FORT MYERS, Fla. — Chris Carpenter smiled. He cracked jokes. He wasn't relieved; he was just at ease.

This is what Carpenter looks like when he feels good and isn't worried about feeling bad. And for once, that's right where Carpenter is these days. For the first time in three years and the third time in eight, Carpenter is enjoying a Spring Training following a normal, healthy, rehab-free winter. So although his results were decent but not great in his 2010 Grapefruit League debut, Carpenter was in fine spirits after his two innings.

The former National League Cy Young Award winner allowed a run on four hits over two innings, striking out one with a hit batsman and no walks. He was long gone before the Cardinals' 7-6 loss to the Red Sox at City of Palms Park was resolved.

"It was OK," Carpenter said. "I came into today wanting to get into a real game situation. Controlling your body in that situation is what you work towards, because this is obviously another level up compared to live [batting practice] or anything else. Just getting comfortable out there. I felt like I did what I needed to do. I went into it with a goal of throwing fastball-curveball, trying to locate. I made some good pitches with my fastball, and obviously I left some over the middle of the plate, too. But that's going to happen."

Carpenter stuck to two core pitches, his fastball and his curve. No changeups, no sliders or cutters, none of the split-fingered pitch that he's toying with. But if his arsenal was limited, his body was not. And that's all that matters.

A year ago, Carpenter was coming off one of his most frustrating seasons. He came back from Tommy John surgery, only to have a nerve condition behind his shoulder shut him down once again at the end of 2008. As he entered '09, everything was in question. Even though his early throws went well, Carpenter's first Spring Training had many Cardinals partisans holding their breath.

2010 Spring Training - St. Louis Cardinals

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Monday's game, meanwhile, was routine. Carpenter was fine, not great but not bad, and it didn't really matter. He'll be better, probably as soon as his next start on Saturday. His arm is in good shape, and so is his mind.

"I feel much better [than a year ago]," he said. "I feel much stronger. I feel much better. I'm way more excited about where I'm at. Last year, there were doubts. A lot of people had questions about what was going to go on. I said all along, I'd be lying if I [said I] didn't [also]. But the way I felt, I was excited about where I was at.

"This spring, I definitely feel better. … I'm not concerned about if my next throw is going to be my last. I'm not worried about it."

There's plenty that could yet go wrong this spring, for Carpenter and for the Cardinals. But they're not looking around every corner, nervously hoping that something doesn't break.

"[He has] peace of mind, physically he feels great, so it's all to the good," manager Tony La Russa said.

CARDINALS 7, MARLINS 4at Jupiter, Fla. Sunday, March 7

Marlins at the plate: Brett Carroll hit a solo home run. Donnie Murphy had a two-run double and Jorge Jimenez drove in a run as Florida rallied to make it close in the eighth. Brett Hayes had three hits, and Hanley Ramirez and Gaby Sanchez both singled.

Cardinals at the plate: Joe Mather had the game's biggest hit, a three-run fourth-inning double that put the Cardinals firmly in command. Mather also added an RBI single in the sixth. Yadier Molina singled twice, scored and drove in a run.

2010 Spring Training - St. Louis Cardinals

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Marlins on the mound: Things were a bit rocky for the Marlins' first two left-handers, Sean West and Andrew Miller, as they vie to make the club's rotation. West allowed a run on one hit in two innings but issued three walks against one strikeout. Miller permitted three runs on three hits in his two frames, walking two without a strikeout.

Cardinals on the mound: Both of St. Louis' rotation candidates fared well, but especially starter Kyle McClellan. The right-hander struck out four over three shutout innings, allowing a hit and no walks. Rich Hill allowed a wind-assisted home run but struck out two and didn't issue a walk, holding Florida to a run over two innings.

Worth noting: Marlins center fielder Cameron Maybin left the game in the eighth inning with a left groin strain. Mather's four RBIs were more than any Cardinal had in the first three games of Spring Training combined.

