Michael Kent: Jeff ...

What sort of betting odds would you set for the following to happen during this offseason:

1. Albert Pujols wins the NL MVP Award
2. Albert Pujols finally decides to have elbow surgery
3. Albert Pujols gets his contract extended by the Cards

Thanks as always.

Jeff Gordon: MVP: 2-1.
Elbow surgery: 100-1
Contract extension: 100-1.

It would be in the team's best interest to extend Albert's deal now, since the price will only go up. But the money would have to be huge and the team has so much else to do right now. I believe Albert should undergo repairs IMMEDIATELY, but he doesn't come to me for medical advice.

mr. optomist: hey gordo!!! thought we had this one in the bag....then they made us play another half....i liked the emotion in the 1st half,but the 2nd half was a different story....i hoped bulger took some notes on quarterback body language and presence on the field.....trent green made plays out of nothing a few times....something bulger has forgotten how to do..steven jackson needs a backup to spell him for late in the game...thats all i got...thanks

Jeff Gordon: Trent did some good things, but he also missed some key plays by a lot. I didn't argue with the decision to bench Bulger, but Trent didn't quite get it done. I like seeing Jackson get 25 to 30 touches. He got into a much better running rhythm. He showed us why so many teams would love to have him. He is a unique talent. Funny, but he hasn't taken so many shots in this week's chats.

KY_CUB_KILLER: What realistic possibilities exist for the Cards to trade for a Middle Infielder or sign a FA 2B/SS?

Jeff Gordon: They have to upgrade there and I believe they will. Lopez was a step in the right direction, but the team needs to do more. The Lohse signing was a good first step toward '09, since it answered one of the big questions.

dave cobler: Hey Gordo;

Mo says he will be aggressive and creative this off season. After what we have seen with Lohse's "timely" signing, do you think we can intrepret Mo's meaning of "aggressive" to imply that other FA-signings/trades may occur sooner more than later? It would be nice to have the pieces (whatever they may be) in place by Christmas. Do you think there is a good chance of that happening?

Thank you Jeff!

Jeff Gordon: The Cards are moving quickly for a reason. The free agent pitching market is thin and overpriced, again. Securing Lohse solidifies things in a big way. The club could also avoid arbitration with Todd Wellemeyer by agreeing to a multi-year deal. That would be a positive step.

Fans want to see the team chase other team's free agents, but the Cards ought to look at their own hurlers first. With better bullpen support, this would have been s solid rotation.

Ramschic: Hi Jeff -

Yesterday's brief excitement was fun to watch. Had the typical outcome, but at least for a half it was entertaining. I'd like to say it provided a glimmer of hope, but I'm afraid to even think that. One thing that bothered me on repeated plays was the defense's seeming inability to create distractions at the line of scrimmage. On many occasions, they did not put their arms up to block passes and allowed Edwards to throw with no barriers. I understand you're not always going to get good penetration and pressure on the QB, but can't you at least put your arms up or jump up to affect the visibility? That seems like Pop Warner strategy, yet we don't do it nearly enough. Don't get me wrong...defense played pretty well yesterday, even though it's all relative, but this bothered me as I watched it over and over. Linehan firing, along with the better play yesterday, albeit brief, is some encouragement.

Jeff Gordon: I keep saying this team has talent on both sides of the ball --and for a half, we saw that at The Ed. There is no reason for this team to lose every game. There are some players here. Look at what Little and Long did working together for the first time all season.