THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Given their current spot in the standings, do you think it makes sense for the Blues to try to make a trade deadline move to strengthen the team this season or would they be better off doing some free agent shopping this summer when some dollars come off their payroll?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
The Blues shouldn’t do anything to help themselves this season. If there is interest in Keith Tkachuk or Paul Kariya, they should trade them. The most they will probably get in return are draft picks, probably third-rounders at best. Before everyone gets upset and says, “Quit trading for draft picks. You won’t see those players for four years” … keep in mind that the Blues can package a number of draft picks (and/or prospects already in the system) and trade for an established player in the offseason.

The Blues should save their money for the offseason. By showing interest in Ilya Kovalchuk, the Blues essentially said they are prepared to offer a big contract to a premier player. If they weren’t prepared to do that, they never would have entertained the idea of trading for him. So that tells me the Blues could be ready to make a splash on a goal-scorer this season. It’ll take some patience on the part of fans, but it should be worth the wait.

DAN O’NEILL
The Blues should not be thinking in terms of this season. They are not a threat to go deep into the playoffs, even if — unlikely as it seems — they were able to mount a postseason charge. This team is not good enough — bottom line. Management needs to evaluate why and try to push things forward.
Most of the veterans on this team have under-produced this season. It is hard to imagine there is much of a market for most of those who would be available, but if there is,  the Blues should take the draft pick and run.

To put it another way, hand-held computing devices in Jennings might have more value than a Blues veteran player right now.

JEFF GORDON
The Blues have little chance of making the playoffs this spring, thanks to this recent turn of events. So the front office needs to focus on shedding unproductive veterans and freeing up budget space for big off-season additions. In the meantime, play more kids and speed the player development process. Bigger things will come if the front office maintains a long view.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
As long as any player added continues to strengthen the roster into next season then making a deal would be a great idea. A “rental trade” would be a bad idea, unless as a part of that deal they free up significant cap space to use toward adding a top-end scorer.

The Blues have had 14 one-goal losses this year and that doesn’t even count the games where empty netters made it a two-goal differential. If they had a premier scorer on the roster they certainly would have won at least a few of those games and that difference would have them in a playoff position right now. Whether that kind of player is out there to be had at the moment is debatable, but if the team can land a proven frontline scorer, either now or in the offseason, that would be what takes them to the next level.

They have most of what it takes to be a regular participant in the NHL playoffs but what they lack compared to the teams that are there year-in and year-out is that frontline, All-Star caliber scorer.

ANDY STRICKLAND (Hockeybuzz.com, KFNS)
The Blues need more than just one or two players to make a realistic run at a playoff spot. They have played themselves nearly out of playoff contention with their inability to put any stretch of consistent hockey together. Whether the Blues win or lose, the club needs to seriously address their roster this summer and find some winning components.

Identifying experienced leaders with a track record of winning at the NHL level is what this club needs. They have very little tucked away in the leadership department, which has been evident for quite some time now. Bringing in veterans to demonstrate what it takes on and off the ice to compete at a high level needs to be a priority. If the Blues are looking to move a prospect here or there at the deadline, they should focus on getting a player or two with time remaining on their contract that can help this franchise moving forward.

The club desperately wants back into the playoffs, if nothing else for financial reasons. Any deadline move made by the Blues must help this team beyond the last few months of this season. The organization will be taking a step in the wrong direction if they fail to make the playoffs and any moves made need to help this team recover as quickly as possible. When evaluating the club’s unrestricted free agents after this year, the team lacks any real prizes that fans can expect to return significant value. Being active in the trade market at the draft will also be an option.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: How do you think Rick Ankiel will fare with everyday at-bats while playing centerfield full time for the Kansas City Royals?

JOE STRAUSS
I would expect Ankiel to show more consistency since he will play with more regularity. The unanswerable question is whether more plate appearances in a tougher league will expose Ankiel more quickly or facilitate his ability to make adjustments. Last year’s injuries and time share conspired against him.

DERRICK GOOLD
I’m eager to see what Rick Ankiel does with a change of scenery. Ankiel has known only the Cardinals, and the Cardinals know him as the wunderkind pitcher, the hotshot lefty, the wild pitches, the fallen idol, the reinvented hitter … and so on and so on. It should benefit Ankiel that the Royals know him only as an outfielder. His every swing won’t drag history. It should give him a chance to show, unfettered, how much talent he has as a hitter. That’s the question. He has true but raw power. He likely won’t hit for a high average. His strike zone awareness is flighty and he is given to prolonged slumps. If he can refine his eye at the plate, recognize the pitches he can hit out of the park and do more with the pitche he can’t, then he’ll be the Rick Ankiel, OF, many expected. Getting everyday playing time is the only way he can work out the flaws, and chances are he’ll be closer to 2008 than 2009.