Grapefruit League records: Marlins 3-1; Cardinals 1-3

Up next: The Marlins have a split-squad day on Monday, taking on the Mets at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. The other half of the team will head to Viera to face the Nationals. Ryan Tucker will get the nod against the Mets, who are pitching John Maine. Cody Ross, who has been resting a sore right thumb, is expected to play right field against the Mets. Facing the Nationals will be Ricky Nolasco, who makes his first Grapefruit League start. Nolasco pitched Wednesday in an exhibition against the University of Miami. Former Marlin Scott Olsen will pitch for the Nationals.

It's a high-wattage pitching matchup for the Cardinals on Monday as they begin a two-game road trip. For their first of two consecutive games in Fort Myers, the Redbirds will send ace and likely Opening Day starter Chris Carpenter to the mound for his first start in Grapefruit League play. Boston will counter with another high-profile righty, the hard-throwing Josh Beckett.

JUPITER, Fla. — The omens for Kyle Lohse began before his start rolled around Saturday. For a change, they were good omens.

In a live batting practice session on Monday, Matt Holliday whistled a line drive right up the middle. The ball would have been a base hit in a game, but at least it didn't hit Lohse. Teammate Adam Wainwright, watching from behind the batting cage, quickly quipped: "It's a new year, Kyle. Last year that would have hit you!"

It was that kind of year for Lohse in 2009. He couldn't stay out of harm's way, whether it was illness or injury. He got sick on the day of a start in Atlanta. He suffered knee and back pain, and most of all, a forearm injury that hindered him for the last four months of the season.

So although he allowed six hits and a walk in 2 2/3 innings in the Cardinals' 6-5 10th-inning loss to the Marlins on Saturday, Lohse was smiling after he pitched. He came through it healthy. He even managed not to get hurt on a grounder up the middle by Marlins outfielder Scott Cousins — a ball which, like the one off Holliday's bat, likely would have stung him a year ago.

"A nice knuckleball off the end of the bat, so luckily that gave me time to get out of the way," Lohse said. "I felt good out there. I left some balls up, something to work on. Obviously I didn't throw a whole lot out of the windup, so I worked some stuff out today out of the stretch, which was good. I've got a couple things to work on, and that's what it's all about right now."

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Lohse has been throwing for several weeks now, so he has had a chance to see how he feels, and the Cardinals' staff have watched him pitch. Thus, when he took the mound on Saturday, there were no worries about his health.

"We've already seen him," manager Tony La Russa said. "I think he's healthy. As far as I'm concerned, he's already shown he's healthy."

Lohse threw 51 pitches on Saturday, 31 of them strikes. He flagged somewhat in his third inning but still rated it a successful game. He'll go again on Thursday, again versus the Marlins and again with the Cardinals considered the visitors at Roger Dean Stadium.

Saturday's game marked the first time in more than nine months that Lohse pitched in a game without being physically compromised in any way. The forearm issue is gone, and his pitching motion is back to where it was before he started adjusting and searching when he was hurt.

"I'm back to my same routine, normal stuff before a game," he said. "I'm not doing anything extra to take care of it. I feel strong. I've done enough strengthening, and I'm going to continue doing my normal stuff, which keeps it plenty strong. The main thing is just to keep doing what I've been doing. It's the farthest thing from my mind out there. I'm just thinking about executing pitches.

"I'm not thinking anymore, like I was last year, about how I'm going to repeat this delivery or how I'm going to get the ball to come out where I want it to."

Lohse has been quite durable over the bulk of his career, so his 2009 ailments stand out as an anomaly. If they're truly behind him, he and the team believe he could have a big year in front of him.

"It was the first time [since May] that I've been able to go out there free and easy, not thinking about anything health-wise, and just go out there and pitch," Lohse said. "It was fun to get back out and compete like that. Good start to the year, I think."

JUPITER, Fla. — They're both champions. They're both MVPs. Heck, they're both Nike pitchmen. Yet until Thursday night, Albert Pujols and Kobe Bryant had never met.

Now, in addition to everything else, they're both members of a mutual admiration society.

