Joe Strauss: OK, OK, I know I'm late for this week's edition of JSL!!! I saw where the Cardinals GM was taking a swing as Chatmeister and I have to admit I'm more than a little put out with the number of ChatHead defectors to 'Mo Talk. For those of you looking for unvarnished truth and incessent self-promotion, we'll push on with this week's edition of Joe Strauss Live!!! Mozeliak got more than 53 pages of questions, more than double sent to the ChatMeister. Be warned. There's some keystroke envy going on here. JSL!!! is in a cranky mood. But whatever, Let's get it on!!!

Chris: You are truely the big stick! Only the chatmeister can follow the Cardinals GM in a live chat format and live to tell about it.

What type of 1-2 punch could Barton and Rasmus provide at the top of the lineup over the course of several years? Is there any chance of that happening?

Joe Strauss: Your big stick reference is much appreciated as well as accurate. There is a greater chance of seeing Barton-Rasmus at Memphis than in St. Louis. Raz' will start the year at Triple-A. Book it. But the ChatMeister has been impressed with the maturity of his at-bats even though other have fixated on raw numbers. Barton frankly looked like a stiff the first two weeks in camp but has surged to overcome an indifferent first impression. There is reason to be enthused about both. Barton could stick but I still believe there is a greater chance the club will try to work a deal with Cleveland to give it the flexibility to option him. If the Indians aren't willing, ChatMeister Mo' will have a tough call.

James: Joe almighty,

Is there any chance Matt Clement will pitch in April? I thought they watched him pitch before they signed him. If they had, wouldn't they notice he didn't have any arm strength?

Joe Strauss: His pace has been intentionally deliberate. A setback now would compromise much of his season. Barring complications, it's fair to expect him sometime in late May, but that is purely speculative since the club has yet to pencil him in for a game appearance. There is virtually no chance he will be ready Opening Day. Correct that. There is no chance he will be ready Opening Day. It is the opinion of JSL!!! that this rotation's chance of overachieving hinges on Clement's productivity. You can call me on it later.

Lillian: Hello Joe, We sure missed you during the winter. Ever since the Cardinals let three starting pitchers go free agents two years ago their pitching has been in disarray. Now, it looks like it could be in worse shape next year. What can the Cardinals do to fix this for 2009?

Joe Strauss: Get Pineiro healthy, hope that Mulder's positive vibe translates into a productive season and say a few rosaries. It is too late to "fix" the rotation. The Cardinals must succeed or fail with what they have.

Randy F: Chatmeister, Maybe Tony is the genious he sees himself to be in batting the pitcher 8th. After all the pitchers last year surely batted higher than the .091 our "second leadoff hitter" has done so why not bat Izturis 9th. Maybe we can move him to cleanup to give Albert some protection.

Joe Strauss: I've jabbed TLR on a few occasions about the arrangement. If the purpose is to put another hitter in front of your No. 3 guy (El Hombre), why not just bat him cleanup and the pitcher ninth? That said, Milwaukee Brewers manager Ned Yost is toying with the same concept. My take is this: If hitting the pitcher eighth is such a solid move (and perhaps it is), why not implement it when you have a 100- or 105-win club as opposed to a struggling one? TLR seems willing to experiment with the No. 4 slot. Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan have received recent cameos there. Unsure whether Troy Glaus will receive further looks. Glaus has historically been a more productive hitter in the No. 5 spot than No. 4.

tom s.: Joe --

Do you think that tony will split the leadoff role between Barton and Skip based on whether a rightie or leftie is pitching for the other team? I see this as a possibilty: against righties, Skip leads off in center, Dunc in left in the fifth slot, and Ankiel in right; against lefties, Barton leads off in right field, Ludwick in left in the fifth slot, and Ankiel in center.

Or has the dismissal of Spiezio and his solid play put Mather on the roster?

tom

Joe Strauss: Mather is receiving much mileage. An outfield of Duncan, Schu, Ankiel, Barton and Ludwick obviously would leave no room for Juan Gonzalez. Prior to signing Gonzalez reportedly said he would open the season at Memphis if necessary, but has not repeated that stance in camp. It looks as though Barton vs. Gonzalez will be one of camp's tougher calls. The problem with platooning Ludwick is that he hits rights better than lefts. Ankiel may continue to sit against tough lefts, but TLR envisions him as an everyday player. Chris Duncan and Barton project as left fielders only, though Barton is seeing much time in RF this spring. Schumaker should make the club and serve as leadoff hitter against most RH pitchers. Fair to say there will be plenty of platooning with this bunch.

roger from lake tahoe: what did you think of mo's comments?

