With former first baseman Albert Pujols leaving St. Louis for the sunny skies of Southern California and a huge 10 year, $254 million contract, the St. Louis Cardinals suddenly have a hole in the middle of their lineup.
That hole may not be as big as some national media pundits may lead you to believe.
Matt Holliday is still a member of the Cardinals and all he did was hit .296 with 22 home runs and 75 RBI's in just 124 games while suffering through multiple injuries. Holliday's 2011 was pretty impressive and the Cardinals will need the new face of the franchise to certainly stay healthy and produce.
Lance Berkman is also back in the fold for the Cardinals in 2012 and will likely man first base regularly.
The emergence of home grown hitters like David Freese and Allen Craig will help fill the void left by Pujols's departure as well. Their talents were on display during the post-season. Despite a knee injury that may sideline Craig for the beginning of the season, expectations are high for these two going forward.
Still, many believe the Cardinals should make a splash in free agency now that they have lost out on Pujols. Sure they brought back shortstop and leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal. That is nice and will help out the defense.
But people want a big bat, and some believe that the Cardinals may pursue free agent, switch-hitting outfielder Carlos Beltran to help fill the void in the middle of the order.
Beltran had a good year in 2011, hitting .300 while belting 22 home runs while spending time with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. Despite a productive season in St. Louis, the demand for Beltran's services in 2012 has been slow to develop.
A slow market for Beltran could be attributed to a couple of key reasons. Beltran is now 34 years old. He can no longer play center field on a regular basis. He is also represented by Dan Lozano. Yes, that Dan Lozano. The same Dan Lozano who helped Pujols fly the coup.
So should the Cardinals pursue Carlos Beltran and add him to the mix?
Vote now and leave a comment about your thoughts on whether Carlos Beltran would look good in a Cardinals uniform!
Sources:
That hole may not be as big as some national media pundits may lead you to believe.
Matt Holliday is still a member of the Cardinals and all he did was hit .296 with 22 home runs and 75 RBI's in just 124 games while suffering through multiple injuries. Holliday's 2011 was pretty impressive and the Cardinals will need the new face of the franchise to certainly stay healthy and produce.
Lance Berkman is also back in the fold for the Cardinals in 2012 and will likely man first base regularly.
The emergence of home grown hitters like David Freese and Allen Craig will help fill the void left by Pujols's departure as well. Their talents were on display during the post-season. Despite a knee injury that may sideline Craig for the beginning of the season, expectations are high for these two going forward.
Still, many believe the Cardinals should make a splash in free agency now that they have lost out on Pujols. Sure they brought back shortstop and leadoff hitter Rafael Furcal. That is nice and will help out the defense.
But people want a big bat, and some believe that the Cardinals may pursue free agent, switch-hitting outfielder Carlos Beltran to help fill the void in the middle of the order.
Beltran had a good year in 2011, hitting .300 while belting 22 home runs while spending time with the New York Mets and San Francisco Giants. Despite a productive season in St. Louis, the demand for Beltran's services in 2012 has been slow to develop.
A slow market for Beltran could be attributed to a couple of key reasons. Beltran is now 34 years old. He can no longer play center field on a regular basis. He is also represented by Dan Lozano. Yes, that Dan Lozano. The same Dan Lozano who helped Pujols fly the coup.
So should the Cardinals pursue Carlos Beltran and add him to the mix?
Vote now and leave a comment about your thoughts on whether Carlos Beltran would look good in a Cardinals uniform!
Sources:
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