RICK HUMMEL
If Ankiel gets 400 at-bats, he could hit 18 to 20 homers, but to raise his average he’s going to have to learn to hit ahead in the count more than he has. In a spacious outfield, his arm should be an asset. He is in a new league with new pitchers but this shouldn’t make much difference because Ankiel’s strength hasn’t seemed to be his knowledge of pitchers.

JEFF GORDON
If he pulls himself together, he could hit .260 with 25 homers and 75 RBI. I could see him doing big damage during his hot offensive stretches. Can he become a more consistent threat at the plate? At this stage of his career, that seems pretty far fetched. To this point he hasn’t developed that sort of discipline.

DAN O’NEILL
I think it will be a miracle if Rick Ankiel even comes close to having “everyday” at-bats. Ankiel, unfortunately, gets hurt rolling out of bed in the morning. He never has been able to stay healthy through an entire season and, in part as a result, he remains immature as a major league hitter.

BRYAN BURWELL
I am not sure we will see anything radically different from Ankiel in KC than we’ve already seen from him in St. Louis.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
First off, I’m not entirely convinced Ankiel will play “full-time” in center field with the Royals. He’ll play against all right-handed pitchers but I have to believe the Royals will eventually use a right-handed bat in his place when they’re facing lefties because Ankiel just doesn’t hit the lefties. Don’t let his career splits fool you, the only time he hit lefties at all was in ’07 before the league had a book on him. In ’08 he hit .224 with a pretty weak .716 OPS (116 AB) against southpaws and last year he hit .234 with a pathetic .563 OPS (94 AB) against the guys who throw from the wrong side of the mound.

Given that I doubt he’ll play a ton against lefties I’d say he’s in for 400 at-bats or so and I’d have him around .250 with 18-20 HR and 60-65 RBI in that case. Unless he makes a significant change in his approach, however, Ankiel will continue to strike out too much and will too often be an easy out. If he shows a willingness to change he could make significant strides because he has the physical ability to be an impact player. He just needs to learn how to stay back on the soft stuff and he needs to realize that left and left-center field are his friends.

THE WATERCOOLER:

What’s your Super Bowl prediction?

See how our staff is picking the game, vote in our poll and your own comment.

JIM THOMAS:
Sure Dwight Freeney’s gimpy ankle helps the Saints, But here’s all you need to know about Super Bowl 44: The Rams gained a season high 434 yards against the New Orleans defense on Nov. 15. Colts 34, Saints 27

JOE STRAUSS:
It’s fairly obvious the AFC’s best team is facing the NFC’s second-best. The Colts should bring just as much pressure to bear on the Saints’ defense as the turnover-prone Vikings did in the NFC Championship. The Colts’ defense, even without Freeney, is underrated. This should be an extremely entertaining game. The Saints are the better story. The Colts are the better team. Though I’m less inclined to predict a blowout than a week ago, the game sets up as a convincing Colts win unless the Saints can duplicate the turnover magic they worked against the Vikings.COLTS 34, Saints 26.

DERRICK GOOLD:
New Orleans, by a touchdown. Wish I could offer some analytical insight into the Cover 2, the 3-technique, Drew Brees’ pump fake and that Klingon that Peyton Manning barks at the line of scrimmage, but my eyes are blinded by my hopes here. Spent too long in the bayou not to have sipped some Saints Kool-Aid (helps wash down the Alligator Cheesecake at Jacques-Imo’s, don’tcha know). Heck, I cried during “The Princess and the Frog.” And, judging by the union’s presser yesterday — reeks of an NHL presser or two I went to back in 2003 — the NFL is due for one good party before the lights go out in 2011. And who throws a party better than N’Awlins? Who? Take off the paper bags and laissez les bons temps rouler. Who. Dat.

STU DURANDO:
New Orleans 35, Indianapolis 31

MIKE SMITH:
Hard to shake the memory that the wretched Rams almost beat the Saints. Colts 26, Saints 21.