Pujols, along with several Cardinals teammates, made the trip down to Miami on Thursday to watch the Lakers-Heat NBA game at AmericanAirlines Arena. Most of the teammates — a group that included diehard Lakers fan Brendan Ryan, Joe Mather, Yadier Molina and Ruben Gotay — got photos with Bryant, the Lakers' superstar. But Pujols actually sat down and talked with him for a good long while prior to the tilt.

"I did talk with Kobe," Pujols said. "I got there about 5:30, watching practice for about an hour and a half. It's just amazing, his preparation. When he was done, he was generous enough to come and sit down with me and [my son] A.J., and start talking about preparation and success and a little bit of everything. We kind of exchanged information. He told me to keep in touch and he would like to keep talking.

"What got him so successful is what [made me] so successful. Even though it's a different sport, I respect players like him and the success that he's had in his career. You're talking about a guy that won four championship titles, one of the best in the game right now, probably the best. Him and LeBron James and [Dwyane Wade], they're just on a different level."

Pujols did also get a chance to chat briefly with Wade, the star of the Heat, but much less extensively. Pujols' son had his photo taken with Wade, but the interaction was brief. Not so with Bryant.

"As soon as I walked in, I had my hat and he knew who I was," Pujols said. "He was shooting around, so I said, 'Hello,' and then he came and sat down and talked. I wasn't counting the time, but it was around 20-25 minutes. My little boy was so excited. He had his Kobe Bryant shoes. [Bryant was] really humble, man. Really nice guy. It was pretty special, seeing my little boy excited like that. I appreciate the Heat and the Lakers for taking care of us."

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Pujols, Gotay and Molina had front-row seats under the basket, giving them a perfect vantage point for Bryant's game-tying shot that forced overtime. Mather and Ryan were about 15 rows up. Miami eventually beat Los Angeles, 114-111.

However, Pujols didn't see all that much of the game — he was too busy responding to text messages from friends. It was the afternoon session, and the chat with Bryant, that stuck with him the most.

"I even told Kobe, you don't have to sit down here, go and prepare yourself," he said. "It's amazing, man. The guy took about, I can't count how many shots. He took close to 300, 400 shots. The workout that they have to do in the morning is just amazing."

It was possible for Pujols to be at the game so early because he sat out the Cardinals' Thursday afternoon game in Port St. Lucie, Fla. He made his game debut on Friday at home, going 0-for-2 but hitting the ball hard and picking up a sacrifice fly in the Cardinals' 7-3 loss. Manager Tony La Russa wasn't in much of a mood for chit-chat after the game, but even in defeat, he admitted that the Pujols-Bryant meeting was a special thing.

"It would be nice to be a fly on the wall," he said.

PORT ST. LUCIE, Fla. — Joe Mather has already felt "right" for nearly as many games this spring as he did in the 2009 season.

Since late in 2008, Mather has battled a wrist injury that has required two operations. But so far in Spring Training, he's feeling fine. He's hit the ball well in early drills, and he carried that momentum into the Cardinals' Grapefruit League opener on Thursday. Mather singled and doubled in the 17-11 loss to the Mets, hitting both balls with authority. It may be a portent of a return to the form that made him a rookie contributor with the Cards back in '08.

Now he just has to do it again, and again, and again, for the next four weeks.

"It's a good start for him," manager Tony La Russa said. "He's looked good in the drills, and it's a good start. It's something he should be able to build on."

Back in the spring of 2008, Mather caught the eye of Cardinals staff with six extra-base hits in 38 at-bats and impressive athleticism in the field. The impression helped him receive a callup in May of that season, and in 54 big league games, he cranked eight home runs and slugged .474. But Mather suffered a left wrist injury that ended his season on Sept. 1. For more than a year, the wrist remained a problem.

Mather was compromised last spring and started the season in Triple-A. Even there, he struggled mightily out of the gate, going 14-for-96 (.146) to start the season. Finally, he had another surgery on his wrist, sitting out the middle two months of the season. But it seemed to take, as Mather hit well upon his return — even if it was primarily at Double-A Springfield.

