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When it comes to classy organizations, the Cardinals remain perched at the top of the pecking order.

Adam Wainwright’s new five-year, $97.5 million contract extension further justifies the claim.

The deal also upholds the abundance of benefits the Cardinals continue to garner without Albert Pujols.

Initially, many may have been under the impression the Cardinals would flounder after being outbid by the Angels for then-free agent Pujols.

We all know how that tale ended; Pujols darted for greener pastures out West, where he signed a 10-year, $254 million mega deal with the Angels.

El Hombre packed up and left the city that was so devoted to him for so many years. He bolted St. Louis after saying he wanted “to be a Cardinal forever.”

But Pujols and Wainwright are on opposite ends of the spectrum in terms of professionalism and class.

Wainwright was in the same boat as Pujols. Entering the final stanza of his original four-year, $15 million deal signed in March 2008, and as one of the game’s most legitimate pitchers over the last five years, the 31-year-old Wainwright could have opted to test the market in November. 

He had reason to; Having won 19 and 20 games respectively in 2009 and 2010, Wainwright finished second and third in the National League Cy Young Award balloting. He also boasts the lowest ERA (3.161) among active starting pitchers with at least 1,000 innings pitched.  

But he didn’t.

He could’ve milked every last cent from the deep pockets of owner Bill DeWitt Jr. Wainwright could’ve been immature about his then-ongoing contract negotiations like his former brethren Pujols.

But he wasn’t.

And his professionalism and loyalty further establishes the “Cardinal Way.”

The Cardinals have benefited tremendously without Pujols.

Rather than being on the hook for a $220 million-plus contract over the next decade, DeWitt Jr. and general manager John Mozeliak were able to lock up vital core players.

After Pujols departed, the Cardinals and slugger Carlos Beltran agreed on a two-year, $26 million contract.

Last year, Yadier Molina signed a five-year, $75 million contract extension—a deal that keeps the best backstop in the industry under the Gateway Arch through 2017.

In January, Mozeliak inked hard-throwing closer Jason Motte to a two-year, $12 million gig—one that ensures the ninth inning will be in the appropriate hands over the next two years.

Last month, emerging slugger Allen Craig signed off on a five-year, $31 million extension that will solidify the first base position for years to come.

With multiple veteran pieces in check, the Cardinals can afford to let their young birds—Oscar Taveras, Carlos Martinez, Kolten Wong, Michael Wacha and Carson Kelly—develop in the minors.

Moreover, the Cardinals will boast considerable cap space flexibility in the coming years. According to Baseball Prospectus, the Cardinals are on the hook for $76,325,000 next season, $52,575,000 in 2015 and $43,200,000 in 2016.

That’s considerable leeway for an organization that continues to strive in the right direction. If Pujols remained in St. Louis, you can certainly forget about signing Molina, Craig, Beltran and Wainwright. The funds wouldn’t be sufficient enough to outbid other wealthier organizations. The Cardinals would’ve handcuffed themselves by dishing out a contract to a player who is on the downside of his career.

His stats speak for themselves. In 2008, Pujols hit .357, with a .462 on-base percentage, a .653 slugging percentage and a 1.114 on-base plus slugging percentage. Last season, Pujols managed .285/.343/.516/.859. 

In order to compare the effects Pujols has had on the Cardinals, look no further than how the Angels did in 2012. According to Forbes, the Angels lost $12.9 million last season on revenues of $239 million. Moreover, according to Forbes, the fans weren’t as excited as owner Arte Moreno was when he inked Pujols. Home attendance dropped three percent and local television ratings sunk by one percent.

On the flip side, according to Forbes, the Cardinals garnered a profit of $19.9 million while operating with the same amount of revenue as the Angels. Not to mention the Cardinals were one game shy from the World Series last season, while the Angels failed to even reach the postseason.

Better yet, Angels attendance declined by 104,551 last season with Pujols in the everyday lineup, while Cardinals attendance ascended by 168,155. 