Joe Strauss: ChatMeister wannabe...

Aaron: Joe,
If Izturis doesn't start playing better do you think there is any chance the Cardinals will decide to go with Ryan at S.S., Kennedy at 2nd, Miles as their backup and Mather as a backup to 3rd and 1st. Ryan would also be able to play third and second. This would seem to go with the youth movement instead of playing a S.S. who has had past defensive success but hasn't hit well this spring or hit much in the past. Do we really lose that much on defense with Ryan at S.S. instead of Izturis?
Thanks for your time Joe.

Joe Strauss: The Cardinals are contractually committed to Izturis. I don't see him going anywhere. Though he's scuffled early, everyone I've spoken to believes Izturis will be average-plus defensively. There is a question about whether Ryan and Izturis become overexposed if in the lineup every day. There could be room for both, with Ryan playing against LH pitching.

drelboc: Hey Chatmeister;
Wow, Joe and Mo teaming it up in the PD....first class as always with JSL!!!
Joe; can this team compete with average or plus play at 2nd and SS while having subpar performance at the plate (with Isturis and Kennedy figuring to be the middle parts in the infield), if the starting pitching suddenly takes on the look we are hoping for?

Joe you are omnimscient when it comes to Cardinal baseball. Thats why the Redbird fans flock to you with their questions. But hey you know that to. ;>)

Thanks Joe!

Joe Strauss: Another well-thought out question built upon a rock solid foundation. JSL!!! is on record with serious concerns about this team's defense. It wasn't good last season and at times appeared brutal. This is not a dominant pitching or offensive club, so there are few ways to overcome a crush of unearned runs. (The Cardinals allowed 84 unearned runs last season.) Jason LaRue is a solid defensive backup C, which may allow Molina to be paced more than the last two seasons. Pujols is a legitimate Gold Glove. However, it's fair to say questions can be found at most other positions.

LPD: What are the chances, given the fact that the rotation is already falling apart, that we will see Kyle McClellan, Jason Motte or one of the other talented young pitchers in the starting rotation or bullpen early this season (hard to imagine them doing worse than Reyes last year)? Or will the Cards go outside the organization for pitching help if push comes to shove?

Joe Strauss: They're being pushed and shoved right now and appear headed outside the organization. McClellan and Motte have impressed. McClellan appears to have a strong clue. Motte, a converted catcher, is very aggressive and, besides Chris Perez, may have the hardest fastball in camp. That said, I don't see either one in St. Louis early, barring further calamities.

Dave Mac: Hey Joe, Hope you are enjoying spring training. The Cards are currently tied for first place this year, and this may hold up all they into late March, say the 31st or so.

My question is this, now that the Cards are going after another pitcher (the last of the ones who couldn't find a job anywhere else). Is there any reason to think we are really in contention this year? Houston, Milwaukee and Chicago all added good players, we did not. Really, give us some hope here.

Joe Strauss: We deal in reality at JSL!!! Hope's down the street at soft-and-cuddly Bird Cage, er, Bird Land. As were you, I was disappointed in last season's finish, though rampant injuries contributed heavily. It's very disconcerting that there are more questions about the rotation today than when camp opened. It's telling when Dave Duncan says he has never dealt with so many issues so deep into camp. Dunc' says it's not time to panic. The ChatMeister, for one, thinks a little panic might be in order for the front office.
You want hope? Good seats are still available for the season's second game. How's that?

LPD: Any chance Schumaker will be the everyday centerfielder instead of Ankiel? I think Schu is better defensively in center and Ankiel's arm is used to best advantage in right.
Thoughts??
Thanks!!!

Joe Strauss: I can live with either. Ankiel has the division's best OF arm, but Schumaker isn't far behind. Schu has lost some explosiveness in his legs since undergoing knee surgery two years ago. Ankiel takes some funny routes to balls but will likely grow into the position quickly. Impressive outfield arms are a rare commodity these days. Watching Ankiel and Schumaker gun the ball is an underrated pleasure.

Jeff: Joe, With the addition of Joel P's arm woes and with all the other question marks surrounding the staff, if this team were to leave camp now it would have the worst pitching staff on opening day of any team in modern Cardinal memory. I understand Mo's caution, but, come on -- Cardinal fans have earned the right to expect at least an attempt to find help to address the issue. I can understand not wanting Ponson (baggage) or Colon (medical woes), but there are a couple of pitchers out there who could help out so that the season wouldn't be a throw-away season. I'd appreciate your views on the remaining pitchers who we could possibly acquire -- and which ones you feel would be the best fit for the team. Thanks. Jeff from Iowa.