JEREMY RUTHERFORD:
Saints 41, Colts 38. In the greatest Super Bowl ever played, Peyton Manning throws a 12-yard TD pass to Dallas Clark to go ahead 38-34 with 1:21 remaining in the fourth quarter. A field goal won’t do it, so Drew Brees pulls a Peyton Manning, marching the Saints down the field, and with 11 seconds left, hits Reggie Bush at the Indy 16-yard line. Bush weaves his way through traffic and somersaults into the end zone as time expires. The extra point is an after-thought as confetti flies everywhere, Kim Kardashian drops to a knee and proposes to Bush, and Bourbon Street pops the top on the biggest party the the block has ever seen.

TOM TIMMERMANN:
New Orleans is a team of destiny! Redemption for the Crescent City! Finally, a celebration! No. Destiny only gets you so far, and for the Saints, it stops here. The Colts have too much talent all around. Colts 35, Saints 21.

KATHLEEN NELSON:
Colts 38, Saints 28. Peyton and the Colts have been figuring out defenses for years They’ll eventually get the upper hand on the windbag Saints defense.

DAN O’NEILL:
Indianapolis takes the best of seven series four games to two. Colts 24, Saints 14

KEN ROBERTS:
Indianapolis 38, New Orleans 17—Peyton and Collie will make the Saints bark.

JEFF GORDON:
I’ll take the Colts by a hefty margin, 10 points or more. New Orleans figures to play better than it did in the NFC Championship Game, but Indianapolis is SO solid. Peyton Manning is playing at such a high level. The Saints will try to beat on him — but the officials figure to protect him, too. If Manning stays upright, New Orleans won’t be able to contact that attack.

CARLOS AYULO:
Colts 31, Saints 28 in overtime

JOE LYONS:
Colts 32, Saints 27

REID LAYMANCE:
Heart says Saints, head says Colts. Indy 28, New Orleans 14.

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THE WATERCOOLER:
We know you really can’t judge a recruiting class accurately for three or four years, but with a class ranked by some  in the top 25, and with the several key players returning, how is Missouri positioned in the Big 12 North for the next few seasons, and will they catch up to Big 12 South powers?

VAHE GREGORIAN:
On paper, anyway, this recruiting class appears to move Mizzou a notch closer to the talent levels of the elite Big 12 teams. Still some notches in between, though. MU has done a nice job developing and molding less-heralded recruits such as Sean Weatherspoon, Danario Alexander and Chase Daniel, so by all logic it should be able to do more with more. The dynamic is in place for consistent 7-9 win seasons and chances to contend for Big 12 titles in peak years of maturity, say, every three or four years. But you can’t say it’s happening until it actually does and the Tigers take down Texas or OU in a Big 12 championship game.

STU DURANDO:
Coaches tend to love the recruiting rankings when they have a highly rated class and they dismiss the analysts and their star ratings when their class doesn’t get high marks. That being said, everyone agrees this is Gary Pinkel’s best recruiting job at Missouri. Put that together with returning talent and there’s no reason the Tigers shouldn’t compete for the top of the North Division in coming years. However, Nebraska also has a highly rated class and has been compiling good talent for several years in a row. Competing with the South will remain difficult. Texas or Oklahoma will always be the teams to beat because they grab up so much talent from the state of Texas. And as good as Mizzou’s class seems, the Tigers rated behind three schools from the South Division in rankings by Rivals.com and behind four South schools according to Scout.com.

KATHLEEN NELSON:
Missouri is sitting pretty good in the North, but both Scouts and Rivals ranked Nebraska’s class just behind Missouri: 21 vs. 23 at Rivals; 28 vs. 30 at Scouts. Bo Pelini has the ‘Huskers back on track, so I’d expect a spirited battle over the next few years between the teams for the Big 12 North title.

If you’re judging by recruiting alone, Missouri won’t catch up to Texas and Oklahoma any time soon. Those guys have 4- and 5-star recruits coming out their ears: 21 and 16, respectively, according to Rivals, 19 each, according to Scouts. The Tigers have seven 4-star players, according to Rivals, six according to Scouts. So, Texas and Oklahoma have more players with a better chance to succeed at a higher level. That level of superior talent has been consistent through Texas’ and Oklahoma’s recruiting classes for years. Winning tradition, better talent: you might see an aberrant year in which a cinderella team from the North earns the conference title, but the odds are against them catching up for good. The surest way for Missouri, Nebraska or any North school to catch up is for good is simultaneous colossal scandals at both schools that take down the programs.

