder, Ryan Braun, and Corey Hart. The speedy Alcides Escobar will take over for J.J. Hardy at shortstop. Hardy signed this off-season with the Minnesota Twins. Escobar played in 38 games last season and is regarded as one of the best base stealer’s in the NL. They’ll need to see another strong year out of Yovani Gallardo and Randy Wolf to remain in contention for the division title

3.) Chicago Cubs - The Cubs finished second in the division last season behind the Cardinals, but didn’t do much this off-season to help their chances at winning the division. They signed outfielders Marlon Byrd and Xavier Nady, but didn’t improve their pitching staff. Ted Lilly was an All-Star last season, but it’s still a question about what we’ll see out of the rest of their rotation. Carlos Zambrano has the stuff to be an ace, but has also been know to be very inconsistent at times. Also, their main offensive contributors are Alfonso Soriano, Derrek Lee, and Aramis Ramirez, who all dealt with injury problems last season. The key for them will be to get those guys healthy and for catcher Geovany Soto to bounce back from an awful 2009 season and repeat his 2008 numbers that earned him National League Rookie of the Year honors.

4.) Cincinnati Reds - The Reds could be one of the biggest surprises this season if their off-season moves pay off. They were the most active team this off-season, re-signing third baseman Scott Rolen and signing free agent shortstop Orlando Cabrera, effectively giving the Reds a solid infield with Brandon Phillips at second base and Joey Votto at first base. The pitching staff is still a question mark, as Aaron Harang and Bronson Arroyo are consistently inconsistent. Also, the health of Jonny Cueto and Edinson Volquez will be a question. But the Reds signed the top pitching prospect this off-season in Aroldis Chapman, who could likely end up in the Majors sooner rather than later. The health of Scott Rolen and Jay Bruce will be a concern for the offense, but if those two guys are healthy, the Reds are a legitimate sleeper in the Central.

5.) Houston Astros - The Astros finished fifth in the division last season and will likely end up in the same spot this season. Just about the only things the Astros did this off-season were part ways with their closer, Jose Valverde, and sign former Phillies third baseman Pedro Feliz. They did nothing to improve their pitching staff, which ranked 24th in the Majors last season in ERA (4.54) and 23rd in wins with 74. Carlos Lee and Lance Berkman seem to be the only run producers in their lineup, so don’t look for this team to run the score up on their opponents very often. Roy Oswalt sits atop the rotation with very talented young pitchers Wandy Rodriguez and Bud Norris behind him, but they won’t get too much run support to rack up many wins this season.

6.) Pittsburgh Pirates - The Pirates were the laughing stock of baseball last season when everyone sat and watched as they dismantled their team, trading away guys like Nate McClouth, Nyjer Morgan, Freddy Sanchez, and Jack Wilson. But this gave an opportunity for the world to see what Andrew McCutchen and Garrett Jones could do. McCutchen, who was heralded as the Pirates’ top prospect, came up to take McClouth’s spot in center field and hit .286 with 12 home runs and 54 RBI to go with 22 stolen bases in 108 games. Jones was just as impressive, if not more, hitting .293 with 21 home runs, 44 RBI and 10 steals in just 82 games. His RBI numbers would have been up, but most of his home runs were solo home runs. However, even though McCutchen and Jones are obvious bright spots for the Pirates’ future, they’ve dug themselves a hole that will take quite a bit of time to get out of.

As it is every year, this year’s race should be a good one and very close.

In the latest prospect rankings list issued on Feb. 23, 2010 by BaseballAmerica.com, Cardinals’ 2009 first-overall draft pick Shelby Miller is the only Cardinal named on the list, which ranks 100 prospects.

Miller, a right-handed pitcher from Brownwood, Texas, is listed as the No. 50 prospect and the 23rd ranked pitcher.

Miller stands at 6-foot-four, 215 pounds and showcases a sinking fastball slider, a 12-6 curve ball, and a straight fastball that has topped out at 94 mph so far. He won’t be shifting careers or focus to something like online bingo, professional cards, or anything remotely outside the realm of baseball anytime soon. Many scouts believe that he still has more velocity to come if he learns to use his back foot better.

Even with the great talent of Miller in the farm system, Diamond Futures rated the Cardinals’ minor league system that worst in baseball. However, not much should be read in to that, simply because of what happened prior to last season.