Now, after a winter of rest, he's feeling good. There's just about nothing that's more damaging to a power hitter than a wrist injury, so if Mather is well, the difference should be striking. Asked if he was ever really right physically in 2009, Mather didn't hesitate.

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02.27.10: Cardinals Extra

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"No," he said. "Maybe for a week, after I had had a couple weeks off and had [an injection] in there. But that's about it."

In addition to his two hits on Thursday, Mather was charged with an error at first base early in the game. But the Cardinals know he can play defense. They've seen it. La Russa rates him as an average defensive third baseman and a plus outfielder, and it's not as though he'll be playing much first base if he makes the big club. The question is his wrist, and by extension, his offensive production.

If Mather's wrist is sound, he should hit. If he hits, he'll make the team.

"I've always felt like hitting was my strong point," he said Thursday. "Last year was quite a struggle. But I feel if I'm healthy I can hit with anyone, or hit at this level."

Usually an engaging sort, Mather was subdued after Thursday's game. After all, the Cardinals had lost and he was in no hurry to talk himself up. But he knew there were things to like in his 2010 Grapefruit League debut.

"I just come up to the plate trying to put a good swing, good approach on every pitch," he said. "I can't control what happens after I hit it, but it feels good to drive two balls right off the bat."

If Mather does make the club, it remains to be seen exactly where and how often he would play. On Thursday, he started at first base because Albert Pujols had the day off and David Freese started at third. But he'll play plenty of third base. He'll play the corner outfield spots. And on a club with only one established center fielder, he could even be Colby Rasmus' backup there.

That's part of the appeal Mather offers: He can do an awful lot of things on a baseball field.

Especially if he's healthy.

JUPITER, Fla. — For two weeks, Cardinals players have done their best to go about their business the right way. Perhaps they've been able to make a good impression here or there, but mostly it's been about getting in shape and falling in line, rather than standing out. That changes on Thursday.

When the first Grapefruit League game for St. Louis gets under way at 12:10 p.m. CT at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie, Fla., Cards players will not only be competing against the guys in the other dugout. Several position battles will truly get rolling as well.

Among the spots up for grabs on the Cardinals are the starting third-base job, the fifth-starter job, approximately three bench spots and roughly three bullpen openings.

"No matter how closely you watch practice and how many different things you practice, there is nothing like evaluating under game conditions," manager Tony La Russa said.

"You can practice like a champ and then play like a chump, or vice versa — the one that plays like a champ has the better chance. The reason we're going through all this is to compete well against the other club. That is the thing we do. A great practice player normally translates to improving himself in the game. And usually you don't get away with, 'Hey, I'm going to half-step in practice and play well.' The game is the thing that you evaluate more than anything else."

Each competition has a different flavor. At third base, it's likely both of the leading candidates will make the roster. It's just a matter of how they're used. If David Freese performs reasonably well and Joe Mather shows that he's healthy, they will probably both break camp. But Freese has a chance to make a real statement that he deserves the starting third-base job.

"We've got a couple weeks under our belt now, and we're all real excited," Freese said. "We look around and see the competition between everybody that we have going on, and it makes us work hard. I think everyone knows there could be some good things that happen. Definitely we're pumped to get the games going."

Mather, meanwhile, can carve out a big chunk of playing time at third base, or more likely as a super-utility type of player. He's viable at all four corner positions and even, the club believes, in center field. The issue for Mather is showing that he is fully recovered from wrist problems that derailed his 2009 season. He's looked good in workouts, but the question is how he fares in games.

"You're still evaluating game proficiency no matter whether you're coming back from [injury] or playing a different position," La Russa said. "You can't make allowances. You have to evaluate how good [the player is]."

The battle to be the final starting pitcher looks somewhat similar to third base, with two main contenders and a number of long shots. Rich Hill and Kyle McClellan lead the pack, with Jaime Garcia a dark horse. Hill and McClellan will make their game debuts in the same game on Sunday, at home against the Marlins.

