I think Jackson's September quarantine said much. It should be instructive to the HPGF (and media) next time the Cardinals trot out superlatives about a position prospect. Watch what they do more than listen to what they say. Until the day they dealt him for a middle reliever the club insisted it was committed to Zack Cox, though it was repeatedly noted in this space that he was blocked.

Personally, I want to see Rosenthal have an opportunity to start. Boggs and Motte were one of the game's most effective late tandems. They're both still reasonably cheap, though Motte will graduate to more than $4 million next season. I think your suggestion has more merit if the club is uncomfortable committing to Motte as closer long-term after next season.

The Cardinals won 205 games in 2004-05 without winning a WS. They won 178 games in 2011-12 and won a World Series and advanced to the NLCS. The formula is fairly obvious: Do enough to reach the playoffs. Make a mid-course adjustment if necessary (see: '09, '11, '12) and take your chances within an October crapshoot. Teams that spend heavily (Dodgers, Yankees) are guaranteed nothing once they reach the tournament. The Cardinals once spent to win their division. Now they spend to reach the postseason, meaning they have to finish among the league's top 33 percent. Would the MIlwaukee Brewers trade their 2011 NL Central crown for a WS title? I'm betting they would.

KMac was restored to the 40-man upon exiting the 60-day DL. It offers him no assurances of a contract tender next month.

I'm hearing Ankiel is open to giving pitching one last shot since his market as a position player appears minimal. And, yes, I think the Cardinals would be among those open to providing such an opportunity. For now it remains in the rumor stage. Developing.

My eleventh season as Cardinals beat writer for the Post-Dispatch will be my last. In upcoming weeks I will be transitioning into a columnist role at the P-D with Derrick Goold moving into First Chair. Rick Hummel will also play a greater role in Cards coverage. I have also covered the Atlanta Braves and Baltimore Orioles on a beat basis during the last 25 years but consider the Cards beat arguably the best in the industry because of the P-D's longstanding reputation for excellent baseball coverage and, of course, the role the team plays as a civic centerpiece. It's been a fascinating ride but I now look forward to a new challenge that I've sought for awhile. I appreciate the opportunity just as I value my time writing daily about the club for the BFIB. To be sure, I'll still have regular slants on the Cardinals but will also take my act to Columbia (Truman Up), SLU, Rams Park and other, less predictable venues. Don't know how "big" the announcement may be for y'all. But it's pretty big for me. Wish me luck.

And Matt Carpenter?

He will receive every opportunity to start until he encounters a road block in the role. Some project him as a reliever because of his build. I don't hold it against him. He's cleaning up his mechanics and impressed at Springfield. Next year will say much.

Free pizza impossible to resist.

Given their NLDS triumph over the league's No. 1 seed, I'd say it met expectations. Of course, blowing a 3-1 lead in the NLCS is a tough way to go out. But I sincerely believe the Cardinals pitching had tapped out. Obviously, they scored only 1 run the last three games while allowing 10 unearned runs during the series. They did not fit the profile of a team that deserved to advance. The Giants' domination of the Tigers proved they belonged. It was a just outcome.

Rumor has it I will continue the Wednesday chats. Will entertain questions from a broad variety of topics. Think of it as TipSheet with steak instead of cotton candy.

Not a big autgraph guy. It's an inherent conflict. I have some stuff that I bought, including a signed DiMaggio black and white portrait. Actually, I do have a signed Pujols print somewhere of him being drilled by a pitch. I've got some horse racing art that I prize. And, yes, the last 25 years covering Murphy, Sutter, Palmeiro, Alomar, Ripken, Mussina, Davey, Cox, TLR and all the Cardinals players with whom you are so familiar has been very enriching.

No. But the 10K buy-in could now become a business expense!

His last game with the club was my last game covering the O's. I covered The Day The Streak Died. Interesting times.

TipSheet lives under Gordo. And who would want it otherwise?

TLR was/remains an intriguing guy. He had no problem venting to the players when he disapproved with what I wrote. I had no issue bringing up issues to the public when he did something unusual. He was always available, always quotable. He was rarely vanilla. He could be a handful -- a perception shared by some within the organization -- but he provided great depth and success to a historic franchise. It's not always about how a guy deals with the media. But I believe we share a mutual respect after dealing with each other on a daily basis for 10 years.

She would agree.

You really think the Cardinals are looking to trade Westbrook with health/durability questions lingering around Garcia and Carpenter? He retains no-trade protection. A lot of folks are ready to make a lot of assumptions about some young arms that have never spent a full season at this level.

I believe the organzation would have been thrilled to know Waino' could push past 200 innings, win 14 games and provide a win in the NLCS. That said, Wainwright did show signs of wear toward season's end, which is to be expected. He didn't regain complete velocity on his fastball. His command wavered in late September and October. That said, barring a physical complication I believe there's much reason to anticipate a return to dominance in 2013. A starting pitcher can return to competition in 12-14 months after TJ surgery. He doesn't return to true form, it is said, for 24 monhs.

I think Waino' will return to ace status. The ChatMeister will be fine as well. Looking forward to the new challenge.

His cutter became a good pitch for him.

That's a very legitimate question that only spring training will answer.