As Pujols begins the second season of his 10-year contract with the Angels, the Cardinals continue to prosper in every facet of the game.

Wainwright’s contract extension further justifies the Cardinals’ formula for continued success. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The coming celebration for Oscar Taveras’ promotion to the big leagues will be historic in St. Louis.

John Hart, the former general manager of the Indians and Rangers, compared Taveras to former Giants slugger Barry Bonds, according to MLB.com.

Last October, Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak went even further in evaluating Taveras by saying he is “the most prolific hitter I’ve seen in this organization since, probably, Albert [Pujols],” he said, courtesy of MLB.com.

But Taveras doesn’t look much into comparisons. He quietly goes about his business. 

“I know that people compare me to other players, but I don’t pay much attention to it,” Taveras said, with catcher Tony Cruz translating, courtesy of MLB.com. “I just go out there and play my game aggressively.”

Taveras is coined the No. 3 prospect in all of baseball, according to Baseball America and MLB.com. The latter also has him rated as the Cardinals’ best prospect heading into the 2013 season.

At 6’2’’, 180 pounds, Taveras doesn’t fit the prototypical left-handed power hitter capable of making a big splash.

Oh, how size undermines overall talent.

Just watch him during batting practice—his smooth swing, flawless mechanics and ability to drive the ball to all directions.

‘It just doesn’t look like there’s a pitch that shows up that he’s not prepared to hit,’ Cardinals manager Mike Matheny said, courtesy of MLB.com. ‘As soon as he walks into the box, he has a presence. Just watching his timing and recognition—he has something that you really can’t teach.’

First-year hitting coach John Mabry said Taveras possesses everything necessary to become a star in the big leagues:

‘I’ve seen enough of him to know that he’s a high-quality hitter,’ Mabry said, courtesy of MLB.com. ‘Mechanically and fundamentally, he has a pretty swing. He does things naturally. He has the ability to square the ball up. He has quick hands, everything is fluid. He’s got all the equipment to succeed.’

Taveras is just 20 years old, and played his first professional season at 17. He spent last season at the Cardinals’ Double-A Springfield affiliate, where he earned Most Valuable Player of the Texas League’s regular season, posting a .321 mark with 23 home runs and 94 RBI. He was also named MVP of the Texas League All-Star Game.

A native of Puerto Rico, Dominican Republic, Taveras is a superstar waiting to be unleashed.

In his first at-bat of spring training—Feb. 28 against Miami—Taveras came to the plate with the bases juiced and one out. Honing in on Marlins hurler Jacob Turner, Taveras waited patiently for his pitch. Down 1-2, Taveras choked up on the bat, and drove the next pitch over the right field fence for a grand slam, giving the Cardinals a 5-1 lead.

“Oscar stands out,” Matheny said, courtesy of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “It’s like he knows he’s close.”

Just how close?

For the immediate future, the Cardinals need Taveras as soon as possible.

Taveras is just a kid. He’s still extremely raw in terms of talent and ability. Certainly Mozeliak and Matheny want to be cautious when projecting the right time to give Taveras the green light.

That’s all understandable. It’s justifiable for Mozeliak and Matheny to closely monitor Taveras’ progress.

But the Cardinals are in dire need of Taveras, if not in the everyday lineup, then certainly off the bench.

By the looks of it, the Cardinals will enter 2013 with Matt Carpenter, Ty Wigginton, Shane Robinson, Adron Chambers, Ronny Cedeño and Tony Cruz on the bench. 

Aside from Carpenter, the Cardinals lack a true pinch-hitter capable of coming off the bench in a late-game situation and delivering a clutch hit.

When serving as pinch-hitters last season, the aforementioned group combined to hit just .215 with 12 extra base hits, two home runs, 21 RBI, 17 walks and 52 strikeouts.

Would you rather have Wigginton or Taveras at the plate with the game on the line? I’ll go with the kid, instead of the aging veteran who hit .235 for Philadelphia last season.

