JUPITER, Fla. — Sitting back in his office here at Roger Dean Stadium on Thursday, manager Tony La Russa was asked if he would take the swing Albert Pujols has right now into April.

“Shoot,” La Russa said, “I’d take where he was two weeks ago.”

Pujols has received plenty of attention this spring, but mostly for the tattered remains of a tendon in his right elbow, not for the damage he’s done at the plate. The Cardinals MVP has a .370/.473/.804 line this spring, and those that have seen him slug this month have used phrases like “locked in”, “seeing the ball well” and “clearly feeling fine” to describe his at-bats. Pujols is clearly putting a charge in the ball.

“I’m seeing the ball really good,” Pujols said after a recent offensive display. “I feel real good at the plate. Right now that’s my goal. My goal is to try to work on my hands, see the ball, to get my timing, and when I feel comfortable carry that into the season.”

This season will see Pujols, who had Friday off from the game and will play both games this weekend, getting more scheduled rest than in previous seasons. How much the offense rests on him won’t change, though it’s clear the Cardinals will have more power around him than they did in 2007.

As frustrated as he’s become with questions about his elbow and even the coverage of his elbow injury, Pujols hints he knows how well he’s swinging the bat.

What does that mean? How does a strong March translate into April and beyond?

A peek at how his springs since 2002 add up and compare to his Aprils and seasons:

2007

Spring … .262 BA, 1 HR, 9 RBI … .415 SLG

April … .250 BA, 6 HR , 15 RBI … .489 SLG

Season … .327, 32, 103 … .568 SLG

2006

Spring … .290, 5, 13 … .806 (time limited by World Baseball Classic)

April … .346, 14, 32 … .914

Season … .331, 49, 137 … .671 (in many ways a career year)

2005

Spring … .452, 6, 19 … .855 (went entire spring with one strikeout)

April … .322, 6, 19 … .611

Season … .330, 41, 117 … .609 (MVP season)

2004

Spring … .381, 2, 10 … .524

April … .287, 7, 17 … .609

Season … .331, 46, 123 … .657

2003

Spring … .415, 6, 24 … .862

April … .385, 5, 16 … 708

Season … .359, 43, 124 … .667

2002

Spring … .317, 3, 9 … 533

April … .295, 5, 19 … .558

Season … .314, 34, 127 … .561

Any study using spring training statistics is a dicey operation, because they are often misleading. There was a while this spring Troy Glaus’ batting average was inflated by bloop hits and good luck, while Colby Rasmus’ batting average told very little about how his spring was progressing. Some pitching lines are skewed by errors or misplays behind them, and power numbers have been helped on days when the wind has been gusting out to the right field.

But Pujols spring stats do offer some tea leaves to read.

This isn’t his spring with his best average (.415), this isn’t his spring with his most home runs or an absurd amout of RBIs. But the number that stands out when you check Pujols’ springs, his starts and his season for a common thread it’s his slugging percentage. Since 2002 and before this spring, Pujols had a slugging percentage better than .800 in spring three times. Each time he hit better than .320 in April, twice he better than .340 and once he slugged .914.

His slugging percentage this spring: .804.  

*** 

 There is the pitching rotation, which is taking shape, and then there is the rehab pitching rotation. They will soon be spinning simultaneously as the Cardinals hope to get Matt Clement, Joel Pineiro and Mark Mulder into games in the near future. Here is the schedule ahead:

• Pineiro will start in a Triple-A game Monday.
• Clement will do the same thing Tuesday.
• Mulder will face hitters shortly and a game is in on the horizon.

The Cardinals also have have a jam with both Todd Wellemeyer and Anthony Reyes scheduled to pitch Sunday. (UPDATE: Reyes will start Tuesday with Braden Looper shifting to a backlot game so he doesn’t face Washington too close to his regular-season start against the Nationals.) Dave Duncan said the decision has not been made who will start the big-league game and who will head to the backlot for a start.

*** 

Each spring training, La Russa works his hitters through what he called “key” drills. The concept is simple: La Russa believes that every hitter will get hundreds of at-bats all his own, but a handful, maybe a couple scores, will be for the team — and the hitter has to recognize when that is. These are usually at-bats where the hitter has to get the runner over a base or has to get the runner in. Contact is key. Often, La Russa prefers to see a ball on the ground. Etc. Etc.

Sometimes he has the hitters swing at a 3-0 pitch.

And then there is Brendan Ryan.

The sting of being removed from a game for swinging at a 3-0 pitch is still there for the young infielder. So, when it comes to working on the keys, and the hitters are asked to “get the runner over” with a 3-0 count, Ryan takes. He always takes. He’s supposed to swing, and he still takes. “I’m never swinging at a 3-0 pitch,” he said. Of course, he wouldn’t so cavalier if after taking on a 3-0 “get-’em-over” situation, he didn’t look back to see La Russa’s reaction.

The manager was chuckling.

***

La Russa acknowledged the obvious today: In the near future a conversation will take place with Juan Gonzalez about his future with the organization. It won’t be with the big-league club when the team comes north. Gonzalez remains sidelined by an abdominal injury. A recent exam ruled out hernia, but he has limited activity for another week. He has played one game in the field this spring.

***

News yesterday that the Cardinals had released 15 minor leaguers was noteworthy for a few names — chiefly Eric Haberer, who isn’t too far removed from being considered a Top 30 prospect for the club. But deeper in the story, behind the obvious headline of releases, was the utter wreckage that the 2004 draft was.

This was a topic of discussion in the press box today as colleague Joe Strauss and MLB.com’s Matthew Leach played a game of Where are They Now? with the Cardinals’ infamously unproductive draft. You have to get to the 180th pick of the draft for a player who not only is close to the majors — but is still even with the team team. Two of the top three picks in the draft were released this week, were part of that 15. Check out what’s happened to the first six picks made in 2004 (listed by round taken):

1. Chris Lambert, RHP … (19th overall) … player to be named later in Mike Maroth trade last season. Set for Detroit’s Triple-A after going 1-1 in four games this spring for the Tigers. He pitched 7 1/3 innings, striking out two, walking two and allowing one run (it was unearned).

2. Mike Ferris, 1B … (60th overall) … released this week.  Played at three levels last season, finishing with 51 at-bats at the Triple-A level.

3. Eric Haberer, LHP … (90th overall) … released this week. Went 13-8 with a 4.32 ERA for Double-A Springfield. A bit of a surprise considering the lack of depth on the left side of the bullpen at the Cardinals’ highest two levels.

4. Donnie Smith, RHP … (120th overall) … released earlier this spring. Had pitched to the High-A level, but was released by the team following an arrest on felony charges stemming from an alleged assault last year.

5. Wes Swackhamer, OF … (130th overall) … released last year. In 2006 he reached the High-A level.

6. Jarrett Hoffpauir, 2B … (180th overall) … Set to be the starting second baseman in Memphis.

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