REID LAYMANCE:

It’s certainly a start, and the key is to find playmakers and some solid linemen. If you look closer at two of the “four stars” the Tigers signed, you see a receiver Marcus Lucas of Liberty, Mo., who took MU over Oklahoma among others, and a lineman, Nick Demien, who picked MU over OU and Nebraska. Winning those head-to-head recruiting battles with players from Missouri is the key to being in a position to compete on the field. That said, it’s got to be a bit of a downer for two “four-star” players from Columbia to go to Oklahoma (tight end/fullback Trey Millard) and to Nebraska (Chase Rome). Both were offered by MU but went elsewhere.

OU and Missouri had 11 players in common that they made scholarship offers. OU got nine of those, and Missouri two (Demien and Lucas). MU and Nebraska had 8 players in common, with the Tigers getting three: Demien, Tyler Gabbert and DT Lucas Vincent.

BILL COATS:

Catching up with the South Division heavyweights is a tall task, and I don’t think Missouri is likely to do that any time soon. But it has a nice nucleus of young players and a seemingly strong incoming class. So, Mizzou certainly should be a strong factor in the North over the next few years at least.

THE WATERCOOLER:

Which is the better basketball conference this year: The A-10 or the Missouri Valley?

TOM TIMMERMANN:

The Atlantic 10 is a lot better than the Valley. The Atlantic 10 is a lot better than the Pacific 10. (Is there an Indian 10? A Caribbean 10?) It’s easy to point out that the second-best team in the Valley, Wichita State, is 48th in RPI, and the A-10 has six teams better than that. Six. So almost half the A-10 is better than the second-best team in the Valley. The A-10 could send five teams to the NCAA Tournament. The A-10 has 17 wins against teams in BCS conferences this year. The Valley has eight. (The A-10 is 3-2 head to head against the Valley, though that’s fairly insignficant. Two of those games involved SLU, and another involved St. Bonaventure. Xavier and Dayton both beat Creighton, a middle of the pack Valley team.) This is one of the reasons why SLU is better off in the A-10. It’s a much better league than the Valley, and it is in most years.

VAHE GREGORIAN:

By about any measure, the Atlantic 10 is having a better season than the MVC. While each conference has one team ranked, Temple (18-4) of the A-10 can boast that it’s the only team to have beaten second-ranked Villanova while Valley leader Northern Iowa’s most notable achievements among its 19 wins were beating a solid Siena team, mediocre Boston College and in-state rivals Iowa and Iowa State — each of which is down. Moreover, the MVC has only one other team (Wichita State) more than a game above .500 in conference play while the A-10 has five at that level or above, signifying that the conference race is more balanced and tougher at the top.

Finally, the A-10 has six teams in the top 42 of one RPI approximation, RealTimeRPI.com, while after Northern Iowa’s No. 17 rating the Valley’s second-best RPI is Wichita State’s No. 48.

At this stage, it’s easy to conservatively project three or more NCAA Tournament bids for the A-10 and hard to count on more than one for the Valley if Northern Iowa wins the MVC tourney.

BILL COATS:
The A-10 is a bit better so far this season. It has six teams that are legitimate NCAA Tournament contenders — Rhode Island, Temple, Xavier, Richmond, Dayton and Charlotte. Each has at least 15 wins, and none has more than six losses. At this point, the MVC has only two strong contenders, Northern Iowa and Wichita State.

KATHLEEN NELSON:

The stats favor the A-10, or at least, the top half. Six of the 14 schools are ranked in the top 50 RPI, and the conference as a whole is sixth. The Valley is ninth overall with just two teams in the top 50 RPI.

They don’t seem to play each other very much in nonconference. The A-10 held a 3-2 advantage, so straight up, there’s not much evidence.

Barring even a gut feeling otherwise, I’ll go with the A-10 this season.

JOE SULLIVAN (Boston Globe, and author of Sully’s Court on college basketball):

The Atlantic 10 is clearly better than the Missouri Valley this season. No wonder Rick Majerus wants to switch leagues. Northern Iowa might be the best team in either league (I think the Panthers are a Sweet 16 team and maybe an Elite Eight threat if they’re playing at their best in March) but the Atlantic 10 has had several teams outplay their preseason projections.

Start with Temple. Despite getting vaporized by Kansas, Temple (18-4) has established itself as a Top 25 team even though they don’t necessarily have Top 25 talent. A great coaching job by Fran Dunphy. Then there’s Charlotte (16-5), which won at Louisville; and Rhode Island (17-3, which beat Oklahoma State, Providence and Boston College. Nobody thought either team was going to be a threat to win the A-10 and, as of right now, both are NCAA tournament teams.

