B-Ball Fan: Glad to see I am not the only person who thinks Beltre would be best fit at third. Albert agrees with me. Would Boggs and Samuel be enough to entice the Mariners to trade and eat 1/2 his remaining salary of 12 mil ?

Jeff Gordon: A quarter of the season is already gone, so the monetary price of all these players comes down daily. But, yes, Seattle would have to eat some money to get prospects from the Cards.

Mozeliak wouldn't mind moving some players because he will need space on the 40-man roster for some of the fast risers.

But Beltre, like the rest of the 3B candidates, has underachieved this season. I'd only want to trade from the surplus for any of these guys.

B-Ball Fan: I see Stanley is finally allowed to do some drills, but will he be ready by start of season ? WHO will be the KR/PR ? Someone not on the team yet that is cast off by another team ?

Jeff Gordon: There are many candidates in house. A healthy Stanley is the most intriguing option. Tim Carter returned kickoff earlier in his career. Wade did it a few times. It's possible the team could add a specialist as the summer progressed, if the guy could help in other areas.

Tackleberry: Gordo,

As I watch LeBron being over-worked in Cleveland as the Cav's ownership provides him with "just enough" of a supporting cast to get by, I can't help but draw a comparison between LeBron and Albert. Both are left to do almost all of the heavy lifting for their team's offense. And don't you think the same discussions about competitors clearing cap space will surround Albert soon, as they do LeBron now who is a year out from free agency? I think the Cards ownership needs to "put up" this summer or Albert's eyes may start to stray.

Jeff Gordon: If competitors want to clear budget space for 2012, when Albert could be a free agent, then perhaps the Cards could land one of those discarded hitters.

To build a strong team around Albert -- and to be able to pay Albert more than $20 million a year on his next contract extension -- the Cards need to keep developing good players. That is the route to go. By next year, the Cards could have a home-grown player in seven positions (except for Ludwick's slot).

At some point, the Cards could add another proven heavy hitter IF all their home-grown players fail. The departure of Glaus, Greene and Kennedy after this season will clear $22 million.

The Las Vegas Cardinal: Gordo,
Hello from sin city...lol
I enjoy your chats. I grew up in St.Charles,'67 & '68 big fan.
I'm not a baseball expert like alot of the guys that write in.
But to me a blind man could see if the Cardinals picked up DeRosa and Peavy they would win the Pennant.
My question is since they (the Cardinals management) obviously know this is it better to gamble everything on one year when you have a great chance or hold the wallet tight, not selling out the future.
Personally I think the Cardinal management tortured their fans last year.
They had the chance to make a couple simple moves when they were in the thick of it but they wouldn't pull the trigger, so they died.
Thanks for your time...go Cards.

Jeff Gordon: DeRosa is a handy player, but not a team changer. He would fit well here for the rest of the season and beyond, if he is willing to come off the bench.

The starting pitching is fine without Peavy. And they Cards haven't had the blue chip young starting pitching needed to acquire Peavy.

JaZzIsM50: Mr.G, thank you for your sound advice in the past. The idea of trading Ankiel leaves me with an uneasy feeling. His story, attitude and performance make for a real legacy. I have no problem with losing McClellan or Boggs but dont know enough about our inhouse talent to make a educated judgement. Isn't there anyway that Mr. DeWitt can dig into his pockets to cover our 3rd base needs. Or do all potential aquisitions reguire giving up talent?

Jeff Gordon: You can't just buy a third baseman right in the middle of the season. And, again, I wouldn't trade much for veterans having terrible seasons. A guy like Boggs is a solid depth guy, maybe a future 12- to 14-game winner for the back of a good rotation.

McClellan I would not trade, unless a guaranteed run producer would come back.

Ankiel or Duncan will have to move along at some point, since this team has too much from the left side and not enough from the right side.