CATCHER
Converted outfielder Eli Marrero will be the starting catcher, and will bat eight in the lineup.  Marrero should post a good average with decent speed, but little power.  Backing him up will be veteran Mike Matheny, a 32-year old with a great glove, but not much of a bat.

FIRST PLACE
This is one of our weaknesses, as 13-year old veteran Tino Martinez will be playing at first and batting seventh.  He has a good bat with some power, but not much speed.  However, at 35, his future is very much in question.  His backup will be Eduardo Perez, who has some power, but will not hit much for average.  He will mostly be used as a power hitter off the bench.

SECOND PLACE
Fernando Vina will start at second base, and is a very well-rounded player.  He has a great bat with some power and speed, but with great defense.  He will bat second and help set the table for the power hitters that follow.  26-year old Bo Hart will back Vina up, as the team did not feel his bat was ready for the powerful Cardinals lineup.  Hart's lack of defense was also a factor in the decision.

SHORTSTOP
Lead-off hitter and speedster Edgar Renteria will cover shortstop with a great glove, and an even greater bat.  Renteria should hit for a good average, with great speed, and even add 10-15 homeruns.  Renteria should score plenty of runs as well, with several great players hitting behind him.

THIRD BASE
Scott Rolen will bat fifth and play at third, even though his bat is still developing.  He can hit for both average and power, and mixes in a little bit of speed with a great glove.  Rolen will get a lot of RBI's batting behind Pujols and Edmonds.  Third-baseman Miguel Cairo will serve as backup at third and as a utility infielder and pinch-hitter.

OUTFIELD
The pride of the Cardinals lineup is in the outfield.  Franchise player Albert Pujols will bat third and play left-field for the Cardinals.  Playing center and batting cleanup will be Jim Edmonds, the best power hitter in the Cardinals lineup.  Right-field will be occupied by JD Drew, who will be batting sixth in the lineup.  Drew and Pujols are still developing as hitters, but already pack a great bat.  Orlando Palmeiro and Kerry Robinson will backup the outfield, serving also as pinch hitters.  Neither one has much power, but they both have great bats, with plenty of speed.

STARTING ROTATION
The Cardinals rotation leaves plenty of question marks, and will determine our success this season.  Veteran Woody Williams, Matt Morris, and Jason Simontacchi will lead the rotation, all proven pitchers who have the complete confidence of the Cardinals management.  After that, it gets a little sticky.  Garrett Stephenson and Frank Castillo will be the forth and fifth starters, though neither one has the stuff to be a dominating pitcher.  These two could find themselves in the bullpen by May if they cannot manage to win ballgames.  There may even be pressure to call Rick Ankiel up, even though his control is terrible, if things get desperate.

BULLPEN
Closer Jason Isringhausen will lead the Cardinals bullpen, providing a sure-thing every ninth inning.  Recent draft picks Luther Hackman and Travis Harper will also join the bullpen as middle relievers.  The bullpen will also feature veterans Jeff Fassero, Steve Kline, and Esteban Yan.  The bullpen seems to be fairly solid, as other options exist in Cal Eldred, Bret Tomko, Chris Carpenter, and Dustin Hermanson. 

OVERALL
The Cardinals lineup is very solid, though there are a few questions looming about the future.  An upgrade at first would be helpful, but is not an urgent need.  With Pujols-Edmonds-Rolen in the heart of the lineup, things should fall into place.  The rotation is solid for the first three, but after that there will be a lot of questions.  Stephenson and Castillo will need to produce to stay in, and it could end up being a rotation by committee, as Cardinals management will try everybody there if thats what it takes to find a guy who can give some quality starts.  Picking up another good starting pitcher will be key for the Cardinals, who could use another guy like Simontacchi or Morris.  Woody Williams could be a retirement risk as well, which could leave the Cardinals in trouble for next season.  Don't be surprised if Rick Ankiel is rushed along, as he is desperately needed in the Cardinals rotation.