Jake Westbrook News

Every spring there is a fresh eagerness in the game of baseball. Young players are hoping to make the big league roster in the upcoming season and fans are excited and curious about the new editions to their team that will try to capture a World Series title.

Looking for a veteran who could satisfy their need for depth and their hope to add seasoning to the bench, the Cardinals on Monday signed utility infielder Alex Cora to a minor-league deal that includes an invitation to spring training.

Jeremy Guthrie - traded by the Orioles to the Rockies on Monday for Jason Hammel and Matt Lindstrom - is better than Kyle McClellan or Jake Westbrook , but if the Cardinals are really trying to deal either of them for salary-relief purposes, the move makes me wonder why they appear to be having so much trouble.

There's got to be a parallel dimension where Allen Craig is king of the St. Louis Cardinals .

Consider what I wrote when the St. Louis Cardinals acquired pitcher Edwin Jackson from the Chicago White Sox last July: So the Cardinals are Jackson's sixth big league club in less than three years.

While we all know that projections are typically flawed, especially when it comes to pitchers, I found the following projections from Bill James to be quite surprising.

The Roy Oswalt news continues in its stagnant way - what we know as of this morning is that they and the Rangers are both interested and that the Cardinals are shopping Kyle McClellan .

The Red Sox , Texas Rangers , Detroit Tigers , and St. Louis Cardinals are all intrigued by free agent starting pitcher Roy Oswalt .

Multiple sources continue to report that a deal ultimately will be struck between free-agent righthander Roy Oswalt and the St.

The market for free agent starting pitcher Roy Oswalt has picked up in a big way recently, and it appears that the situation is nearing a conclusion.A It was reported last night that the Cardinals were closing in a on deal for Oswalt while the Red Sox and Astros were also still in the mix.

This is the first of a seven-part Around the Horn series that will take a position-by-position look at the Cardinals' projected starters and other options heading into Spring Training.

The latest Roy Oswalt patter, in case you don't read the comments or Joe Strauss's Twitter - the St.

In this June 12,. 2011 file photo, Milwaukee Brewers' Prince Fielder watches his two-run home run against St.

St. Louis, MO - The St. Louis Cardinals may be adding yet another former member of the Houston Astros to their team for the 2012 season.

Milwaukee Brewers' Prince Fielder watches his two-run home run against St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jake Westbrook in the sixth inning of their June 12, 2011, game in Milwaukee.