If McClellan doesn't win the rotation spot, that clears up one more bullpen spot. He'll be pitching for the Major League club in relief if he's not a starter. That's less likely with Hill. Closer Ryan Franklin, righty Jason Motte and lefties Trever Miller and Dennys Reyes are just about written in ink on the big league roster, leaving between two and four spots open.

A 12-man pitching staff, with McClellan in relief, means two openings. A 13-man staff, with McClellan in the bullpen, and it's four openings. Among those in the hunt are Mitchell Boggs, a heavy favorite to win not only a job but a prominent one, and Blake Hawksworth. Josh Kinney is the most established of the other contenders, but some other intriguing arms are in camp: Minor League pitchers such as Pete Parise and Eduardo Sanchez.

It can be tough to get enough innings to really evaluate long-odds relievers, but the Cards will try.

"You just look at everybody there and figure out whether this guy can help our team," La Russa said.

Then there's the bench, which may be the most wide-open competition. Jason LaRue is set. Felipe Lopez is set, though if Brendan Ryan's wrist limits him, Lopez might count as a regular when the season starts. For now, Julio Lugo is on, but it wouldn't be shocking if the club moved Lugo, since Lopez has made him somewhat redundant.

That still leaves at least one backup infielder and at least one backup outfielder, and it's these competitors who may get some of the longest looks in camp. Organizational players such as Tyler Greene, Allen Craig and Jon Jay will all play a great deal as La Russa and the staff attempt to assess exactly what they have on their hands.

"You want to take a good look at Freese," La Russa said. "You want to take a good look at Mather. If Mather is healthy and playing, this guy is a player. Freese has got a lot of upside. Tyler Greene is another guy, you want to see where he is. He's done a lot of work in the cage."

Finally, on Thursday, they all get to take that work from the cage onto the field. Let the games begin.

JUPITER, Fla. — For everyone but manager Tony La Russa, the waiting has already gone on too long. It's time to get to some games.

The Cardinals were one of the first teams to begin working out this spring, and they'll be one of the last to begin exhibition games. But the time is just about here, finally. On Thursday, St. Louis will begin its Grapefruit League schedule with a 12:10 p.m. CT contest on MLB Network and MLB.TV against the Mets at Tradition Field in Port St. Lucie. The Redbirds will send lefty Evan MacLane to the mound, while the Mets will counter with knuckleballer R.A. Dickey.

And though workouts have gone well so far, and the Cardinals appear to have the best team in the National League Central, La Russa insists that his club do things the right way, right away.

"The questions may be a little different as far as the personnel, but the issues are still the same," La Russa said. "How good is, whoever plays first, second, short, third? And that depends on the quality of the work, the quality of the talent, the quality of the commitment. They're all the same questions, so we're going at it the same way. A lot of it is dictated by how much effort you put into it. Same, same, same, same.

"You don't change because you think you've got more settled, and then all of a sudden you back off here or there. Whoever it is that's trying to win a position, whether it's a veteran, somebody like [Skip Schumaker] he's coming in here the same. He's got work to do. He's got responsibilities he's got to handle for us. The way you handle it is, we work like we did last year: hard and smart."

After the Port St. Lucie opener, the Cardinals come home to Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter for three games: a home contest against the Mets at 12:05 p.m. on Friday, followed by two meetings at 12:05 p.m. with the Florida Marlins, their co-tenants at RDS. St. Louis will be considered the visiting team on Saturday against Florida and the home team on Sunday.

JUPITER, Fla. — Optimism continues to reign as Brendan Ryan attempts to return from February right wrist surgery.

Ryan increased his throwing and swinging work on Monday and reported no discomfort from either drill. The Cardinals' infielder will take another step forward on Tuesday, and he and the club are still hopeful that he will be able to appear in Grapefruit League games. It has not been explicitly stated that Ryan would need to play in Spring Training in order to be on the Opening Day roster, but it's difficult to envision the latter without the former. Ryan underwent surgery on his wrist on Feb. 10.