The A-10 should get five bids, those three plus Xavier  (15-6) and either Richmond (16-6) or Dayton (15-6). Sorry, Saint Louis won’t make it (what happened the other night against Richmond?) Dayton is the one team that’s played below expectations.

The Missouri Valley will probably get two bids only if Northern Iowa loses in the conference tournament although Wichita State is a possibility.

But that’s it, no more than two.

THE WATERCOOLER:
With basically one month left before the post-season conference tournaments, is Missouri a lock for the NCAA field? Are the Illini still on the bubble? Is the MVC just a one-bid league? And has SLU even slipped out of the NIT?

VAHE GREGORIAN:

Mizzou is in decent shape but not a lock, especially considering its backloaded Big 12 schedule. MU’s 10 remaining conference games include four against ranked teams, including three in the top 15, and five road games - including at ranked Kansas State and Baylor.

That said, the Tigers literally have been unbeatable at home and figure to win at least three of those five and should be expected to win at Colorado, Iowa State and Nebraska. Win those six and they’ll be 9-7 and in the thick of things but needing to win a couple in the Big 12 tourney to be able to relax on Selection Sunday. Beat KU or Texas at home to go 10-6, and the Tigers probably have it made.

The Illini probably are in a similar situation and need to distance themselves from that three-game losing streak. But if they win at Iowa as they should and win at least three of their four upcoming home games they should have the clout to make it.
The MVC has a shot at two bids, but it may need a scenario where Northern Iowa dominates the rest of the season and loses in the MVC title game to ensure a second team.

It’s hard to know what’s happening at SLU, but I’d be surprised if the Billikens break even in their final 10 games, leaving them less than a certainty for the NIT.

STU DURANDO:

- Missouri might not be a lock but the Tigers appear to be on very solid footing. Their RPI is in the low 30s and the schedule seems to present the possibility of a good finish. Recent wins over Kansas State and Oklahoma State might have put them over the top.

- Illinois is a definite bubble team and is leaning toward the wrong side right now even though tied for second in the Big Ten. The Illini have good nonconference wins over Vanderbilt and Clemson but will need to beat some of the Big Ten’s top teams in their final eight games to improve their chances.

- The MVC is trying to get multiple bids for the first time since 2007. With Northern Iowa and Wichita State currently in the top 50 of the RPI, the chance of getting two looks decent right now. Northern Iowa might be able to get an at-large if it doesn’t win the conference tournament.

- Meanwhile, SLU has slipped into dangerous territory but still has a chance to play some of the Atlantic 10’s best teams - Dayton, Rhode Island, Xavier, Temple - at home, and those games will help determine their postseason fate.

TOM TIMMERMANN:

- Mizzou is not quite a lock and they need to take care of business at home and win a couple on the road, which should be do-able considering that they have the three worst teams in the league still to come on the road. Barring a calamity, a win over Kansas, K-State, Texas or at Baylor would clinch the deal by itself.

- Illinois is on the back side of the bubble and with the schedule they have left, it’s going to be hard to get the wins. If they do pull some off, they’ll deserve it. They really need to get a good road win.

- The Atlantic 10 is stratified at the moment, with six good teams at the top and seven clearly less-good teams at the bottom. SLU hasn’t decided yet which group it belongs in, though Saturday’s loss at Richmond certainly has the leaning to the second bunch. SLU needs to shake off that ugly loss and get at least one win on the Philly road trip coming up. If SLU can go 6-4 the rest of the way - which also happens to be the breakdown of remaining home-and-road games - it would be 18-12 and 9-7, and that would put it good shape to make the NIT, especially since it would have to have beaten at least one of the league’s powerhouses to do it. The one factor working against it is that at 9-7, they still might finish seventh in the A-10, and would the NIT want to go that deep? Still, the A-10 may send five teams to the NCAA tournament, more than the Big Ten and the Pac-10. That might make a 9-7 record in the A-10 look pretty impressive. And SLU would likely draw fairly well at home.

- The Valley’s only chance to send more than one is for Northern Iowa not to win the tournament. Which is certainly possible.

KATHLEEN NELSON:

The lock hasn’t quite turned for Missouri. A second-place tie in the Big 12 looks pretty good, but many trap games remain against Iowa State, Colorado, etc. If they lose a handful of those and stumble in the conference tournament, the Tigers could find themselves on the bubble.

