With Albert Pujols gone, St. Louis Cardinals turn to potential replacements – MLB News
The St. Louis Cardinals’ right fielder Lance Berkman stated on Wednesday, February 1, that the team will be different this time without the slugger Albert Pujols.
Pujols, who signed a ten-year multi-million dollar deal with the Los Angeles Angels, last month was the regular fixture of the club until last year.
With Pujols no longer in the St. Louis Cardinals, the team is looking to turn to other potential replacements. Lance Berkman can possibly be one, aided necessarily by none other than David Freese whose significant role last year bestowed victories for the
club.
Even though Lance Berkman is most probably going to be the player to have the designation of the role that Albert Pujols has, he acknowledges subtracting guys and adding new faces indeed bring a change.
"It's just going to be different," Berkman said of the Cardinals' new mix. "It may not necessarily be better or worse, but I think it will be different whenever you subtract guys and add some new faces. It just takes a while for everybody to settle in and
everybody to come together. Hopefully that happens sooner rather than later."
Lance Berkman came across as a powerful hitter last season with his extraordinary performance. In the 145 games that he played in the regular season he had an average of .301. He was ninth in the National League with his 31 homers and fifth in SLG with .547.
On the other hand, David Freese who scintillatingly contributed to the most unlikely wins of the club in the playoffs and the World Series finals last year agrees with the Berkman’s view. The season in 2012 will require him to put on display the kind of
performance he exhibited last year for the team.
"I think 2012 is definitely going to be different," Freese said, "In the sense that it will be just, 'David, go play.'”
But while everything shall look and remain different for a while since the club is missing Albert Pujols, the Cardinals cannot be underestimated. With the availability of players like Allen Craig, Daniel Descalso and Tyler Greene, the Cardinals offence has
the potential to wreck havoc on any defence.
Similarly, the Cardinals may also promote a few players to the Major League, providing them an opportunity to realise their potential and contribute to the team’s success. Zack Cox and Mark Hamilton are among a few names which can surface this season if
the St. Louis Cardinals decide to promote them.
As challenges abound, the Cardinals will expectedly double their efforts to adapt themselves to the rapidly changing dynamics of the game in the new season. They will be hoping to successfully defend their World Series title in the upcoming 2012 Major League
Baseball regular season.
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