Monday's workouts included Ryan swinging a bat with two hands at a tee, but without a ball on the tee. He also threw a baseball for the first time. Ryan threw into a screen, but estimated that the effort level was the equivalent of approximately a 120-foot throw.

"I just threw in the cage," Ryan said. "They didn't want me aiming, so I just lofted it a couple times and then kind of let it go. I was throwing pretty crisp. I would say I was probably getting it from first to third, easy."

Before Monday, Ryan had been throwing a weighted ball, rather than a baseball, and throwing at a downward angle. He also had swung a fungo bat, but only with his left hand. So while he didn't actually hit a baseball on Monday, going through a swing path with both hands represented an uptick in his work.

"I took 30 swings," Ryan said. "That was good. It's healed, so if I feel anything, it's probably just scar tissue breaking up. The swings felt good. I didn't go at 100 percent. I started real light and then I worked up to 70, 75 percent. It was all good."

Tuesday will bring further expansion of Ryan's workouts. He said that he expects to throw more times than he did on Monday. He also is likely to take swings at a baseball on a tee, rather than simply going through his swing path with no ball.

A club official said on Monday afternoon that he was still optimistic that Ryan could get into games while the Cardinals are in Florida. The Grapefruit League schedule begins for the Redbirds this Thursday and runs through Thursday, April 1.

Manager Tony La Russa remained a bit more cautious, sticking with his "expect the worst and hope for the best" philosophy.

"I'll be excited when I see it, not when it's planned," La Russa said on Monday morning when asked about Ryan's imminent workouts. "I don't think it'll be too strenuous.

"There was one timetable where it could all come out that he was ready to go before we broke camp."

After the work, Ryan was all smiles.

"I didn't know what was going to happen," he said. "I didn't know. It was good."

JUPITER, Fla. — Felipe Lopez's arrival with the Cardinals was good news for pretty much everyone involved. That is, perhaps, everyone except Julio Lugo.

Lugo almost certainly will see his playing time diminish as a result of Lopez's signing. A right-handed hitting middle infielder, Lugo's primary role with the Cardinals in 2009 was as Skip Schumaker's platoon partner at second base, and he also spent some time backing up Brendan Ryan at shortstop. Both of those jobs will now go at least partly to Lopez, who signed a one-year contract with St. Louis on Saturday.

Lopez will also play third base and the outfield, so manager Tony La Russa downplayed the impact on Lugo. But it's all but impossible for a healthy Lopez not to take at-bats from Lugo. La Russa acknowledged that a small role is not what Lugo is looking for.

"Lugo wasn't going to get any at-bats at third," La Russa said. "There weren't going to be at-bats in the outfield. What I have said is that's what I'm concerned about because he's that type of player. I'm not saying it's going to be an issue for us."

Lugo was diplomatic, then coy, when asked about the situation.

"It doesn't change anything for me," Lugo said. "I just worry about me, myself. Get ready and play good. They're the ones who have got to make the decisions."

Asked whether he viewed himself as an everyday player or a part-time player, Lugo responded: "You'll see after Spring Training is over. Then we'll talk."

Lugo acknowledged that as he goes about his business this spring, other clubs may be watching him with interest. Lugo's contract pays him $9 million in 2010, though the Red Sox are covering that as a condition of the trade that brought him to St. Louis.

"I always play for 30 teams," Lugo said. "I'm on the Cardinals, but you never know what's going to happen. I'm not thinking about anything else but being a Cardinal player. But you're in a bubble every day. You don't know what's going to happen. But I'm going to enjoy myself, get ready."

Lugo said that the club has not talked to him about his situation, but neither have his agents approached the team to ask for any sort of clarification or move.

JUPITER, Fla. — How's this for a successful offseason: the Cardinals accomplished both Plan A and part of Plan B.

