TOWER GROVE — The first edition of this offseason’s PostCards mailbag begins with a favorite parlor game of the press box: Take the best player on the team. Put him on the trading block. Wonder just what it would take in return to make a deal happen. Stir and … Presto! Instant debate.

In the St. Louis Cardinals’ case, that’s Albert Pujols, the best hitter in the game, and a fine place to start when we peer into the mailbag:

Q: I’m a long-distance reader and am happy to see you’re resuming the postcards. While I do NOT favor trading Albert Pujols, I am intrigued by the thought of what he might bring in return. What is your realistic opinion on what one could expect in return? What quality prospects do you believe the Cardinals could get if they were to offer Pujols to the teams that could pay his salary (Yankees, Redsox, Dodgers, etc)? If you have time to proceed further, I’d be curious what other position players of value on the Cardinals could be flipped and who could come back in exchange (Yadier Molina, Ryan Ludwick, Colby Rasmus, other).

– Tim Beirne, Roanoke, Va.

Would you deal a great hitter for a great, young pitcher like Giants ace Tim Lincecum?

DG: This was actually a question we passed the time with during spring training, purely for sport. What kind of player and what kind of contract would that player have to have for a deal to make sense for the Cardinals? Some of the nominees were Roy Halladay, Grady Sizemore/Cliff Lee and Evan Longoria. Not one of thoes players really moved the needle on the discussion — San Francisco Giants ace Tim Lincecum did. Would you deal the best hitter in the game for the younger and cheaper, unquestioned annual Cy Young contender? It seems like it would take that kind of player (perhaps even plural — players) to make the deal worthwhile. The teams that could swing this kind of deal would be limited, though you mention two intriguing ones — the Red Sox and Los Angeles Dodgers. (Throw the Yankees out, they’ve got their 1B, thank you very much.) The Red Sox would have to build a package of players, centered on a dynamic pitcher (or two). The Dodgers … well, have a couple cornerstones that would at least intrigue: Clayton Kershaw and Matt Kemp. I’ll turn the question over to the masses: Would that deal at least spark a discussion … Kershaw & Kemp for Pujols?

Ain’t happening, shouldn’t happen (on both sides), but it makes for fine hot-stove jabber. The other Cardinals you mention would net the bigger prize in this order: Rasmus, Molina and Ludwick. That has a lot to do with where they are in their career as far as salary, but also the importance of their production and their position.

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Q: First, I would love to see the mailbag come back. Ok, here’s my question: Over the past few weeks, I have read and observed some things that make me wonder about the team dynamics. Does Albert Pujols take a true leadership role, in good times and bad, on the team? If not, does anyone else feel comfortable stepping into that role ahead of him? How much do the players feel like manager Tony La Russa has different standards for different players and does this have any effect on team morale, particularly for the newer players on the team? It was disappointing, to say the least, to see Albert leave other guys on the team to talk to the press. That doesn’t seem like the actions of a true leader. If leadership is a problem, how do you fix it? Sorry for the multi-part question. Thanks for your time!

– Lynda

DG: Pujols spoke this season — and last season, for that matter — about wanting to embrace a larger role as leader on the team. That comes with being the face of the franchise, but also the longest consecutively tenured Cardinal. You have to take him at his word, especially if he views his role as leader as leading on the field more than leading around the clubhouse. That said, it’s quite clear that one of the people who sets the tone in the clubhouse is Chris Carpenter, not Pujols. Carpenter is able to lead and, in his words, “kick a little (butt)” when necessary, and he does so mostly with pitchers,  but also with position players. He reaches across the aisle. He’s available to his teammates. I am also careful not to judge a player and his relationship with his teammates based on his relationship with the media. How a player treats a reporter isn’t necessarily a good barometer. That said, teammates notice when a player leaves them to handle the media scrum on bad days, awful days and even mundane days and only holds court when there is some happy talk to be had. Often leading is a synonym for being accountable and being reliably accountable is something teammates notice. Especially when they have to answer for an absence.

As for La Russa: He has a system that he describes as “points.” Think of its as credibility. Players earn cred by their actions with him, and that does lead to different rules for different players but no more so than in any other work place. There are players who have earned the right — or “points” — the argue their way into the lineup, and those who haven’t. Etc.

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Q: Is the 2009 Cardinals offense a “playoff” caliber offense? In other words, does simply trying to re-sign Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa make the Cards good enough to compete for a WS or is a major overhaul needed where different options are explored for 2B, SS and 3B?

