Fear not!
Richard Castillo (Spain)
Richard Castillo is not a member of the Cardinals major league squad, but he is still included on the list because he is a member of the Cardinals farm system. Last year, Castillo split time between Palm Beach and Springfield for the Cardinals. He posted a 2-3 record with a 1.86 ERA in six starts at Palm Beach. In 19 starts at Springfield, Castillo had a record of 7-5 and an ERA of 3.76.
Spain will play in Pool C at the World Baseball Classic. They take on Puerto Rico on March 8th at 5:30 p.m. ET, the Dominican Republic on March 9th at 11:00 a.m. ET, and Venezuela on March 10th at 12:30 p.m. ET.
It is not announced which game Castillo will start yet, but we should expect him to get some time on the mound for the Spanish team.
Fernando Salas (Mexico)
St. Louis reliever Fernando Salas will be part of Mexico's bullpen in this year's World Baseball Classic. In 65 appearances for the Cardinals last year, Salas record 60 strikeouts and posted an ERA of 4.30.
St. Louis fans who are cheering for the United States in the World Baseball Classic, will get to see Salas take on the home nation, as Mexico and the United States will both be competing in Pool D.
Mexico begins Pool D play on March 7th at 3:00 p.m. ET against Italy, they will take on the United States on March 8th at 9:00 p.m. ET, and they will play their final game of Pool D play on March 9th at 2:30 p.m. ET.
Mitchell Boggs (United States)
The last Cardinal pitcher playing in the 2013 World Baseball Classic is American pitcher Mitchell Boggs. Boggs will be an essential part of an American team that many expect to walk away with their first ever World Baseball Classic title.
Last year for the Cardinals, Boggs appeared in 78 games for St. Louis. The hard throwing right-hander recorded 58 strikeouts and recorded an ERA of 2.21, which was the lowest ERA on the team for any player who spent the entire season with the Cardinals.
The United States open up Pool D play in a showdown with Mexico, where Cardinal fans can see both Boggs and Salas, they then take on Italy on March 9th at 9:00 p.m. ET, and they finish Pool D play with a game against Canada on March 10th at 4:00 p.m. ET.
Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina (Puerto Rico)
The two players that Cardinal fans are the most anxious to see in the World Baseball Classic will of course be Carlos Beltran and Yadier Molina. Fans will get a chance to see a lot more of them play then the pitchers, because both Beltran and Molina will be in the starting lineup for Puerto Rico.
Last season Molina hit .315, which was a team high for any player with at least 100 at bats. Molina also hit for a career high 22 home runs, which shattered his previous mark of 14, which he set in 2011. Everyone knows though, that Molina's strength will be his defensive presence. With a bunch of players coming together that do not know each other very well, it will be essential for a team to have a great catcher who can keep all the pitchers calm. Nobody does this better then Yadier Molina.
As for Beltran, the Cardinals got more then they bargained for when they signed the slugger to a two year contract last off-season. When I say they got more then they bargained for, this was a good thing for St. Louis. Beltran launched a team high 32 home runs on the season for St. Louis, while driving in 97 runs and hitting for a .269 average. Puerto Rico fans and Cardinal fans will hope to see him display that same power during the World Baseball Classic.
Puerto Rico will be in Pool C along with Spain, so we could see the Cardinals' big hitters take on minor league pitcher Richard Castillo. Puerto Rico opens play against Spain, they then take on Venezuela on March 9th at 5:30 p.m. ET, and they play their final game of Pool D on March 10 at 7:30 p.m. ET against the Dominican Republic.
Since all Cardinal players will be in either pools C or D, if they happen to advance into the next round they will play in Pool 2 of the second round at Marlins Park in Miami. If they advance past that they will play in the semifinals and finals at AT&T Park in San Francisco.
Click here to check out the schedule on those games visit the link provided below, and make sure to cheer on your Cardinals who are competing in this year's World Baseball Classic.
Ryan Bothmann is an analyst over at Bleacher Report and a contributor for StlSportsminute.com. You can check out his work here and follow him on Twitter (@triplecfan)