St. Louis signed free-agent infielder Felipe Lopez to a one-year deal on Saturday. He worked out with his new team, even taking live batting practice on his first day in uniform. A No. 8 Cardinals jersey awaited him when he arrived at the clubhouse at Roger Dean Stadium.

"I didn't want to keep wasting time at my house when I could be here," said Lopez, who also spent the last two months of the 2008 season with the Cardinals. "I've wanted to be here for a long time. I've made a lot of changes, and it's going great so far."

Lopez had been working out at his Orlando-area home, so it was a short drive down to Jupiter on Friday night as the deal became imminent.

General manager John Mozeliak disputed an early report that Lopez would make $1.75 million in base salary this year, though he did not disclose what Lopez will make. FOXSports.com reported that Lopez will receive $1 million guaranteed, with the opportunity to make $1.2 million more in incentive bonuses.

A veteran of nine Major League seasons, Lopez can play several positions. He spent the vast majority of his time at second base in 2009, but more than half of his career appearances have come at shortstop. Lopez has also played third base, outfield and even made one appearance at first base.

"I like to be in the lineup," Lopez said when asked his best position. "I don't care."

Manager Tony La Russa and Mozeliak both said that they do not envision Lopez as a challenger to be the Cardinals' everyday third baseman, a job for which David Freese appears to be the leading candidate.

"I really don't [expect that] at this time," Mozeliak said. "I think the idea of why we went down this path was to just give Tony more flexibility in his lineup. When you look at what Felipe is capable of doing, he really has the ability to play every position on the field other than pitch or catch, and [he is] a switch-hitter. So it's really about flexibility."

St. Louis has several needs on offense, nearly all of which Lopez can help fill. He offers insurance at shortstop in case Brendan Ryan's recovery from wrist surgery progresses slowly, and at third base in case Freese doesn't emerge as hoped or Joe Mather is not healthy. He also potentially provides outfield depth for a team with only three experienced Major League outfielders.

Perhaps most of all, he adds left-handed lineup depth to a team that is extremely heavy on right-handed hitters. Against right-handed pitchers, he joins Skip Schumaker and Colby Rasmus in hitting from the left side.

"I go to every team not expecting anything," Lopez said. "I think if you perform well and you do good, you cannot be ignored. So I'm coming here just working hard and doing what I do."

For most of the winter, the Cardinals remained in contact with Lopez's agents — first the Scott Boras Corporation, and more recently the Beverly Hills Sports Council. But without a full-time job to offer, and little desire to tender a multiyear contract to Lopez, the club moved slowly. More recently, as the market continued to be slow for Lopez, his price came down.

That meant it finally worked out — good news for Lopez, who has had a fondness for the Cardinals and the city of St. Louis since his last stint with the club.

"I knew who I wanted to play for," Lopez said. "This has been my first choice since I played here back in '08. It's a great organization. I'm glad to be here. They treated me, like always, with open arms. It's just positive around here."

Mozeliak allowed on Saturday that Lopez was part of the oft-discussed "Plan B" that the Cardinals would have executed if they had not been able to re-sign Matt Holliday. The idea was that if Holliday's services could not be retained, the Cards might upgrade their club at multiple positions with the money that instead went to Holliday.

"When you look back at the timeframe of this, we were still working on Matt Holliday," Mozeliak said. "I didn't envision us doing something long-term with another position player unless we knew we weren't getting Matt. Early on in the free-agent process, we definitely had some discussions with [Lopez's] former representation. But it never really had a lot of traction at that point."

Lopez will turn 30 in May. He signed with St. Louis in August 2008 after he was released by Washington, and took advantage of that opportunity to rejuvenate his career. He hit .385 and slugged .538 in 43 games as a member of the Cardinals. Lopez split the 2009 season between Arizona and Milwaukee, hitting .310 with a .383 on-base percentage and a .427 slugging percentage in 151 games.

His tenure in Washington was not especially successful, but since leaving the Nationals, Lopez has been a force. In 181 games (760 plate appearances) since his release, Lopez batted .325 with a .392 OBP and a .450 slugging percentage. He scored 118 runs during that span.