STL Post-Dispatch:

A larger debate took place Wednesday morning when general manager John Mozeliak advocated Anthony Reyes make the team as its seventh reliever rather than be optioned to Class AAA Memphis as suggested by manager Tony La Russa and pitching coach Dave Duncan.

Rebutting suggestions that Reyes was on the team, La Russa insisted, "No decision has been made. It hasn't."

When approached by La Russa on Wednesday, Reyes told his manager he would prefer to work an unfamiliar relief role in the major leagues than start for a fourth season in Memphis.

"I like to start," Reyes said, "but I like pitching in the major leagues more."

The club is open to offers for Reyes, who may be more marketable pitching in the major leagues than if stigmatized by another demotion.

Joe Smith for Anthony Reyes?

[Brad] Thompson survived a foul line drive that found him in the home dugout Tuesday. A late swing by outfielder Brian Barton left Thompson no time to react. The ball hit the bill of Thompson's cap straight on, crumpling the hat but not hurting the pitcher.

"I didn't feel anything, so I thought I was in shock. That thing came in hot," Thompson said. "I put my hand up to my face expecting to see it covered with blood when I took it away. Nothing. It was unbelievable."

Not to be insensitive, but maybe the Cardinals need to start getting some training in improving their reflexes.

Also, Barton showed his dedication to the HBP today by taking a curveball in the face.

I know he isn't popular in saber circles but I always loved watching Juan turn on a pitch and drive it.

My brother and I used to play homerun derby with a wiffle ball in the driveway. Over the retaining wall was a homer, over the green house was out of the park, and "Juan Gonzalez" was the only player to ever hit it over the shed.

Let's see, who would I rather have in my rotation?

Wainwright/Lohse are 1-2, so for 3-4-5 there's a choice of:

Braden Looper; Brad Thompson; Todd Wellemeyer; and Anthony Reyes.

Hmmmmmmmmmmmmm.

Looper's 33, and in '07 in his first year as a starter had an ERA of 5.00 and 4.5 K/9. Not much upside there.

Thompson's 26. doesn't have a fastball, and last year had a WHIP over 1.50, 3.7 K/9 and allowed 23 homers in 129 ip. That practically screams "long man in bullpen."

Wellemeyer's 29, has a fastball but can't control it (5.7 bb/9 career, 10/11 K/bb this spring in 20 ip), and the 11 starts he made last year were the first of his ML career (he made it through 6 innings---his high---twice). Actually, I prefer him to the first two, because he showed flashes of dominance when he could control his fastball and he seems more likely than either Looper or Thompson to give you 5 or 6 shutout innings.... At the very least an intriguing project with upside.

And then there's Reyes, 26, a career starter who's averaged 7 Ks per 9 in the majors and who's had dominant games but has been maddeningly inconsistent; he went as far as the 6th inning in only half of his 20 starts in '07, plagued by big innings and high pitch counts. But he has three pitches, a good fastball, and one thing the first two don't: potential. He's been jerked around by LaRussa and Duncan, who last year tried to "remake" him as a ground-ball pitcher and to get him to abandon his four-seam fastball---his bread and butter pitch---and learn a two-seam fastball. Reyes seemed lost last year, and was up and down from St. Louis to Memphis and seems destined for more of the same in '08 if LaDunc has their way. The guy one-hit the White Sox, allowed 1 run in 8 ip vs. Detroit in Game 1 of the '06 World Series, and seems like a pitcher a team would try to nurture instead of bury.

I know he isn't popular in saber circles but I always loved watching Juan turn on a pitch and drive it.

I don't think there's anything wrong with that. He was far from the best player and no saber dream but I still haven't seen a player who is as amazing to watch as Bo Jackson was and I know I'm not alone among statheads there. In fact, I think it helps us analyze events more accurately when we are good at recognizing the difference between efficiency and aesthetics!

I seriously don't know how Juan Gonzalez can get into good physical condition, because the training it takes to look like he does is a lot more rigorous than playing a baseball game, but he seems to not be able to get through a single game without injury these days.