– Ryan

DG: Excellent question. If all of the players the Cardinals had hit to their capabilities then the answer is yes. There is production at the corners, and there is the potential for a plus-bat at second base and power in center field. If the Cardinals could improve in on area its on-base percentage, especially in the No. 2 spot, but really throughout the lineup around Pujols. There were too many Ks in that lineup, and that undermined the real depth they had and exposed them to scoring droughts when some of the bats faltered. In a sense, they became a one-dimensional offense, something the additions of Holliday and DeRosa were supposed to protect them from. The design was sound. The performance was not.

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Q: If Matt Holliday does not re-sign and Troy Glaus leaves via free agency, what do you think of re-signing Mark DeRosa to play left fielCDd and giving David Freese a chance to play third base?

- Kevin

DG: This is a big reason why DeRosa is so appealing. He offers an option at third base if Freese isn’t ready for the everyday job, and when/if Freese is then there are other places for DeRosa to go. He could play second, he could find a home in left sans Holliday. He could spell a starter here, a starter there and find himself becoming like he was as a Cub — an everyday starter without an everyday position. There is a lot to like about have him as insurance and an option at multiple positions.

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Q: Assuming Jaime Garcia, Kyle Lohse, Carp, & Waino are in the rotation, who fills the fifth spot? Bullpen fixes: External? or Internal?

– Allen

DG: John Smoltz seems like a good fit. He won’t command a multi-year deal. The offer is likely to be heavily incentive-based. And he gives some seasoning at No. 5. And, in your scenario, if he’s in the No. 5 that still keeps the younger potential starters — the Mitchell Boggs, the P.J. Walters and, perhaps, the Blake Hawksworth — in the mix for spot starts, but not having to carry the burden. There’s also Ben Sheets out there … just saying. As for the bullpen: What fixes? That whole group is under contract and set for a return. The only tinkering will be with roles, i.e. Hawksworth.

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Q: Any thoughts on Jermaine Dye as a cheaper shorter term replacement in LF if we don’t sign Holliday. I would think he could be had for just a couple of years … holding down the fort until Daryl Jones arrives. Also why do we not platoon Skip Schumaker at 2nd base? His line against lefties .220/.278/.240/.518 Seriously a .240 slugging % and a .518 ops. DeRosa should platoon at 2nd and get 500 ab’s subbing in the OF and at 3b.

– World Record Jim

DG: Several times over a span of a couple years, Dye came up as a good match for the Cardinals. There was a time when he seemed like a Juan Encarnacion-type addition. Short-term. Complementary. Etc. Same king of thing this season. He certainly would be better than some of the alternatives the Cardinals would be left with after Holliday. Consider that Holliday and Jason Bay are atop the free-agent pool at that position. and after them you slip into a pool that includes Dye (who has a $12m option for 2010), Xavier Nady (hmmm), potentially Johnny Damon, Vlad Guerrero, Andruw Jones, etc., etc. and the potential trade prize, Carl Crawford.  Crawford has a $10-million option for 2010 and is open to a long-term deal with Tampa Bay. It’s doubtful he hits the market or the block, but if he does …

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Q: What ever happened to Amaury Cazana Marti?

– M. Nuetzman, Des Moines, Iowa

DG: He was again loaned to the Mexican League before an injury brought him back to Jupiter. He hit .356/.417/.599 in 69 games in Mexico. He remains under the Cardinals control, though his place in the depth chart isn’t clear because of his age.

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Q: I was wondering if there might be any interest in the organization with bringing Jim Riggleman back into the fold. I noticed he was at the tribute for George Kissell last December at Al Lang Field and it reminded me of his Cardinal roots. He would make a terrific coach and possibly a candidate for manager when La Russa retires. I think he did a good job when he took over the Nats during the season but It’s far from certain they will bring him back. I think they’re looking for a bigger name!

– R. Warrick

DG: Riggleman’s fondness for Kissell and fondness for the Cardinals is well known. He credits Kissell with teaching him a lot about the game, but also authoring the foundation of his approach to the game. Riggelman was part of a reshuffling at the Cardinals minor-league level and it would be unlikely he’d return to a similar job. Barring a surprise, the major-league staff is set at the spots he would be interesting in having. Those close to Riggleman in the Cardinals organization are most interested in him getting his shot with the Washington organization. They’d like to see that interim label lopped off. The Nationals have called him a “strong candidate,” but they continue to look outside …

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Powered by questions this offseason, Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold will answer fans’ emails in Bird Land’s PostCards. To comment and discuss the mailbag visit Bird Land on StlToday.com. To submit questions write PostCards@post-dispatch.com or file them as a comment on this blog. With all questions please include your name and hometown.

Questions can also be asked at Bird Land @ Facebook, or over at my @dgoold feed at Twitter.

PostCards will run online exclusively at StlToday.com.

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