Offseason Outlook: St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are well on their way to a postseason berth. They own a 10-1/2 game lead over the Chicago Cubs, and are almost a lock for the playoffs. The team has the fan base remembering the 2004 and 2005 dominance, though I could go for an eight game losing streak so the team looks more like the 2006 team. You remember that team, don't you? They hoisted a trophy that year. Yes, life is good in St. Louis... For now. The Cardinals have a grim offseason creeping up on them, which has shades of the 2006-07 offseason. They have free agent pitchers, some crucial components, and a few free agent hitters that could make or break this team in 2010. Oh, did I forget to mention that this will all come when Albert Pujols is a free agent in two years? Yeah, not a good thought. John Mozeliak has done a wonderful job rebuilding this team for the season. He's added power bats (Matt Holliday and Mark DeRosa), a complementary bat (Julio Lugo), and a solid pitcher (John Smoltz). Th...