Moreover, Taveras could spell injury-prone outfielders in Matt Holliday and Carlos Beltran. Holliday dealt with back and leg-related issues last season, while Beltran suffered knee soreness.

There’s also the fans—the ones who are fully devoted to their beloved team. Cardinals fans will more than likely be eager to watch their youngest player succeed at the highest level. That’s why they pay the big bucks for season tickets. That’s why they consistently fill the stands at Busch Stadium year in and year out.

The reasons why Taveras needs to be called up to begin the season are black and white. He provides the type of bat that could heavily impact a season. He’s the type of player that leaves teams foaming at the mouth.

The time for Taveras is now, and the Cardinals need to act upon it.

Cardinals fans were hung out to dry when Pujols walked. It’s time for them to fall in love their youngest sensation. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Losing Curtis Granderson—one of the premiere players in all of baseball—in his first real at-bat of spring training last week will be problematic for New York.

Having to insert Brett Gardner into the everyday lineup could also prove troublesome. Gardner appeared in just 16 games last season for the Yankees, and is a career .266 hitter.

Alas, Johnny Damon to the rescue.

Seeking to fill the void left by Granderson, Damon came calling to the Yankees on Tuesday, sending a message to his former club.

“You guys know that I would have tons of interest to go to New York,” Damon said on New York 98.7 FM’s Michael Kay Show, courtesy of ESPN.com. “But I just don’t think they would be interested. I’m not exactly sure what happened over the years or something. They have had plenty of opportunities and I kept raising my hand, wanting to go back and, you know, hopefully it would be a perfect fit. It always had been. Have me for six weeks and then send me off on my merry way. That’s fine.”

Damon expressing interest in returning to the Bronx is intriguing. The Yankees should, at the very least, consider their former slugger as a viable option in center field.

At age 39, Damon would be a better fit than Gardner. Moreover, Damon is familiar with New York, and is comfortable hitting at Yankee Stadium. 

Despite being cut by Cleveland last season after just 64 games, Damon is a .284 career hitter. While with Tampa Bay in 2011, Damon cranked 16 home runs and tallied 73 RBI.

Though his short-lived stint with Cleveland faltered, Damon remains optimistic that he could be the answer the Yankees are looking for.

“Absolutely,” Damon said, courtesy of ESPN.com. “Losing a Curtis Granderson is a tough thing to swallow, but the way I hit at Yankee Stadium and the right field porch, I mean, it worked when I played for them.”

The fact of the matter is the Yankees are in dire need of a power hitter to replace Granderson for the first month or two of the season. Damon is just that, and would be a good candidate to provide some added pop to the lineup. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Mat Gamel can’t catch a break, and it will cost the Milwaukee Brewers in 2013.

For the second time in the last year, Gamel tore his right ACL. The Brewers first baseman was injured May 1 at San Diego after crashing into a wall in an attempt to catch a foul ball off the bat of Nick Hundley.

With hopes of making a comeback this season, the 27-year-old re-injured his right knee Saturday during the Brewers first full-squad workout of Spring Training and will miss his second straight season. 

The injury could not have come at a worse time for Gamel, who has played just 106 games since his major league debut with Milwaukee in 2008.

“It really surprised me because there was no really major event that happened that you would have thought that would have been that serious,” Brewers manager Ron Roenicke said, according to ESPN.com. “I figured, OK, he tweaks it. Coming back after a rehab you figure it is not always going to go smooth. I figured a couple of days and he’d be back on the field.”

Gamel won’t be suiting up for the Brewers this season, and his injury will leave his club in a state of panic.

Replacing Gamel will prove difficult for Milwaukee. 

Corey Hart, who made the switch to first base following Gamel’s injury in 2012, is still on crutches after undergoing right knee surgery in January. Hart, who hit .270 with 30 home runs and 83 RBIs last season, isn’t expected to be back in uniform for a couple of months.