Illinois has a tougher route. Six of the Illini’s nine remaining games are against teams with an equal or better conference record. If the “good” Illini show up against Michigan State, Wisconsin, Ohio State and Purdue, they’ll get off the bubble.

The Valley looks like a one-bid league if Northern Iowa wins the conference tournament. The conference RPI has hovered between 9 and 10 all season, though the Panthers’ RPI is No. 17. The next highest-ranked team is Wichita State, at No. 49. An upset in the tourney might be the only way to get a second bid.

Too early to tell whether SLU is out of the NIT picture. So much depends on what happens in conference tournaments.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Cards GM John Mozeliak has indicated the Cards likely will wait until spring training to assess their needs before turning to the free agent market. That said, given the team’s current needs and limited budget, who is one free agent you’d be pursuing right now if you were the Cardinals GM?

JOE STRAUSS
Because of his versatility, John Smoltz. However, Smoltz may be resistant to a low base salary. It’s one reason Smoltz left Atlanta for Boston last year. I can’t disagree with those intrigued by Felipe Lopez. However, it’s difficult to imagine Flip accepting “bench” money to play behind David Freese and Skip Schumaker. Reed Johnson is an interesting alternative for an extra OF but his medicals scare the Cardinals. My top OF choice, Ryan Church, is off the board after signing for $1.5M with Pittsburgh. He’s a LH stick whom the spreadsheet guys rate high as a defender. For now, it appears as though the Cardinals are ticketed for a late February dumpster dive.

BERNIE MIKLASZ
Felipe Lopez. His versatility is ideal for a Tony La Russa team. Lopez is a switch-hitter who can play 2B, 3B, LF and RF. The Cardinals signed Lopez on Aug. 6, 2008 after Washington phased him out.

Since that date, in 849 plate appearances with the Cardinals, Diamondbacks and Brewers, Lopez has compiled some impressive numbers in revitalizing his bat and career: .325 batting average, .392 onbase percentage, and a .450 slugging percentage.

His OPS of .842 during that stretch is better than the OPS posted by “name” NL players such as Ryan Ludwick, Hunter Pence, Dan Uggla, Shane Victorino, Matt Kemp, Mike Cameron, Nate McLouth, Yunel Escobar, Brandon Phillips, Alfonso Soriano, Jimmy Rollins, Aaron Rowand and Rafael Furcal.

Lopez would be an excellent fit for the Cardinals.

JEFF GORDON
Felipe Lopez is a proven hitter with gap power and big-time versatility. He could step in at third base if Freese struggles, he could take some outfield turns and he could help protect Schumaker from lefty pitchers. If he can’t land a starting job somewhere, this would be an ideal place to come for 350 to 400 at bats. He could extend his stay past this season, too, since La Russa loves versatility.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Before I reveal the name I have in mind, allow me to set the table for why I want him. The eight everyday position players appear to be set, at least for the start of Spring Training. You know you’ll have five starting pitchers and depending upon whether Tony La Russa wants a 12- or 13-man pitching staff you’ll need four or five bench players to start the season. I’m going to assume they start the year with a 12-man staff for the sake of this argument, leaving the need for five reserves, and I think the bench is the team’s biggest area of concern right now.

Jason LaRue and Julio Lugo are on the team — that leaves three spots to fill. You need at least one more infielder and the most likely candidates are Ruben Gotay and Tyler Greene. Gotay is a switch-hitter with a decent eye at the plate, Greene has more raw ability and is the more versatile defensive player. I think they’ll pick one of those two, probably Gotay. They also need a right-handed power bat for the corner infield and corner outfield spots. It looks like they’ll be able to comfortably choose between Allen Craig and Joe Mather, if he’s healthy. Let’s give the edge to a healthy Mather. So, you’ve got your backup catcher, your reserve infielders and the right-handed power bat. All that’s left is the need for a reliable left-handed bat off the bench. I’m not worried about that guy being able to play center field because I think Ludwick can handle that spot when you rest Colby Rasmus against tough lefties.

My free agent of choice would be Frank Catalanotto. He can play both corner outfield spots and he’s a .291 career hitter with a .357 career on-base percentage. Since he’s still out there and really not viewed as an everyday player at this point in his career, the price just might be right for him as a pinch-hitter who can play a little as a starter if you need him to.

THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Showing an inability to maintain any kind of sustained success, do you see any way this Blues team fights its way into the playoffs this year?