Most of the Cardinals’ top prospects were prematurely called up before the 2009 season in order to fill roster gaps. Outfielder Colby Rasmus, infielders Tyler Greene and David Freese, and relievers Jason Motte, Kyle McClellan, Blake Hawksworth, and Chris Perez were all called to the big league club, essentially depleting the minor league system. Other players such as Nick Stavinoha and Shane Robinson also saw playing time at the big league level in the outfield.

Perez was traded mid-season to the Cleveland Indians for Mark DeRosa, and the clubs remaining prospects, third baseman Brett Wallace and RHP Clayton Mortensen, were traded to Oakland in the deal that brought Matt Holliday to St. Louis. Jaime Garcia, a top pitching prospect, sat out in 2009 after undergoing Tommy John surgery but will be a top contender for the No. 5 starting spot in 2010.

So essentially, the Cardinals had one of the top farm systems before last season, and would likely still be ranked as high if the top prospects weren’t needed in St. Louis so early. However, the call-ups worked well as Colby Rasmus put together one of the top statistical numbers among rookies, and Motte, McClellan, and Hawksworth all held significant roles in the bullpen for the entire season.

McClellan is also a candidate for the No. 5 starting spot.

Aside from Miller, outfielders Daryl Jones and Jon Jay, and third baseman Allen Craig are all heralded as the organizations top prospects. Jay could see some time as a fourth outfielder or a pinch-hitter, as could Daryl Jones. Craig could see some playing time if the Cardinals can’t find a solution at third base with Freese or Greene.

Just about everyone on the team has reported to spring camp in Jupiter, Fla. Here’s a couple of headlines surrounding the first week:

-Mark McGwire arrived when pitchers and catchers reported early last week and answered questions regarding steroid use. He was noticeably calm with the reporters, but said he’s ready to be done with the steroid issue and focus on the 2010 season.

-Albert Pujols and Matt Holliday have reported and began working out. Holliday said he doesn’t plan on taking it easy in spring training and is ready to “dive right in.”

But much of the buzz was around Pujols’ elbow, which he says feels fine. Pujols has been bothered by his shoulder since 2003 and the thought of Tommy John surgery has always been looming in the back of Pujols’ mind, but a pair of surgeries in the past year or so have made that possibility highly unlikely. Pujols had his ulner nerve transposed and also had bone spurs removed from his injured elbow. Pujols is now saying that there’s a “95-percent chance” that he won’t need the reconstructive surgery.

-Pujols also said that he’s tired of the contract talk already this early in to the offseason, and is just wanting to focus on the 2010 season.

“I don’t want to talk about that right now,” Pujols told Matthew Leach of MLB.com. “It’s been the talk for the last three years, and it’s getting to the point that it’s getting irritating to talk about my contract. Let’s wait until something happens, and then we’re going to have all the answers and you can throw every question you want. As of right now, I don’t want to talk about it because I’m so sick and tired of everybody talking about my contract or writing about my contract every time.

“Both of the sides have talked. Whenever they’re ready, we are ready. Whenever I’m ready, then I’m ready. I can’t control that.”

- Brendan Ryan, who will be nursing an injured wrist during Spring Training, said he plans to be healthy and ready to play by Spring Training, which was manager Tony La Russa’s hopes all along. Julio Lugo and Tyler Greene will likely split time at short stop this spring, essentially trying out for the No. 1 backup role. Greene could also see some time at third base, and Lugo will be testing the outfield this spring.

-After welcoming in the birth of his baby daughter, right-handed pitcher P.J. Walters has reported to camp. Walters spent his eight games with the Cardinals in the bullpen last season where he’ll likely end up this season if he makes the squad.

The Cardinals open Spring Training with a game on Mar. 4 against the New York Mets.

In the real world, a penny isn’t worth much at all. But when it comes to the potential success of the Cardinals’ 2010 pitching rotation, a Penny is actually worth a ton.

Brad Penny is one of the newest faces to the Cardinals’ clubhouse, but he’s already being counted on as a key member of the rotation. Like last season, manager Tony La Russa has two starters this year that he is sure will perform well, barring injury, in Chris Carpenter and Adam Wainwright. But also like last season, La Russa is uncertain what to expect out of the rest of the rotation.

But last season La Russa and the Cardinals were pleasantly surprised when No. 3 starter Joel Pineiro won 15 games and posted a 3.49 ERA. It was the first time in seven seasons that Pineiro won more than eight games. His surprising success helped lead the Cardinals to a National League Central title, winning the division by 7.5 games over the Cubs.

