Manny to St. Louis?

The Manny Ramirez saga continues. Next stop: St. Louis. Albert Pujols was quoted saying that he wanted to see Ramirez come to St. Louis. General Manager John Mozeliak's answer: No.

"The answer is no," Mozeliak said, when asked by the Los Angeles Times if the Cardinals had interest in signing Ramirez.

But that seems to be the answer the Cardinals have given to essentially every high profile athlete each offseason. The Cardinals passed up closer Brian Fuentes and starters Jon Garland and Andy Pettite this offseason.

Fuentes was a perfect fit for this Cardinals team. They were in desperate need of a closer when aging Jason Isringhausen did not return following this season. Fuentes was coming off a 30 save season where he had 62.7 innings pitched, to go along with 82 strikeouts and a career best 2.73 ERA. What was the problem with that? The problem was that Fuentes wanted a 3-year contract. Mozeliak said he was not interested in signing a reliever to a 3-year contract.

That's why the Cardinals had one of the worst bullpens in the league last season. They aren't willing to pay the big bucks for the big players. Fuentes would have been a leader in the St. Louis bullpen, one that features pitchers like Randy Flores, Todd Wellemeyer, Tyler Johnson, and Brad Thompson. They needed a guy who could shut the door in the 9th inning. They held on to Isringhausen too long and are now stuck in a rut where they may have to have a closer by committee.

Fantasy Tip: Don't select a St. Louis reliever if you want saves. YOU WON'T GET THEM.

However, the Cardinals did sign electrifying shortstop Khalil Green over the course of the offseason to replace Cezar Izturis, who did not live up to expectations in St. Louis. Green struggled a bit last season only hitting .213 with 10 HR and 35 RBI, but on the plus side he's a great defensive shortstop, coming in with a .982 fielding percentage with 8 errors.

The one thing that still remains is that the Cardinals need starting pitching. A healthy Chris Carpenter would make a huge impact to the rotation. Adam Wainwright and Kyle Lohse both return after having solid seasons. Lohse was the biggest surprise, leading the Cardinals in innings pitched (200) and wins (15). He also posted a 3.78 ERA and 20 "quality" starts in his 33 games.

The favorite to win the NL Central is still the Chicago Cubs, but you can't count the Cardinals out. Last season, they were projected to finish near the bottom of the pack in the division, but still posted an above .500 record at 86-76.