Joe Strauss: The club is moving on Lohse, though ownership is not enthralled with spending heavy jack on him. Beyond that, the club must pursue trades, and teams are reluctant to part with arms for another 7-10 days. Ironically, the Chicago Cubs are perhaps best-equipped to deal a starter. Sean Marshall would be a nice fit. Jason Marquis, probably not.

Tackleberry: I can't help but feel a mild satisfaction watching the Cardinals have to potentially shell out $5 million for Lohse, when they could have signed Colon/Fogg/Ponson to a much friendlier deal had they not been such tight wads. You can't blame the ownership for injuries to Pineiro, but a better medical evaluation of Clement and a more honest assessment of the Mulder/Carpenter situation probably would have allowed the Cardinals to avoid this pinch by adding a couple more suitable arms early on.

Joe Strauss: So noted, T'Man.

The Slider: Joe: Don't really know where to begin. The Cardinals middle infield looks like a joke, the rotation looks like a minor league staff and to top it off there seems to be a substance abuse stigma hanging over this team. Is this a last place team?

Joe Strauss: Notice the ChatMeister goes where Mo' did not tread. The Opening Day rotation has issues. The club acted decisively regarding Spiezio so I'm not sure it's fair to assign it additional hangover. I don't see this as a last place team. The Pirates are woeful. But I can not lie: The ChatMeister prognosticated a fifth-place finish for the Birds in Sporting News' baseball annual. Then again, I picked them to win last season, so whaddaIknow.

Calvin Kirk: Joe: Have the Cardinals given any serious thought to Ryan Franklin becoming a starter? He has enough stuff and came to STL to be a starter. Seems Springer could pitch the 8th inning. I think this move could help the rotation.

Joe Strauss: Franklin is open to the move. The club apparently is not.

Irene: I love listening to Memphis Redbirds broadcaster Steve Selby on the radio but the Redbirds have been so bad the last two years, is there anyway Steve gets to call some good baseball this summer?

Joe Strauss: Apparently if Steve does not see some good Redbirds baseball this season he may have the opportunity to watch another franchise's affilate in 2009. By the way, is this Mrs. Selby?
Just kidding: Selby is one of the best Triple-A announcers I've ever listened to. He doesn't try to fool the fans and has a smooth delivery. He and Charlie Lea do a great job in Memphis. I thought the Cardinals missed an opportunity after purchasing KTRS to offer him a major-league opportunity in some capacity. Don't get me wrong. Hadley and Claiborne are great. But Selby also has something to offer a major-league market. Selby does have one major drawback: According to well-placed organizational sources, he exhibits alligator arms every time a dinner bill arrives.

snakestl: Joe, I must ask you again, when are the Cardinals going to construct a major league starting rotation?

Joe Strauss: I'll get back to you. Right now they don't have the answer, either.

Chris: What's the probability our rotation after the all star break is Adam W., Joel P., Matt C., Mark M. and Chris C., and if so, what are our chances of winning the division?

Thanks

Joe Strauss: If those guys are healthy and the Redbirds are within five games at the break, I'll drink Kool-Aid with you. Deal?

Ricky: Hey Joe,

First let me apologize to you. I sent an email last week and I was "venting" alittle and used the four letter word beginning with the letter "H". By no means was that intended to offend any of our great fanbase of the Cardinals. So let me try this again.

Instead of the front office spending 2 - 5 million apeice on 2 or 3 reconstructed or surgically repaired arms each year, why not go out and trade for a good young quality starter (Like a Joe Blanton) and pay him the 5 - 8 million that it would take. Blanton has not missed a start in 3 years. What do you think? And again, my I apoligize for my comments last week.

Joe Strauss: No problem. The ChatMeister is a forgiving type (except when his favorite NCAA five gives up a freebie lay-up at the buzzer to miss the number.) You're assuming that a) the A's would trade Blanton and b) the Cardinals have what it takes to get him. I don't follow. Quality young arms are the game's most valuable commodity. There are other, more legitimate things to critique the club for than this one.

Ryan: I know Duncan is recovering from offseason surgery, but wow - his numbers at the plate this spring are non-existent! A ton of K's too. Should Cardinal Nation be concerned with yet another player's production or lack thereof?

Joe Strauss: Not yet. Duncan overdid his cage work early on and suffered from back spasms before being shut down for a week. Before suffering his sports hernia last season, Duncan showed noticeable development as a hitter. He's got significant up-side as a production plant. It will be interesting to watch how TLR apportions time to his outfielder this season, though.

Dave: Dear Chatmeister, Your Eminence, Guru of the Diamond,

Thank you for your continued enlightenment.