But Pineiro was let go after the season, and in came Penny to fill his spot at a much cheaper price and with more upside than Pineiro would’ve had if he would’ve returned to the club. La Russa will need the same type of production from Penny that he got out of Pineiro if the Cardinals want to repeat as NL Central champions.

Given Penny’s previous success, which includes two All-Star Game appearances and a No. 3 finish in Cy Young voting in 2007, mixed with pitching coach Dave Duncan, a 15 win season, or more, isn’t out of the question for him.

In his 10 seasons, Penny has been a 10 or more game winner 5 times, topping off at 16 wins twice, in 2006 and 2007 with the Dodgers. After spending much of the 2008 season on the Disabled List, Penny was dealt to the Boston Red Sox. His success from L.A. didn’t travel with him and he won just seven games in 24 starts with the Red Sox, posting an ERA of 5.61.

But midway through the season, Penny was shipped back out west and found himself again with the San Francisco Giants. He went 4-1 in six starts with the club, striking out 20 batters and posting a 2.59 ERA.

La Russa is hoping to get the 2006-2007/San Francisco version of Brad Penny and not the one that showed up in Boston last season.

It’s clear that Penny is better suited for the National League, where he’s spent his entire career except for his brief stint with the Red Sox. And now that he’s being coached by arguably the best pitching coach in baseball, the expectations for Penny are limitless.

Should he encounter any troubles throughout the season, you can pretty much guarantee yourself that they won’t last long. Dave Duncan has been able to resurrect the careers of a number of struggling pitchers. He turned Jeff Weaver from a three game winner in L.A. with a 6.29 ERA into a pivotal member of the Cardinals’ 2006 World Series team, winning two games in the post-season, including the series clinching game in the World Series. He did the same with Jeff Suppan, who went on to be named the NLCS MVP that same year, and Woody Williams, among others.

The key to any pitching staff is to have at least three reliable starters to count on to win 10 or more games. Although Pineiro was coming off a great year, it wasn’t a sure thing that he’d follow up this season with a similar one to 2009, considering the struggling season’s prior to it.

But Penny seems to be the right fit, both for the price and the fact that he’s proven he can win, and win a lot. So even though it’s still technically an uncertainty on Penny, La Russa should be able to rest assured he has a viable, and proven, starter in the No. 3 spot.

The Cardinals went with a number of lineups last year, often trying different people at virtually every spot of the lineup except the No. 3 hole. However, for the most part, the lineup stayed the same. It will most likely be the same way this season with really only one new face being added to the mix.

Here’s my predictions of how the lineup will shape up this season, as well as my breakdown of each player:

1.) Skip Schumaker, 2B – Schumaker did well adjusting to new roles last season. After moving from the outfield to play second base for the first time, he was thrown in to the lead off spot after the Cardinals found themselves without a “true” leadoff hitter. Schumaker adjusted well, hitting above .300 with four home runs and 35 RBI. This marked the third straight season that Schumaker had hit over .300, and the second straight year that he played 153 games. With the new contract that was given to him, the Cardinals are looking for the same type of production out of him at the top of the lineup this year that they saw last year. The only real knocks on Schumaker as a lead off guy is that his on-base percentage isn’t as high as other leadoff hitters and he doesn’t steal many bases. However, with a .364 OBP and just two stolen bases, Schumaker still scored 85 runs, the second most on the team. His run total will improve with the off-season improvements made by the guy who hits behind him, Colby Rasmus.

2.) Colby Rasmus, CF – Rasmus put together one of the top seasons among National League Rookies last season. He hit played in 147 games, hitting .251 with 16 home runs and 52 RBI. He struggled mainly with left-handed pitching last season, so he didn’t start many games if a lefty was on the mound. He was also hindered with an injury, which slowed down his production. But Rasmus has been working with new Hitting Coach Mark McGwire this off-season and has vastly improved his hitting against lefties, making a more potent offensive option hitting in between Schumaker and Albert Pujols. But like Schumaker, Rasmus didn’t provide much speed on the base paths last season at the top of the lineup, only stealing three bases. That’s certainly something he and Schumaker will have to improve upon if the Cardinals want to win. More runners in scoring position for Albert Pujols can only mean positive things.

