TOWER GROVE — As the weekend arrived, the St. Louis Cardinals continued to work Friday on the details of the deal for lefthanded reliever Trever Miller while also keeping conversations open with other lefthanded relievers and free agents on the market.

Miller, 35, came to St. Louis on Thursday for a physical, a clear sign of the team’s and player’s mutual interest and what some baseball sources believed was a step toward finalizing a deal. The framework of a two-year deal was in place, pending a physical, multiple sources indicated this week. The Cardinals, at the same time, have other offers out and are engaged in other discussions with free agents. On Thursday night, general manager John Mozeliak said the two sides were still working on the “language” of the deal with Miller.

Both sides of the negotiations have declined comment while talks are ongoing.

The Cardinals and Cincinnati Reds had been two of the teams most eagerly courting Miller, an industry source said Wednesday evening. Cincinnati general manager Walt Jocketty confirmed to MLB.com on Friday the Reds interest in Miller, explaining: “We looked at Trever Miller and thought about it. But we didn’t want to go for the amount it was going to cost to have what is basically a situational left-hander.”

While negotiating the deal with Miller, the Cardinals remain in contact with agents for several other lefthanded relievers. They intend to add two lefty relievers from the free agent pool, having already acquired Charlie Manning via waivers and Ian Ostlund on a minor-league deal.

***

The Cardinals outrighted starter Mike Parisi to Class AAA, reducing their number of players on the 40-man roster to 36. The righthander had Tommy John surgery on his pitching elbow at the end of the season, and he will miss most of the 2009 season recovering from the repair. Parisi, a ninth-round pick in 2004, pitched in 10 games as a reliever and started two games for the Cardinals this past season, going 0-4 with a 8.22 ERA overall. In Triple-A Memphis’ starting rotation, Parisi went 8-2 record with a 3.86 ERA. Opponents hit .252 against him in the minors.

-30-