In December you offered a first draft of the Cardinal lineup. How close would this come to the April lineup you believe the Cardinals will field next month?

Schumaker/Barton, cf (L-R platoon)
Ankiel, rf
Pujols, 1b
Duncan, lf
Glaus, 3b
Molina, c
Kennedy, 2b
Pitcher
Izturis/Ryan, ss (L-R platoon)

Bench: LaRue, Gonzalez, Miles

Joe Strauss: We may have a winner.

Matthew House: Do you think that Jim Hayes lax attitude around the clubhouse carries over to the players performance on the field? It seems that his pee pee talk has had a direct negative effect on players like Izturis and Joel Piniero.

Joe Strauss: Forgive Hayes. Since Scott Rolen left town he's been in search of someone to hug. As for his pee-pee talk, it brings us all down. He's so much better than that. (Yet the Cat is still perversely entertaining.)

Mike in Alabama: Dear Mr. Mozeliak:

The headline this morning states that the Cards are now going to try and sign a free agent pitcher. Fine, but why didn't anyone realize this three months ago when more options were available? Everyone knew coming into this season that the entire staff (including healthy pitchers) had question marks, so why a few weeks before the season starts is the brass finally admitting that?

Please just sign Jeff Weaver already!

Mike in Alabama

Joe Strauss: Mike, you have just been issued the on-line Death Penalty by JSL!!! Misdirecting mail intended for chat rivals is Verboten. We don't do leftovers here. The humanity!!!

Martin Osterman: JSL!!!! A great way to pass the time in Indiana, surrounded by Cubs and Reds fans - and hope that the Cards do better than those aforementioned two.

I find it very interesting that management is having to backtrack on the free agent market for some help, and even moreso hearing Mo say that the FA market had not developed and that only a small handful of pitchers had signed multi-year deals. So, humor us for a minute - is management serious at all about taking a second look at the FA market? Are there any names, besides Lohse, that are likely to wear cardinal red by the time the season starts or slightly into the season?

Thank you, O Great ChatMeister, for answering our questions, providing us insights into the great mysteries of the universe, and helping us pass the time while at work!

Joe Strauss: Lohse is the only FA name in play, according to my information.

JIM HOLZUM: JOHN ,

MY QUESTION IS THIS, I BELIEVE THE CARDS SHOULD BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN GETTING SOME STARTING PITCHING IN THE OFF SEASON NOT EVEN COUNTING THE INJURIES THIS SPRING. DO YOU THINK THEY SHOULD BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE OR NOT ? I THOUGHT JON LIEBER WOULD HAVE A GOOD SHORT TERM PICKUP AND ALSO KYHLE LOHSE AND I BELIEVE THE CARDS NEEDED 2 STARTERS GOING INTO THE SPRING TO HAVE A CHANCE TO COMPETE IN THEIR DIVISION.


THANKS,

JIM HOLZUM

Joe Strauss: Yours is a common and not irresponsible observation. There is, however, NO truth to the rumor that rightsholder KSDK is planning a documentary of this winter's rebuilding efforts entitled: Dumpster Dive '07-'08.

Nick: Whatever happened to Pujols' cousin who was in our farm system? Wiliberto think was his name?

Joe Strauss: Released last summer.

allan: HiJoe,Do you think the cards can sign Lohse.

Joe Strauss: Absolutely, but that is a different question than, "Will they?"

Bud Selig: Joe; If the Cards still plan on having the All Star game there in St. louis next year then they better get busy building ballpark village. What are the plans, any news!!!

Sincerly
Bud

Joe Strauss: BassMasters is planning an All-Star gala on Lake DeWitt for next July. Catch-and-release only.

Greg: Thank God JSL is back! I am tired of reading answers that really don't say anything.

When I heard Kyle McClellan was invited to camp I thought he would be a reliever. Not only is he not a reliever but he could leave camp with the big club!

When do you think he will make his first Cardinal start in a reg. season game?

Joe Strauss: McClellan scuffled a bit today against Florida. But his work to date has been impressive. He'll be in the Memphis rotation and could well be considered the Cardinals' "No. 7" starter. Depending on what happens this season, I believe it conceivable he could get some St. Louis exposure in September. Anything before then suggests something is seriously amiss with the big club.

Kevin: I guess Mo didn't get to my question. Since we have a glut of outfielders and good young ones too, couldn't we trade players such as Chris Duncan, Marti, and catcher Bryan Anderson and get a good, young #2 pitcher?

Also, with our pitching going to be sucky for a while, who should we get for publicity stunt - celeb style?

