I see that plenty of time spent watching bad football teams play on Thanksgiving (and on Sunday) has you anxious for some baseball movement. Between today and Dec. 15, I guarantee you some action although it may not be exactly what you want.

Q: Mr. Hummel,
I appreciate the opportunity to ask you a few questions and share a few comments of my own.
Question 1: If the Cardinals are unwilling to sign pitchers with expensive contract demands and pitchers with prior injury concerns, i.e. Brad Penny and Freddy Garcia, then realistically, what would be the profile of the type of pitcher they would sign?  And who is available that would meet that profile?
Question 2: Out of the possible SS that might be available–K. Greene, Bobby Crosby, Edgar Renteria, and Orlando Cabrera, who intersts you the most?  And how much and how many years do you think Renteria and Cabrera will get?  Is it true that Edgar Renteria has lost some range?
Personally, if I were the Cardinals, I wouldn’t give Crosby the time of day.  Out of five full seasons, the man has played over 100 games twice and has hit over .240 once.  He could of, would of, should of been a good player, but he’s not and to boot he can’t stay on the field.  Greene has teased with his potential for quite some time, and has had his share of injuries like Crosby, I’m not sure if he’s worth what the Cardinals will have to trade to get him. Everyone seems to be down on Cabrera, but he continues to put up good numbers and I’ve heard that his defense is still well above average. Why don’t the Cardinals have more interest in him?

A: Brian, the profile for any starter the Cardinals would covet would be someone who is at least a middle-of-the-rotation pitcher. But I don’t think they’ll invest large sums in somebody like Burnett or Derek Lowe because they have other needs (infield, bullpen) to address. Somebody like Lohse of last year would be a good barometer. Lohse won 15 games and made all his starts. They need somebody first and foremost who has a good injury history and can make 32 or more starts. Count out Garcia. He got hurt in the Venezuelan League.

Your concerns about K. Greene and Crosby probably are well-founded. Renteria’s range certainly is in question. Cabrera is an option but he does not come with a great reputation as a “good teammate.” Furcal would interest me if I knew he was healthy, which nobody knows. Perhaps Escobar of the Braves still is in play as a trade target.

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Q: Would the Cards be able to trade for Yuniesky Betancourt,  a SS from the Mariners?  He’s young a .280+ hitter and excellent devensively.  They don’t have much depth there, but they desperately need outfield help and/or a 1B. Would it be a reach to think we could trade Ankiel and maybe more for him?  Or after the season starts trade Duncan if he has reestablished himself?

A: Betancourt would be a sought-after player, but when you have a good, young shortstop who doesn’t make a lot of money, you generally try to hold onto him, so I don’t think Seattle would move him. You’re right about Duncan, Jake, because his trade value wouldn’t be much until this spring when teams see if he can play or not after having his neck injury last year.

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Q: Commish - Thanks for bringing some interest into what I consider the down time for sports.  Question: Do you think the Cardinals will be able to obtain the quality and quantity of players needed, this off-season, to make a difference in their division and even further, the World Series?  With all I’ve read about salaries of prospective players, what they may demand, etc., will our upper management step to the plate to spend the money? Are we placing too much emphasis on Carp and his making a come back?  With all of his past problems, I’m guessing he may be an injury or two away from being done anyway.  Thanks.
A: I would hope the Cardinals decide in the next week or so whether they can expect Chris Carpenter to be able to go from Day One in spring training. Surely they have learned their lesson in counting on him and others like Mulder, Clement, to contribute in a large way. With the starting pitching market still ample,  the Cardinals haven’t missed out on anything really while they await more medical tests. Yes, I think they have the funds to make some sort of splash. But fans shouldn’t rush to judgment just yet. Nobody else has made a significant move either other than the Cubs signing Dempster, which was a foregone conclusion.  Don’t forget that the Cardnals were actually the first ones to sign anybody, nailing down Lohse the day after the season ended.

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Q: Hey Commish,
In the never ending quest to uncover pitching bargains, I stumbled upon a starting pitcher with past promise and glimmers of hope:
John Van Benschoten, former 1st-round pick of the Pittsburgh Pirates, was 7-4 with a 3.92 ERA in 22 appearances, 80.1 IP, 70 H, 32 BB, 62 Ks.
He has an injury history and struggled in Pittsburgh, any chance this is a prime candidate for a Dave Duncan style rebuilding?
Michael Scriven
Springfield, MO

A: Michael, I think the Pirates are wearying of waiting for JVB but his 1-3 mark and 10.48 ERA with them in 22-plus innings last season isn’t very inspiring.The numbers you have must refer to his minor-league performances.

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Q: Mr Hummel,
I sure enjoy your reporting on the Cardinals.
One thing that really gets under my skin is that the Cardinals continually draw over 3 million fans a year but like to come across as a small market team when it comes to competing for players that could possibly put us over the top.  They have to be making lots of money and they owe it to the fans to re-invest a significant portion of the profits in the team.  But, they prefer to look for, in MO’s words–”low hanging fruit”.  What an insult to the fans of St. Louis!!!  Another example of ownership’s screwups is the hole in the ground just north of the ballpark.  Cardinal owernership got the support of the city, county and state to build the ballpark and committed to building Ballpark Village.  While something appears to be moving forward finally, why has it taken this long to re-pay the taxpayers for their support.  It would be nice to have a showpiece for the All Star game but I bet we still have that big hole in the ground for the national media cameras to show during the game.  That’s a disgrace but just another indication of ownership’s lack of loyalty to the fans.  Shameful!!!!!

A: Charlie, rest assured there will be something covering the “big hole,” at the All-Star Game, probably in the form of some sort of hospitality area on the east side of the lot. Yes, the Cardinals draw three million fans but their payroll also is in excess of $100 million, which is significant considering they don’t have nearly the television monies that such teams as the Yankees, Mets, Angels,  Dodgers, Cubs and Red Sox have. But should they spend more money? Probably. Let’s see what happens in the next two weeks.

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Q: Since the topic of Cardinals’ coverage was broached in your most recent Q and A, how about this one: Would you prefer to cover the Cardinals on a daily basis as you did for many years or be the national writer/columnist as you are now?
Larry Harnly, Springfield, Ill.

A: Larry, I’m happy doing what I’m doing. I’m not sure I would have the stamina to do the beat on a full-time basis anymore. I do, however, enjoy making a few trips a season and touring camps in Arizona and Florida in the spring. Our beat is in good hands here.