Time still remains for August's listless Cardinals team to emerge as September's phoenix, making an irritated fan base forget the 4-13 skid that ushered the club into a grudge match over the weekend against the Cincinnati Reds.
More likely, the last three weeks have placed a long baffling team in an untenable position that portends the franchise's third postseason miss in four seasons.
Should the likely become reality, Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. and general manager John Mozeliak will convene a meeting of manager Tony La Russa, his staff and various front-office personnel shortly after the Oct. 3 season finale. The meeting is typically used as a day-long review of the season and where the team should point itself.
Just as the last several weeks have transformed a contender into a club laboring for the finish line, questions confronting the organization grow more pointed and more immediate. A team that promised payroll flexibility approaching the non-waiver trade deadline instead moved to shed money. An organization stunned last summer by pitching coach Dave Duncan's insistence for a more standardized philosophy remains divided.
DeWitt and team president Bill DeWitt III took turns last summer describing the approaching winter as the "optimum" time to address first baseman Albert Pujols' free agency, yet negotiations were virtually stillborn.
Little change has occurred since a year ago except the Cardinals' bleaker prospects for a postseason appearance. With its lineup decimated by injury, a July 31 trade and an immature player development system, the club should insure its invitation list for an October conference include assistant general manager John Abbamondi, vice-president of scouting and player development Jeff Luhnow.
Decorum should yield to bluntness.
A season spent in a bizarre fog and uncertain signals should give way to uncomfortable and too often unspoken truths.
What to do about Pujols?
The organization currently couches every significant move due to pending negotiations with Pujols regarding an extension likely worth more than the current ownership paid for the club in 1995.
The July trade of right fielder Ryan Ludwick in an unpopular three-team deal was colored heavily by a need for more fiscal flexibility — something never mentioned when ownership claimed several weeks earlier that it was positioned to add payroll. Many within the clubhouse insist that dealing Ludwick created a void in leadership as well as within a since-exposed lineup.
There is also little expectation that the Cardinals can commit to any veteran impact hitter until it resolves Pujols' contract, which includes a club option for 2011. Failure to extend or trade Pujols this off-season would only extend the uncertainty.
Accurately Gauging Organizational Depth
The Cardinals opened the season unable to identify their so-called No. 6 starter while carrying an unwieldy roster of six outfielders that listed Allen Craig, Nick Stavinoha and Joe Mather as its depth. The rotation quickly became exposed when Brad Penny and Kyle Lohse aggravated major injuries on consecutive days in May. Unable to draw from the system, the Cardinals employed reliever Blake Hawksworth and a series of stopgaps before acquiring released Milwaukee Brewers reliever Jeff Suppan.
Rather than rely on organizational talent, Mozeliak imported released players Randy Winn and Aaron Miles and exiled third baseman Pedro Feliz. Duncan offered a brutally honest assessment in June when he insisted the system could not support a championship club. Though four of five starters are under contract next season, no obvious replacement for the fifth spot exists within the organization. Should the club again consider auditioning Kyle McClellan in spring training or does it need to commit resources to an outside candidate?
Strong opinion exists in the major-league clubhouse that Memphis and Springfield do not project an impact position player in the next two seasons. Should this demand rethinking a strategy that has largely neglected minor-league free agents the last two seasons?
Healing a Rift
Promises of healing a longstanding organizational rift between major and minor leagues have not been kept. Duncan and bullpen coach Marty Mason convened a meeting of minor-league pitching coaches during spring training. The meeting grew contentious, according to several who attended, and communication between levels all but ceased.
Three years after Walt Jocketty's abrupt ouster as general manager, fissures between the major and minor leagues remain obvious despite a more civil relationship brokered by Mozeliak and Luhnow. Organizational critics refer to Luhnow's autonomy as a sore point and question the productivity of his drafts. Luhnow cites the impact organizational products such as center fielder Colby Rasmus and Rookie of the Year contender Jaime Garcia have made.
Right fielder Jon Jay has impressed La Russa with his mature game and approach. (Indeed, La Russa compared Jay favorably to Rasmus last weekend.) But what player development sees as a free-flowing pipeline the major-league side considers a pool of low-ceiling complementary types.
Does La Russa return?
The manager fed current speculation by requesting only a one-year deal last October. He now leads a team that Mozeliak has classified as "underachieving" and "inconsistent." La Russa has given no indication of his leanings regarding a 16th season as Cardinals manager. Meanwhile, a rush of managerial vacancies is expected to open shortly after the season. La Russa repeatedly has insisted the Cardinals job will be his last as manager. But his refusal to offer context for his upcoming decision — along with recently highly critical public comments offered by former collaborator Buzz Bissinger — now stokes a national watch.
Does the Front-Office Structure Change?
There have been vague hints about trying to enhance organizational efficiency. DeWitt insisted on the day that he announced a two-year extension for Mozeliak that both player development and scouting would remain under the same person. Scouting has undergone a complete overhaul since Jocketty's departure. Changing or consolidating territories is nothing new. However, more significant alterations, including the organization's international operation, may be considered.
Whither Colby Rasmus?
The La Russa-Rasmus relationship remains a source of intrigue. During spring training Rasmus made clear the issues he confronted as a rookie. He and his father, Tony, then began a series of July hitting tutorials at a county high school that annoyed the manager. Club sources insist that Rasmus' frustrations with La Russa led him to request a trade earlier this year and that his lengthy absence last month due to a right calf strain also resurrected concerns. The organization has long considered Rasmus untouchable in trade talks. Few dispute his talents and potential but there remains a question of toughness and willingness to accept criticism. There are those who share the same clubhouse who wonder if La Russa has "lost" Rasmus, or if Rasmus has permanently withdrawn from the taskmaster.
What's Up the Middle?
Few dispute the need to find more offense within the team's double-play combination. Brendan Ryan is trusted as a defender but has answered few questions at the plate this season. Skip Schumaker is paid as a regular through next season but is increasingly seen as a utility fit behind a more productive second baseman.
Regardless, Mozeliak's inability to address the issue at the trade deadline represents a carry-over for this winter.
Ryan Franklin: Closer?
The Cardinals were interested in finding an alternative to Franklin last winter but became skittish at the asking price. The team must also weigh whether to assume lefthander Trever Miller's option or to completely reconfigure that side of the bullpen. Jason Motte and Mitch Boggs are both considered closers-in-waiting, but should the wait end next year? A healthy Motte currently enjoys more support than Boggs. Finances may again influence a decision.
Can David Freese Be Trusted?
The organization has awarded third base to David Freese three times in the last two seasons only to have injuries sabotage their plans. Freese's August surgery to reconstruct his right ankle will require at least a four-month rehab, and questions persist about its long-term stability. There is support within the organization to acquire a more veteran player at the position and let Freese challenge to take it away. Freese, however, represents a cost-cutting option within a roster potentially strained by a Pujols extension.
Does Mark McGwire Return as Hitting Coach?
Mozeliak has not been shy when addressing the team's stop-and-start offense.
The Cardinals are tracking for a more productive year than the one that contributed to Hal McRae's ouster after last season. McGwire admits to a learning curve while several hitters — not just Rasmus — have sought outside help. McGwire, in turn, has critiqued the team's heavy reliance on video scouting, which may also be a topic for postseason review. La Russa staked his reputation on McGwire's success or failure and has never suffered front-office tinkering among his staff.