3.) Albert Pujols, 1B – To put it simply, the team doesn’t win without him. Pujols is coming off his third MVP season where he led the Major Leagues with 47 home runs and was third in RBI with 135, despite being third in the Majors in walks with 115 walks, 44 of which were intentional. He also led the Majors in runs with 124. With a full season of protection by All-Star caliber outfielder Matt Holliday, it’s scary to think what kind of numbers Pujols will put up in 2010.

Food for thought: In his nine Major League seasons, Pujols has never hit below .300, less than 30 home runs, or drove in less than 100 RBI. He also surprised everyone last season when he tied his career-high stolen base mark of 16 stolen bases that he set in 2005. With these 16 stolen bases, Pujols actually led the team in steals.

4.) Matt Holliday, LF – After receiving a lucrative deal that was actually more expensive than the new Busch Stadium, Matt Holliday is going to be expected to justify every bit of that seven-year, $120 million deal. But if his 2010 season is anything like the 63 games he played with the Cardinals last season, I don’t think he’ll have anything to worry about. He hit .353 with the Redbirds with 13 home runs and 55 RBI. He hit 24 total home runs and drove in a total of 101 RBI in 2009. Holliday is the first real protection that Albert Pujols has had in a while, and it seemed to work out extremely well last season for the Cardinals.

Food for thought: Holliday played in 30 less games as a Cardinal uniform than he did in Oakland, but actually hit more home runs and drove in more runs in St. Louis. In his 93 games with Oakland, he he hit 11 home runs with 54 RBI. He hit 13 home runs and 55 RBI with the Cardinals. I think it’s safe to say that Holliday likes to face National League pitching.

5.) Ryan Ludwick, RF – He’s the kicker for this offense. As mentioned in my previous post, if he can perform like he did in 2008 where hit .299 with 37 home runs, the Cardinals’ 3-4-5 could easily be one of the best in baseball. He struggled at times last year, though, only hitting .265 over the course of the season, his lowest batting average since being traded to St. Louis from Cleveland. He’ll have plenty of RBI opportunities hitting behind Rasmus, Pujols, and Holliday.

6.) David Freese, 3B – With Mark DeRosa departing for San Francisco this off-season, David Freese appears to be the heir-apparent to take over at third base. The young infielder was the projected starter at third base last season, but was passed up for Brian Barden and ended up playing  just 17 games with the Big League club before spending the rest of the season in Triple-A. He had one home run and seven RBI while in St. Louis, showing that he can hit Major League pitching. He suffered an injury in spring training and decided to have surgery mid-season, which shortened his Triple-A season to just 56 games. While at Triple-A Memphis, he hit .300 with 10 home runs and 37 RBI. Freese, who was traded to the Cardinals prior to the 2008 season in the deal for Jim Edmonds, will have to put his off-season legal troubles behind him and focus on baseball in 2010. He was arrested on December 12 on suspicion of driving while intoxicated.

7.) Yadier Molina, C - Molina isn’t known for his offense, but quietly hovered near a .3o0 batting average last season. The defensive specialist clubbed six home runs and 54 RBI in 2009, solid numbers for a catcher. He won’t be relied upon to contribute too heavily on offense, but he seems to make strides in hitting each year. An slight increase in production from Molina wouldn’t be out of the question for 2010.

8.) Pitcher – Tony La Russa is one of the few, if not the only, managers in the league that hits the pitcher eighth. There’s actually a method to the madness, though. He does this in order to have a decent hitter hitting ninth to essentially created a second lead off spot to possibly get three runners on base for Albert Pujols.

9.) Brendan Ryan, SS – Ryan sort of came in to his own at the end of the 2009 season offensively, and ended the season with a .292 average with three home runs and 37 RBI. Ryan appears to be the only base-stealing threat that Cardinals have right now, given his pure speed. He also stole 14 bases last season on 21 attempts. But it’s his hitting that has made the seen the most improvement this off-season. Like Rasmus, Ryan is a beneficiary of Mark McGwire’s arrival as hitting coach. Holliday, Schumaker, and Ryan had already been working out with McGwire in the off-season before McGwire was hired, but Ryan is taking full advantage of McGwire’s knowledge. Several reports have stated that Ryan has been hitting every day this off-season with McGwire and has improved twice as much in hitting.

The Cardinals will look to repeat as NL Central champions again in 2010. With an improved Colby Rasmus and Brendan Ryan, as well as a full season of Matt Holliday, the Cardinals are the sure favorites to win the division.

