Well, those are the club's advertised needs. However, one never knows whether another club may approach Mo' in Nashville about one of the team's talented young arms. Mo' has intentionally minimized expectations about an impact move but that isn't to say something won't present itself that the club hadn't anticipated. I dare say Mo' will have the opportunity to turn down numerous proposals at OpryLand. I do expect a second-tier LH reliever to come the Cardinals' way. I do anticipate both addition and subtraction within the middle infield. We've so far been led to believe that Furcal and Garcia project as healthy for spring training. If that is more puff than fact it will come to light next week.

Please, I'm not the one to approach to validate board game shifts of SS to 2B. Drew has never appeared in a major league game at second base. I don't anticipate him doing so for the Cardinals.

Carpenter would play there on a spot basis. My belief is that the Cardinals' Opening Day second baseman is not yet on the roster.

I have no idea but none will make it this year. My belief is that they will remain in Purgatory until and unless the Nat'l Baseball Hall of Fame clarifies or eliminates the character clause on its list of qualifications. Joe DiMaggio and Eddie Mathews are among those who did not gain induction on the first ballot. I hardly believe it scandalous if The PED Three (or Four or Five) are made to wait. To answer your question, I believe Bonds ultimately will be the litmus test. Mark McGwire should be BB's biggest advocate if he desires to gain entry.

I believe Wong will play second base for the Cardinals next season but am skeptical it will be on Opening Day.

Sanchez' abilities have eroded, as has his health. He turns 35 in December and did not play last season after requiring back surgery. He might merit a minor-league deal with an invite to camp but is not a guy you project in pen.

I think Lynn's versatility as either a seventh- or eighth-inning reliever, his solid first half in the starting rotation and his service time make him a valuable asset. I don't make the connection with Cardinals oldies-but-goodies. Lynn needs to get in better physical shape and tighten his mechanics. He's an asset, not a discard.

It's a messy situation for the player and the university. Whatever the merits of the accusations against him, Dixon's fate appears to reside with officials well above the athletic department. I'm not sure I agree with your characterization of his return as imminent. With Truman trading their game against Alabama for Ole Miss, I think an over-under of 3 or 3.5 entirely appropriate for MU football next season. If they don't make the over we could have an interesting December 2013.

The Cardinals will absolutely upgrade their cable TV deal by 2017, probably well sooner. Their cable deal is a potentially huge revenue stream enhancement. The notion of starting their own network or package is not off the table. The Cardinals, however, are trying to wean themselves from long-term commitments to free agents. They will instead try to leverage the draft, international scouting and player development.

I briefly covered golf for the Atlanta-Constitution and love to play, though my game has eroded due to time committed to the job. I look forward to giving exposure to amateur and professional golf in my new capacity.

Depends on need. The farm system wasn't nearly as mature in 2009. The Cardinals are now developing starting pitchers and position players, something they were criticized for four or five years ago. I don't get the notion of "accepting" organic growth as a bad thing. The team won a World Series with heavier reliance on home-grown talent. Most organizations would kill to have the Cardinals' situation. The alternative is to overpay to keep or acquire talent. (At the time, the Holliday 7/120M free agent contract was considered bloated.) The Cardinals could swing another impact deal.

The Cardinals will supplement their depth at SS. Unless Furcal's elbow degrades, I anticipate that he will enter spring training as the projected starter. It doesn't sound as if the Cardinals are prepared to invest heavily in either dollars or personnel at the position right now.

Beltran arrived via free agency. Holliday signed as a free agent, as did Lohse and Carpenter. The Cardinals look for value and shorter-term commitments. Holliday is the exception rather than the rule. The Cardinals pre-empted Molina reaching free agency by giving him $75M over five years. However, fans don't equate that to a free-agent signing. The club likely will spend to keep Wainwright. The organization's approach continues to be to maintain the core while complementing it with short-term or lower-dollar signings. If needs develop during the season, as has been the case within the bullpen the last several years, the club then moves to address them via trade. It's a formula that doesn't necessarily provide a 100-win ceiling during the regular season but has proven effective for a postseason run.

Mechanical issues continue to feed arm problems. He is not considered a reliable option at this time, though fans still remember his immediate impact when promoted from Memphis in 2011. Once opposing hitters forced Sanchez to throw strikes, issues arose. Those issues remain.

I've long thought four 16-team superconferences would rule the CFB landscape: SEC, Big 10, Pac-12 and likely the Big 12. The ACC is scrambling and the Big East all but disintegrating. I believe that an 8-team playoff will eventually become a reality. What role those programs outside the four superconferences would play is a huge question.

The exceptions prove the rule. Contenders typically don't go fishing for pitchers because it complicates the manager's job. Unless you're willing to use a Rule 5 guy
as one of seven bullpen arms, you're committing to an unwieldy structure. It can be done. But, again, it's the exception and best attempted by teams in developmental situations.

I haven't heard any complaints about Tony Cruz. He fits. He's also cost-effective.

Agreed. But the Cardinals don't believe $3 million a year to be cost-effective for a match-up lefthander. A guy like Mike Gonzalez, who has piqued their interest before, may fit.

Best available but his market climbed due to the Affeldt signing.

Unless you can find terms of Loria's on-field "commitment" in writing, the Miami fans and politicians have been duped. MLB had its chance to extricate itself from an underperforming market and declined. Now its faced with the real possibility of a new stadium quickly becoming a White Elephant.. I'd be organizing a recall petition of the poltical hacks who pushed for financiing of the park. Good sections still available for 2013 season.

The Indians insist they aren't shopping Cabrera, an above-average hitter at his position but a average-minus defender. I predict he'll be gone before the end of next season but am less sure that the Cardinals are a possibility.

A lefthanded specialist.