JEREMY RUTHERFORD
The Blues could have woke up this morning only three points out of a playoff spot. But after their 3-2 loss to Vancouver, they’re five points out of the eighth spot in the West with 54 points. Either way, the team is not in terrible shape. After 53 games last season, they had 50 points. But that team, of course, had to go 19-6-4 in its final 29 games, including 9-1-1 in the last 11 games, to sneak into the playoffs

Does this Blues’ team have that kind of run left in it? It’s highly unlikely, but then again it was last year, too. The difference this season is that the Blues aren’t on the top of their game like they were at this time last season. True, it was a one-goal loss last night in Vancouver, which has the best home record in the league. But the Blues were terribly inconsistent, like they’ve been most of the season, and that hardly bodes well for a repeat of last year.

DAN O’NEILL
On one hand, given they are five points removed from a playoff spot, given they still have 29 games remaining, it would be silly to say there is no way this team “fights” its way into the playoffs. Of course it can still make the playoffs.

On the other hand, 12 teams in the 15-team conference have more points than the Blues. On the other hand, this team has been unable to sustain any kind of momentum and, to this point, its performance under the new coach — while I like him quite a bit — is not altogether different than its performance under the old coach.

On the other hand, does it matter much if the Blues do make the playoffs?

They fought their way into the playoffs last year only to be swept out in four games. For a number of reasons, some of them tangible, some of them intangible, it just isn’t happening this year, and it won’t happen in the playoffs either.

Nothing represents that better than Erik Johnson’s rush in the closing moments at Vancouver. He skates the length of the ice … beats Roberto Luongo … and the shot hits the under side of the crossbar and caroms out.

The season, in a nutshell.

JEFF GORDON
I am skeptical, to say the least. The challenge is similar to what we saw last season. Climbing past multiple teams is difficult. The Western Conference appears to be more difficult this season — although Calgary’s recent collapse did aid the Blues bid. I’m guessing that Detroit and Anaheim finish out well, which could throw up the roadblock. The Blues will have to win at the same sort of rate they won last year — and that is extremely difficult. This team is one slump away from falling by the wayside. Given the team’s collective lack of firepower, how can they avoid that slump?

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line” on KMOX)
Sure, there’s a way. They’re 5 points out of the last spot in the West with 29 games remaining and even with last night’s loss they’re 6-3-1 in their last 10 games and they’ve been robbed of points three times since Davis Payne took over, losing three one-goal games directly because of bad calls or non-calls by the referees.

Anaheim scores the game winning goal (with an empty netter following later) after Barrett Jackman gets taken out in front of the Blues net. No call, Ducks score with 2:40 left. Ottawa scores the game winning goal on the power play after a joke of a tripping call on T.J. Oshie. Now last night Vancouver wins on a lame slashing call that doesn’t come until after Henrik Sedin does his best Charlton Heston over-acting routine. I know officiating is an issue teams can’t control but when you have three blown calls (or non-calls in the Jackman case) late in games that lead directly to game-winning goals it’s not unfair or whiny to acknowledge points were lost on those calls. The men in stripes have cost the Blues at least three points in the last couple of weeks.

The Blues need to do a better job on the power play, they need to get outstanding play in net and they need to turn their home record around the rest of the way if they’re going to make it to the playoffs again. It would also be nice if they’re able to get points when they earn them.

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THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: Who do you think is the best QB available in this year’s NFL draft and do you believe he may still be available when the Rams pick in the second round?

JIM THOMAS
If his shoulder proves to be OK following surgery, there’s no doubt that it’s Oklahoma quarterback Sam Bradford. Even though Bradford won’t be able to throw until about four to six weeks before the draft, he could still be a top ten pick. That leaves Jimmy Clausen of Notre Dame and Colt McCoy of Texas as probably the next two in line. Clausen is expected to go in the first round. McCoy might still be there at the top of the second.

JEFF GORDON
NFL scouts love Jimmy Clausen because he played in a NFL-style offense. That gives him the best chance to start quickly — which is what one of the QB-starved teams will want. Early speculation has both Clausen and Sam Bradford going early and a lot of interesting guys — like Colt McCoy — falling into the Rams’ range at the top of the second round. McCoy’s mobility and short-pass accuracy seem to make him a decent fit here, but many fans still clamor for Michael Vick to become The Answer.

BRYAN BURWELL
Sam Bradford, Oklahoma. If he had not gotten injured he likely would be competing with Ndamukong Suh as the overall first pick in the draft. Bradford will not be around in the second round. He won’t make it beyond the Top 10.

