With the news that St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Chris Carpenter is expected to miss the entire 2013 season due to an injury setback,
some began to wonder if the team would elect to reunite with free agent Kyle
Lohse. However, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak told reporters he likes
the current makeup of his club, and the team’s interest in Lohse is “negligible
at this time,” according to Joe Strauss of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Cards interest in Lohse "negligible at this time."
— Joe Strauss (@JoeStrauss) February 5, 2013
Lohse has been solid for the Cardinals since signing as a
free agent prior to the 2008 season. He’s maintained a 3.90 ERA with a 2.52
strikeout-to-walk ratio over five seasons, and garnered Cy Young consideration
for his impressive 2012 campaign (16-3, 2.86).
However, Lohse is 34 years old and is thought to want to use
his recent solid production to net himself a lucrative multi-year contract.
The Cardinals appear set to handle the loss of Carpenter
about as well as any team could hope to do. They have a projected starting four
of Adam Wainwright, Jamie Garcia, Jake Westbrook and Lance Lynn, while top
prospects Shelby Miller and Trevor Rosenthal are expected to compete for the
No. 5 spot in the team’s rotation.
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