TOWER GROVE — A few seasons ago, the St. Louis Cardinals veteran relievers Russ Springer, Ryan Franklin and Jason Isringhausen presented what one of them called a save-your-bullets approach to spring training. The theory, as Springer explained, was their high-mileage arms had only so many throws left, why waste those precious “bullets” on live batting practice or exhibition baseball when there was a whole season ahead of them?

The fewer throws they made in March, the…

TOWER GROVE — The player that inspired the St. Louis Cardinals’ biggest and costliest move yet into the international free-agent market came to Busch Stadium on Monday, taking a few souvenirs from the big leaguers and leaving an impression.

Outfielder Wagner Mateo, the Dominican Republic teen phenom that merited a record $3.1-million contract from the Cardinals, took batting practice at Busch and did hit a home run — an opposite field shot into the left-field bullpen….

DOWNTOWN — Before he and his baseball ops staff took a record plunge into international waters, St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak jetted down to the Dominican Republic to see for himself the player that had caught the eyes of his people.

Mozeliak met with outfielder Wagner Mateo. He met with Mateo’s representative, and he met with Mateo’s parents. Mozeliak said Thursday, the day the Cardinals announced they had agreed to terms with the 16-year-old…

TOWER GROVE — The St. Louis Cardinals are deep into their final preps for the upcoming draft — vice president/farm director Jeff Luhnow, for example, is out in Los Angeles for one of the workout camps the Cardinals hold around the country — but the draft isn’t the only player procurement date rapidly approaching.

And it’s also no the longer the only one where the Cardinals shell out six-figure bonuses.

When the international signing period opened last…