SPEAKING OF QBs
ESPN is reporting that Arizona Cardinals QB Kurt Warner will hold a press conference on Friday to announce his future plans. There has been much speculation that Warner plans to retire. Either way, sounds like he’s not going to drag it out like Brett Favre.

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THE WATERCOOLER

QUESTION: How would you assess Missouri’s road performance against No. 2 Kansas last night?

VAHE GREGORIAN
Mizzou is a fine young team. Probably NCAA Tournament-bound. But with only two players who’ve played more than one full season at this level, the Tigers didn’t have the coping skills to contend with the No. 2 team in the nation in one of the loudest and most unforgiving scenes in college basketball. No shame in that, but no distinction in it, either.

The main thing to remember, as coach Mike Anderson said after the game, is that the season isn’t a sprint. Moreover, last season stands as a vivid reminder that a loss at Allen Fieldhouse doesn’t necessarily have a bearing on the rest of the season. The Tigers lost by 25 here last year, then beat No. 4 Oklahoma in their next game and went on to the Elite Eight. Not that that’s necessarily in the forecast ahead, but there’s no reason MU can’t still prosper this season.

BRYAN BURWELL
This Tigers team has a lot of work to do. Offensively they do not have a consistent go-to guy, even though Kim English has shown flashes of possessing that capability. Mizzou is still a tournament team, but they’re looking more and more like they will spend the rest of the season on the NCAA bubble.

STU DURANDO
Not shooting well, especially on the road, is going to happen. The most startling aspect of Mizzou’s performance was being thoroughly dominated inside, including the 2-to-1 rebounding margin. The Tigers are not the best rebounding team, but they had outboarded Nebraska, Texas Tech and K-State in recent games. They also were outscored dramatically in the paint and were intimidated by Kansas center Cole Aldrich, who blocked seven shots. It appears Mizzou did some good things, forcing 23 turnovers and holding Sherron Collins in check with six points on 2-of-11 shooting. Games like this tend to be lessons for later in the season and it doesn’t figure to have any impact on the path of Mizzou’s season.

MIKE SMITH
In a word? Predictable, from the game’s outcome to ESPN’s scripted promotional video for KU. I think we nailed everything on our checklist: video of KU students bolting through the gates to grab the best seats; the revisionist history lesson about Quantrill’s raid (assist to Musburger’s sidekick with his mention that Jesse James rode with Quantrill); and crystal-clear audio of the grade-schoolish “Oh-oh, oh, oh” song and the Zombie-like “Rock Chalk” chant.

Now, about the game:

• Rewind to 2008-09: See J.T. Tiller and Zaire Taylor drive and pass, drive and pass, again and again, to find the open shooters, or the teammate who would draw the defenders and then make one more pass to the open man. Fast forward to Monday night: See Mizzou’s dribble-dribble-dribble-shoot offense produce 9-for-39 shooting by the guards.

• Either Tiller is hurt, or he didn’t pick up a basketball in the offseason. Granted, he didn’t come to Mizzou as a marksman, but his 2-for-11 clunker vs. KU leaves him at 26 percent shooting for the Big 12 season. His assists-to-turnovers (50-38) for the season is alarming, too (even shaky Miguel Paul is 40-17).

• Another ESPN staple is to mention that Kimmie English once slept in Mizzou Arena so he could get up first thing in the morning to work on his game. Does anybody else look at English’s .412 shooting percentage (.283 in Big 12) and 42 turnovers to 21 assists and wish that he’d put down his Blackberry, get off Facebook and spend a few lonely nights in the gym?

• Bottom line: Props to KU for thoroughly outplaying Mizzou; Jayhawks probably will win the CoMo rematch, too. (But enjoy that in-the-paint dominance while you can, Rock Chalkers, because in March, Aldrich won’t get away with half of what he got away with last night.)

BILL COATS
Kansas exposed two of Missouri’s most glaring weaknesses: the lack of halfcourt offense and the inability to deal with a talented big man. It was a bad matchup from the get-go for the Tigers, and it looked like it throughout the game.

TOM TIMMERMANN
Calling it “not good” might be generous. I don’t know that you’ll see a very different result on March 6 at Mizzou Arena when the teams meet again. Kansas is a really good team. Add in that Allen Fieldhouse is a tough place to play, the fact that Mizzou is still learning, and it’s not going to go well. And 28 percent shooting from the field won’t win games anywhere, at any time. Fortunately for Mizzou, they can do much better against the rest of the league. Except maybe Texas.