With Hart out, the potential candidates to fill the void at first base shifts to a group of players that have little to no experience playing the position at the major league level. 

Alex Gonzalez is a grizzled veteran who has never played first base throughout his 14-year major league career.

Bobby Crosby showed potential during his rookie season in 2004 by winning the American League Rookie of the Year Award. However, he has not seen action over the past two seasons and has played just 31 games at first base in the major leagues.

Hunter Morris appears to be a good fit for Roenicke, but the 24-year-old has never played higher than Double-A.

The case for Taylor Green is slim at best. Green played 18 games with the Brewers last season, but hit .184.

The Brewers need to get Hart fully healthy or their season will be lost in the opening months.  

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

With Michael Bourn signing with Cleveland, starting pitcher Kyle Lohse is now the biggest name on the free-agent market.

St. Louis almost certainly won’t re-sign Lohse, who turned down the club’s $13.3 million qualifying offer this offseason. Lohse is seeking to cash in on a mega deal that the Cardinals couldn’t afford to give.

Lohse has been linked to the Washington Nationals, a perfect fit for the 34-year-old right-hander. 

The Nationals already invested a one-year, $13 million contract with veteran hurler Dan Haren and could pursue Lohse’s services, especially with the news of Gio Gonzalez possibly serving a hefty suspension for his reported involvement to the Biogenesis Clinic in Miami. 

With Gonzalez waiting it out, the probability of Washington reaching out to Lohse is high, and the move makes perfect sense.

The Nationals are in need of another reliable arm in their rotation that already features Stephen Strasburg, Jordan Zimmerman, Ross Detwiler and Haren.

Lohse is coming off a season that saw him rack up a record of 16-3 with a 2.86 ERA in 33 starts for the Cardinals. He also had the sixth-best WHIP in baseball, at 1.09.

According to The Washington Post, another key to this potential pairing is Lohse’s agent, Scott Boras, with whom the Nationals have a solid relationship.

What’s forced teams to turn away from Lohse is the compensation the Cardinals would receive.

Due to the rules in the new draft-pick compensation agreement, the Cardinals would receive a compensatory draft pick if another team were to sign him.

Lohse symbolizes the skill set of a sturdy pitcher, relying on his sinking fastball for ultimate command and precise placement of his pitches. Lohse averaged 14.82 pitches per inning last season with the Cardinals, eighth-best in all of baseball. Additionally, over 40 percent of Lohse’s pitches in 2012 were ground balls, compared to 35.6 percent of his pitches being hit in the air.

Sure, Lohse would be a costly addition for Washington, especially with Bourn off the market, but the Nationals need effective starting pitching.

Lohse could certainly fill a potential void left by Gonzalez if he has to serve a suspension and could rack up a decent amount of wins in the process. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

Spring training is rapidly approaching and Opening Day is on the horizon. Teams will begin flocking to their respective training camps with a clear mind and with hopes of winning their respective divisions and make a deep push into October.

But when word spreads regarding the findings from an anti-aging clinic in Miami on Tuesday, some division favorites could be in trouble before the season officially begins.

NL East

The Washington Nationals and Atlanta Braves could go first and second in the National League East Division this season.

The Nationals are the reigning division champions after finishing last season with a mark of 98-64, the best record in all of baseball. Not to mention, the Nationals boasted the best road record among any major league club.

Washington led the NL with a 3.33 ERA, which was second best in all of baseball last season.

That could change if Commissioner Bug Selig decides to dish out penalties to those players revealed on the report from the anti-aging clinic in Miami.

Among those named in the report is Nationals starting pitcher Gio Gonzalez. According to the story on ESPN.com, Gonzalez—who recorded 21 wins in 2012—appears five times on the report.

If Gonzalez is indeed penalized for his actions, then the Nationals will be in major trouble without their most reliable pitcher.

NL Central

It appears the National League Central Division will be a two-team race between St. Louis and Cincinnati.

No surprise there.

