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St. Louis Cardinals
Players to Watch
Scouting Report | By the Numbers | Projected Roster
The
X-Factor
The Cardinals have been blessed with several impressive
closers—Bruce Sutter, Lee Smith, Dennis Eckersley—and all
came to St. Louis as
proven commodities. But even though
Jeff
Brantley was a savior for the Reds two years ago,
he hasn't yet established himself as a consistent
door-slammer. He missed most of '97 with a bum right
shoulder, and at 34, full recovery is not a lock. Manager
Tony La Russa tends to work his bullpen aces hard, so if
Brantley can equal the
44
saves he notched in '96, it'll mean he's healthy and St. Louis
is winning. If not, it could mean the Cards will
fold.
Off-Season
Moves
What They Needed: They lost their ace when Andy Benes signed with Arizona,
and the bullpen was a
concern.
What They Got: Pitchers Jeff Brantley, Kent Mercker, Rusty Meacham and
Kent Bottenfield,
outfielder Wayne Kirby, utilityman Craig
Shipley.
What it All Means: Replacing Benes with Mercker is like replacing Dustin
Hoffman with Todd Bridges. Simply put, the Cards didn't get
the ace they needed to challenge for an NL title. On the
bright side, Brantley could regain his '96 form (44 saves),
and journeyman
Meacham may help in middle relief.
Scouting Report | By the Numbers | Players To Watch | Projected Roster
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