Ok, racing back to the laptop now to begin in earnest. Thanks for the patience.

but ... TLR, at one point, was approached about being the manager for the Spanish team. He won't be, though. He'll be an executive at the tournament, representing the commissioner's office.

That is the vibe right now. Though, it is interesting to note that several teams made a play for Shelby Miller during the season because they had the (mistaken) opinion that the Cardinals had recalculated his place in the organization and he could be had on a classic buy-low trade. That wasn't the case.

Shortstop. No question. The Cardinals next big impact need is shortstop. And it's entirely possible that they try to approach that position like they have other pending big-ticket needs. Acquire first. Sign later. They have the pitching depth now to at least approach a deal like that, especially if they feel they would get a shortstop in return that would solve that position for years to come.

It's more than "just talk." It's actual conversation. Scutaro has received interest from several teams, not just the Cardinals. The Giants are obviously in play, too. Opportunity will be something to consider. Scutaro has to be looking for a starting job (obviously) and a commitment at that. At 37, does a deal for Scutaro make sense if the Cardinals really believe Kolten Wong is a year away from taking over the same position? There's the makings of obvious interest here. But what's the longterm fit for a deal. It does seem like so many of the things the Cardinals could/would do here aren't just for 2013 ... And it's interesting that the Cardinals are now dabbling in markets where in the past they've sought the bargains: lefty relief, second base, bench.

The Scutaro question was answered immediately below, so your question arrives at a good time. And I do expect to gain some added information on this perhaps even as the chat goes on. Ah, real-time coverage. Ain't it swell? So, let's leap to the second part of your question: Yes. Yes, they have. The "ask" -- as Mozeliak has been saying in comments -- has been pitching, and not just pitcher but pitcher(s) from the Cardinals' depth chart. The asking price of Asdrubal Cabrera, for example, is too high for the length of his contract. Cardinals are believed to be looking for a longer-term answer to part with a significant package of pitching.

It's up to management to approach him and frame the situation in terms he'll understand. The frustration with Jaime Garcia and his injury this past season was obvious. In the clubhouse in Houston that day, I was expressly told that I should ask Garcia about what was going because I might get a clearer answer. There obviously was something going on with Garcia, but it took the team awhile to pinpoint the trouble. And then there was the whole process of going through the treatment suggestions and plans. Garcia and the doctors convinced the Cardinals that a non-surgical rehab/pre-hab could be done to help his shoulder recover without the longterm layoff. He has asked the team to trust that he'll maintain the regimen needed to keep the shoulder healthy. It stands to follow that he should respond if the team approaches him and explains the risks he's taking by pitching in a tournament before, say, pitching an inning of competition for them coming back from this injury.

Schlereth was once a target for the Cardinals in the draft, and it was their opinion at the time that he could most swiftly through the system -- especially because of the lack of options they had on the left side of the depth chart at that point. He was non-tendered and is a free agent, though he appears to fit in the secondary market for this position. There is at least one non-tendered lefty that appears ahead of Schlereth as far as interest, Manny Parra. We've outlined some of the options for lefties that the Cardinals have discussed. Burnett has been contacted by the team. Mike Gonzalez, Randy Choate and J. P. Howell also fit, and while the market is developing for each they are likely to take less of a commitment than Burnett.

Yes, moving to the outfield and probably set to be the leadoff hitter that the Cincinnati Reds covet so.

I asked recently about what the Cardinals have heard about Matt Carpenter and whether he had started his focus on second base, yet. Mike Matheny said: "I imagine he started the day after we talked to him." One plan discussed is getting Carpenter to Florida at least once this winter to work directly with Jose Oquendo. The club wants to begin that process before the start of spring training, and I imagine Carpenter will go through a little of that 2B Boot Camp that Skip Schumaker did several years ago. (Remember the 95-mph grounders from the pitching machine?) As with Schumaker, the drills are swell, but the proof is in the competition.

Nope. I'll suggest that guessing is easy. Confirming and reporting takes effort and often doesn't get as much attention as the wild speculation. The Cardinals looked into the situation. John Mozeliak spoke directly with David Freese the day after the accident. There is concern for him, and that was made clear when the Cardinals had him meet with a doctor within days of the accident to avoid a situation like the one several years ago that ended up limiting Freese for several seasons.

I don't know about that. Wacha has a plus changeup and he showed more giddyup in his fastball than advertised as he sped through the system, all the way to Class AA bullpen. Wacha has a high-ceiling. He'll return to starting for the 2013 season and the Cardinals expect him to be immediately in the crowded mix for a spot in an upper-level rotation. It doesn't take much of a stretch to imagine him starting for Springfield. He's set to catch up with some of the pitching prospects picked years before him. He's polished. He has three pitches. Like other teams who scouted him late in the season, the Cardinals are high on him.

Excellent question, Mike. In a way, it does, yes. The Cardinals are better positioned now than they ever have been to lose a starting pitcher to free agency. See: Lohse, Kyle. But, and this is a capital-B but, Adam Wainwright has already proven to be top-shelf, true-ace pitcher. He's a rare No. 1. The Cardinals are only projecting that some of their young pitchers could reach that level. Wainwright has. When it comes to leverage, that gives a lot to Wainwright because there is a sizable gap between the rotation with him and what you can envision now as the rotation without him.

This isn't the kind of campfire that draws players. I guess some former players are here. Jason Varitek was wondering around earlier. You have the managers who are former players. Players show up if they have deals to announce, like the Marlins who came by during the last winter meetings on their way to Toronto or Arizona, apparently. This is an execs and management and scouts meeting. TLR has been signing autographs. But MVPs aren't just hanging out here.

Get a map. The Opryland is sprawling and if you take a wrong turn you might end up in Kentucky.

The Cardinals are not tone deaf to clubhouse culture. Consider that the team will be losing Lance Berkman and Kyle Lohse from last year's team. Both were personalities and had presence in the clubhouse -- Berkman's was just more gregarious and better advertised. Schumaker is part of the fiber of the club. He has the faith of his teammates and is one of the rare players who no matter his role can effectively lead or influence the team. You are correct: Moving him will leave an absence that isn't so obviously filled off the field.

Are we talking baseball cards? I'm not sure I'd make that deal because Schumaker's card has the Rally Squirrel and that's going to be worth some coin when I'm older and in need of some cash.

If pressed, Matt Adams. Adams is under control for longer, but Craig is proven as a middle-order hitter who could be a presence in the lineup for a long time. There's a good balance there. Adams brings a return because of the control and Craig is already a fixture. That should be read as some short of inference or hint that the Cardinals are making that same choice.

Let's see, nobody had numbers like Pujols had numbers before Pujols. So maybe we should ease off the gas a little bit when it comes to predicting somebody will have Pujols' numbers. What he did for the Cardinals in his first 11 years was singular. There's a reason why he was the first to do it. What is true about Taveras is this: He's the best hitting prospect the Cardinals have had since Pujols. And there are scouts who believe that Taveras could have an impact in his rookie year similar to the one Pujols did. Not numbers-wise, but playing time, reliability, addition, ROY award-wise. Comparing anyone to Pujols is a foolish exercise. Taveras has performed well enough to ditch the comparisons and just judge the bat. It's legit. The Cardinals and baseball aren't overselling the kid as a talent who will be in the majors, and soon.