Joe Strauss: The Cardinals are not interested in trading players "under control." Marti has little trade value because of questions regarding his age. I believe Anderson will ultimately be a trade commodity since the club has no intention at this time of switching his position, even after committing long-term to Y. Molina. Anderson has value, but only in a package deal. The ChatMeister has playing experience but would not be so tacky as to sign a minor-league deal. Big league minimum at least, baby.

JeffO: The Chatmeister shows up coincidentally later....right after GM Mo is gone.....not in the same place at the same time. Hmmmm.....is the Chatmeister and Mo the same person????

Joe Strauss: Totally baseless. However, my sidekick D. Goold has never been seen when FredBird is on the field. Perhaps you should forward your next question to Bird Cage.

Lou: Just a comment.. Is it possible to put the time stamp on your responses? Might make it easier for those of us who are pounding that f5 key to keep up.

Joe Strauss: Time stamp? What is this time stamp? "f" what?

Kris Baker: Did any consideration to not sign Sidney Ponson have to do with the direction in making the Cardinal organization more responsible in terms of what took place with some individuals last year? If so, I for one support the move. As much as I love baseball, the Cardinals, and respect the talents of major league baseball players in general, by signing Ponson I fear it might have been perceived a directional inconsistency by sending the wrong message to those within should you have signed Ponson. Any comments?

Joe Strauss: The manager and pitching coach were not enamored. Their point is that the club requires immediate help and Ponson will need time to get in shape. It's a legitimate stance, in my opinion. That said, I am intrigued to see what El Sid is doing for Texas in June.

Matt: Right now if you had to guess who would be in the world series?

Joe Strauss: I'll follow the herd and say Detroit in the AL. I'll break from the herd and say Atlanta in the NL.

Aaron: Joe,
I have been watching the box score for today's game and it appears that Franklin got roughed up a bit. He does not seem to be very sharp this spring. Looking more like he did at the end of last season instead the beginning. Is there concern about his effectiveness?

Joe Strauss: It's reckless to assign much to one spring training game. JSL!!! does have concerns about what last season's heavy use may have on Franklin this season. Franklin deserved All-Star consideration based on his first half then appeared to flag late in the season. He, Springer and J. Isringhausen held this team together last summer. The bullpen averted a complete meltdown for a team that allowed 104 more runs than it scored.

Hieu: How do the Cardinals plan on bring Carpenter back from Tommy John surgery? I remember when Matt Morris went through the same procedure, the eased him back into the rotation by spending time as a reliever. Finally the following year the had him start again.

Will it be a problem for Carpenter to jump right back into the rotation when he comes back?

Joe Strauss: Tony has suggested the same.

RCJ: What are Hoffpauirs chances with the main club? Is he a legitimate candidate for the middle infield? I don't like the thought of Izturis and Kennedy and I fear that other options won't be explored because these are Tony's "vets".

Joe Strauss: Hoffpauir is not an Opening Day option. Izturis and Kennedy are going to start the season in St. Louis barring a tectonic shift in thinking.

Jason: Should the Cards sign Kyle Lohse, what happens when Mulder and Clement come back from injury? Seems management has tried to avoid signing anyone else this spring to prevent a logjam later in the season.

Joe Strauss: That is reactive thinking, sir. It is also a question asked in the Cardinals front office. Should the Cardinals sign, say, Lohse, they would be positioned to trade or option a pitcher upon Clement's return. (Reyes has an option and some trade value.) Your point is a good one, because signing a free agent pitcher sets up a subsequent deal. I'm not sure the Cardinals' primary concern right now should be about a "logjam" of pitching.

Michael: Any chance the Cards pick up Billy Crystal for the rotation once his contract expires with the Yankees? And, if not, why Lohse over Dream Weaver?

Joe Strauss: Crystal appeared in the Cardinals clubhouse last season. (Sorry, I'm a Foxworthy guy). Check out Weaver last season. A train wreck. Lohse is a more dependable innings pitcher. Weaver also has the same affliction that affects Lohse, according to the Redbirds. He's represented by Scott Boras.

Joe Strauss: That's going to have to hold you for this week. With Mo' as a warm-up act, this has been nothing short of Marathon Chat. I'm sure it explains the lack of job productive in St. Louis and much of the nation today. I hope you enjoyed the opportunity to speak with Mozeliak (I'm being serious) and believe he may be up for a return engagement during the season. Meanwhile, JSL appears to be on its regular Wednesday cycle. The intrigue surrounding several roster spots should increase by this time next week. So stay tuned. Feel free to e-mail me your impressions of Mozeliak's appearance. No feedback necessary regarding JSL!!! since it remains short of a regional-turned-national phenomenon.
You've been great, really. Don't forget your waiter.