Cardinals Miss Out on Burnett

Former Marlins Fireballer A.J. Burnett signed a 5 year, $55 million contract today with the Blue Jays, passing on his favorite team from his youth, the St. Louis Cardinals. The Cards hoped to land Burnett and add him to the Carpenter-Mulder duo and making it one of if not the best first 3 in baseball. As of now, the Cardinals rotation appears to be Carpenter, Mulder, Suppan, Marquis, and rookie Anthony Reyes. However, the Cardinals were hoping to trade Jason Marquis for help in the outfield, which now looks like it will not be possible. The only option, assuming they do not pick up another starter via free agency or trade, would be to bring up rookie Adam Wainwright as well, but this is unlikely as the Cards would not want to start two rookies in the rotation. The small chance remains that Matt Morris will decide to stay in St. Louis, however this seems unlikely as well as it is unclear if the two parties are even discussing options. In the following weeks the Cardinals lineup and rotation could still see some changes. As of now, though, this fan remains optimistic, for Walt Jocketty has always been known for smart deals that help the club.