The Cardinals have reached postseason play four times in the last seven seasons, including two World Series championships and a pair of division titles. The Reds have won the division two of the last three seasons.

Cincinnati traded for center fielder Shin-Soo Choo from Cleveland and re-signed free-agent slugger Ryan Ludwick. The Reds also locked up free-agent hurler Jonathan Broxton, who may serve as the team’s closer depending on whether or not fireballer Aroldis Chapman is inserted into the starting rotation.

The Cardinals were relatively quiet this winter. Their lone offseason addition was left-handed reliever Randy Choate, who signed a three-year, $7.5 million contract in December.

If the Reds rotation holds up, they will be tough to beat in the Central.

NL West

The Giants will surely make a run to defend their World Series championship in 2013.

They re-signed right fielder Hunter Pence, who should provide some pop in the batting order to accompany Pablo Sandoval and Buster Posey.

But the team to beat in 2013 will be the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The Dodgers signed free agent starter Zack Greinke, who has won 31 games in the last two seasons.

It’s not likely that sluggers Adrian Gonzalez, Hanley Ramirez, Andre Ethier, Matt Kemp and Carl Crawford will drastically decline at the plate, either.

AL East

The Yankees were thought to be the early favorites to win their third consecutive American League East Division crown.

But the aftermath regarding the findings from the anti-aging clinic in Miami could drastically alter this prediction.

Alex Rodriguez was expected to miss a portion or perhaps the entire regular season after undergoing hip surgery.

But now, the three-time AL Most Valuable Player could be facing another penalty. According to the report on ESPN.com, Rodriguez’s name appears on the report 16 times.

Rodriguez hit 18 home runs and notched 57 RBI while batting .272 for the Yankees last season.

If Rodriguez is dealt a major penalty for his actions, then the Yankees will be in early trouble.

AL Central

The Detroit Tigers look like the front-runners for the American League Central Division crown.

After getting swept 4-0 in the World Series last October, the Tigers are looking for to embark on a deeper journey into the postseason this time around.

Detroit went out and signed free agent center fielder Torii Hunter with hopes of adding some protection and production to a lineup that boasted the league’s 11th-best offense last season.

Justin Verlander will look to build off of a noteworthy season that saw him win 17 games while fanning 239 batters.

AL West

It would be silly for the Los Angeles Angels not to win the American League West, especially with the loaded lineup they now possess.

The addition of free agent outfielder Josh Hamilton will further boast a batting order that features slugger Albert Pujols and 2012 AL Rookie of the Year Mike Trout.

The Angels will have an explosive offense. That’s almost certain. But a slow start combined with an injury or two could allow the Texas Rangers to jump into the mix and possibly hold on the for good. 

Read more MLB news on BleacherReport.com

The San Francisco Giants’ Cinderella-like postseason run that was capped by their second World Series championship in three seasons will forever be cemented in franchise history.

The Giants proved they could compete and be successful with far inferior talent than their opposition. The Giants were the best team during the 2012 playoffs for one reason; they had a solid nucleus of veteran leadership that never weakened.

The 2013 season could be much different.

A number of teams went all-in during free agency, looking to reload and better themselves for the season to come, while other teams leaned on the conservative side.  

Teams that had an active offseason in terms of upgrading their rosters included, Atlanta, Cincinnati, Washington, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Los Angeles Angels and the Detroit Tigers.

It’s certainly premature to say which teams will make it to the Fall Classic in October. But it’s fair to point out that the aforementioned clubs are in the best position to do so based on how active they were this offseason. 

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As we have flipped the calendar to 2013 and have hit frigid temperatures across the Midwest, we need to remember that spring training is right around the corner. Pitchers and catchers are set to report to their respective spring training facilities from Feb. 10-12, with position players reporting less than a week later.

That said, there’s an abundance of key players hoping to make a comeback after sustaining injuries either last season or during the offseason.

Here’s a rundown on what player injuries concern me the most.

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