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| ST. LOUIS -- With a new general manager, the Cardinals anticipate they will have a new way of doing business. The problems they face entering the winter, however, did not change with the turnover in the front office. The Redbirds still need help in their starting rotation. They still need a shortstop and a leadoff man. They still need a little more thunder in their lineup, and a backup catcher. They'd still like to add a right-handed-hitting outfielder. But the rotation takes precedence above all else. With ace Chris Carpenter out until at least midseason following elbow surgery, and Mark Mulder's early-season status uncertain, St. Louis not only needs depth in the starting rotation. It also needs front-of-the-rotation help, if any is available. When free agents become available to all bidders on Monday, the Cardinals will be looking at starters first and foremost. "Obviously, when you look at our rotation and where we are, if we could add an add arm, it would make a lot of sense," said John Mozeliak, recently promoted to be the team's new general manager. "But where we can do that from, that is the question we don't know yet. Looking at the free-agent market, we may be better off looking at the trade market." So the Cardinals will talk to other clubs, to see if such an option is viable. Of course, trading requires two teams -- or more in some cases. But in a relatively thin market for starting pitching, it still may be what works best. Every free-agent starter comes with at least one question mark. Curt Schilling, Kenny Rogers and Tom Glavine have excellent resumes, but are on the wrong side of 40, and Schilling agreed to return to the Red Sox on Tuesday. Bartolo Colon and Freddy Garcia are coming off injury-shortened seasons. Carlos Silva has been consistently effective, but never exceptional. And pitchers like Rodrigo Lopez, Kyle Lohse, Jason Jennings and Kris Benson have mixed occasional excellence with frequent frustration. "It depends on your ability to land somebody," said Mozeliak. "But when you look at this core group [of free-agent starters], there really doesn't seem to be anybody of a No. 1 or No. 2 type quality. And if we're really trying to get ourselves better, are we trying to get innings or are we trying to get quality? Ideally, if we could get a little more quality that would be in our best interest." While the Cardinals work on their pitching, another issue percolates. Shortstop David Eckstein is a free agent, and if he departs, St. Louis must replace him. Brendan Ryan is not expected to be handed the job, so one way or another, the Cardinals will sign or trade for a shortstop. Once again, that player probably won't come via free agency. Eckstein stands as one of few appealing options, with Omar Vizquel and perhaps Juan Uribe representing alternatives. "I don't think the free-agent market is bearing much fruit," Mozeliak said. "So we're going to have to look outside at what could potentially be in trade." As for finances, Mozeliak says he has room to work. The Cardinals have approximately $95 million already committed to the 2008 payroll, but that won't be the ending point. "I think right now when you look at how our payroll is structured, we do have flexibility to do a lot of different things," Mozeliak said. "But we will be prudent in how we go about it. But as far as [the payroll], we have no restrictions at this time." |