It’s official. With pitchers and catchers reporting to Spring Training today for several teams, the 2010 Major League Baseball season is underway.

Going in to Spring Training, many teams still have some things to figure out roster wise.

The Cardinals are no different.

With the re-signing of Matt Holliday, the Cardinals have two go-to options on offense in him and Albert Pujols. But it’s still uncertain who’s going to be their third option on offense.

Judging by the results of last season, the first name that comes to mind is Colby Rasmus. For the first half of the 2009 season, Rasmus appeared to be on the fast track to National League Rookie of the Year honors. However, an injury and a decrease in playing time and production in the second half thwarted any hopes that Rasmus had at winning the honor.

But despite the struggles that he had, Rasmus still put together a solid season in his first year in the Majors. He hit .251 with 16 home runs, 52 RBI, and 24 extra-base hits in 147 games.

But despite the success Rasmus had, he’s still only seen one full season of big-league pitching. The big question will be whether or not he can sustain the success he saw in 2009. He had trouble hitting left-handed pitching last season, but that problem appears to have been rectified this offseason with the arrival and assistance of new hitting coach Mark McGwire.

Along with Rasmus, the Cardinals have Ryan Ludwick to count on as the third offensive option. Ludwick’s statistics were better than Rasmus’ in 09. He hit .265 with 22 home runs and 97 RBI in 139 games, but his inconsistency is a point of concern. If he can put together a season like had in 2008 where he hit .299 with 37 home runs and 113 RBI, the Cardinals could easily have one of the best, if not the best, 3-4-5 lineup in the Majors. If you add an improved Rasmus in to that mix, the Cardinals could very well repeat as NL Central champions.

The only thing hindering them from doing so is another uncertainty – the back end of their rotation. General Manager John Mozeliak decided to part ways with No. 3 pitcher Joel Pineiro, even after his productive 2009 season. But he replaced Pineiro with a proven, and less expensive, starter in Brad Penny.

Penny will likely step in to the No. 3 spot with Kyle Lohse remaining in the No. 4 spot.

But the jury is still out on who will take the No. 5 spot in the rotation. The Cardinals struggled to find many wins out of the No. 5 spot last season, with Todd Wellemeyer and Brad Thompson getting most of the starts. Mozeliak elected not to resign both of Wellemeyer and Thompson and to look elsewhere to fill that void.

It’s been rumored that Mozeliak and La Russa are wanting a lefty in the No. 5 spot, something they didn’t have in the rotation at all last season.

If they decide to go that way, they have a number of options to choose from. Jaime Garcia, who missed the entire 2009 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, looks to be the front-runner to take over in the rotation. But the Cardinals signed Rich Hill to a minor league contract this offseason to compete with Garcia. With the help of pitching coach Dave Duncan, Hill could resurrect his career, which was highlighted by his 2007 season where he won 11 games, posting a 3.92 ERA.

The last question for the Cardinals to answer this spring is what they want to do at third base. The departure of Mark DeRosa left a hole on the left-side of the infield, but the Cardinals have internal options to fill the need if they choose to go that route.

It looks like it might be David Freese’s job to lose for now, barring any injuries or struggles this spring. Tyler Greene is also available should Freese disappoint or get hurt.

But the Cardinals still have money to use, so they could go after a free agent if they don’t like what they see out of Freese or Greene. Felipe Lopez, who normally plays second base, has been a name linked to the Cardinals for the past several weeks as an option at third. Like DeRosa, Lopez is a versatile player who can play all over the infield and outfield, which is the type of player La Russa likes to have.

Talks between Lopez and the Cardinals have died down somewhat over the past week or so, but they seem to have picked up again since Lopez fired agent Scott Boras.

In an interview with Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Mozeliak said free agents are wanting to sign with teams soon, so interested teams need to act quickly with any offers.

“When you look at it in the terms of looking outside the organization the clock is definitely ticking on the free agent market,” Mozeliak said. “But there is a name or two there that could still fit the bill should we need to go down that path.”

All signs point Lopez, but as Mozeliak added in this interview, the team wants to see if Greene can produce while filling in for Brendan Ryan as Ryan nurses a wrist injury.

I was on on Hot Stove TV on Monday, February 15th talking with hosts Tom Reese and Paul Rubillo about some of the Cardinals’ offseason moves, as well as previewing the Cardinals’ 2010 season.  Visit HotStove.com for more off-season news.