Cards Find Their Closer

[love_that_reefer]

Cardinals manager Tony La Russa said he would consider using Chris Carpenter as the team's closer this season, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
More affirmation that La Russa has no faith in his youngsters. Hard-throwing relievers Chris Perez and Jason Motte are chomping at the bit in the St. Louis bullpen, yet their manager thinks he'll get more out of a 33-year-old who has spent over a year dealing with shoulder problems.

If Smoltz can do it, Carp can too. Carp always throws strikes and doesn't walk a lot of batters. I am with LaRussa not entrusting my season in the hands of Perez or Motte. This might be the only way to get Carpenter on the mound.

[CrazyEights]

This is actually a great idea. We can't count on Carpenter being healthy for 200 innings this year. He can pitch, so I don't mind having him as our closer. This is exactly what the Cardinals needed, a one or two year gap until Perez is ready to be our closer as opposed to a 3 year deal for Fuentes.

[love_that_reefer]

Carpenter is under contract for three more years.

[CrazyEights]

This is actually a great idea. We can't count on Carpenter being healthy for 200 innings this year. He can pitch, so I don't mind having him as our closer. This is exactly what the Cardinals needed, a one or two year gap until Perez is ready to be our closer as opposed to a 3 year deal for Fuentes.

Carpenter won't be a closer for 3 years.

LaRussa is on Sports Plus now and laughed at this and said he is a starter and they want to make sure he's healthy and the only way he'd be used in the pen is if he's not 100% healthy and it would only be so he'd have a lower pitch count.

LaRussa said he will be a starter.

[love_that_reefer]

Chris Carpenter plans to be on a normal program this spring as he attempts to get ready for the season.
Carpenter is coming back from surgery to move an elbow nerve, but it's his shoulder nerve problem that's the real concern. "I just started playing catch, which is what I normally do at this time of the year, and then I get on a mound at around the beginning of February," Carpenter said. "That's my plan right now." Carpenter added that he is open to trying the closer's role if that's what the Cards want from him.

Hopefully all goes well and the Cards can get Carp in the starting rotation. The more I have thought about it, the more I want Carp to close. Carp is better off closing and keeping his arm healthy rather than starting him and possibly losing him for the entire year again. Cards are a better team with him than without him, doesn't matter in what capacity that is.