A Glaus-y medical report

The developing story out of the Redbird front office is that it was recently discovered Troy Glaus’s bum right shoulder needed surgery.

Basically a clean-up of debris, but this late in the off-season, it means someone else will start the year in his place.

The official press release puts recovery time at 12 weeks.

Early word from St. Louis Post-Dispatch reportage is that a shoulder tear could also be involved. That paints the 12-week estimate as rose-tinted Mo-spinnery.

In other words, a more severe injury could equal a longer Glaus absence and more time for someone else to get ABs at the hot corner.

I’d like to put aside all the silly conspiracy talk that abounds elsewhere about who knew what when. Whether or not “debridement” is just another euphemism for a hernia, got caught doing HGH or bonked head when wasted, drowning sorrows over another teammate’s untimely drinking-related death, really doesn’t interest me.

Never one for sunny-eyed optimism, I’m going to assume Glaus is gone for 2009 and focus my own silly speculation on what to do if the worst-case comes true:

• The kids are alright
• Tony whines his way to a veteran stop-gap
• We do something drastic

The kids are alright

What looked like a long-shot season just got longer, so not only do we sit tight with the guys we got at 3B, we do nothing else to shore up other obvious needs, low-hanging fruit or not.

No more starters. No more lefties in the bullpen. No upgrades at 2B.

What are the in-house options? I put them in this order:

• David Freese – Without an addition, the local product’s AAA power numbers in 2008 have to make him the prohibitive favorite. In 131 games, the 25-year-old racked up 26 home runs, 29 doubles and 91 RBI while carrying a .306/.361/.550 line.
• Joe Mather – While he seemed to get into trouble as clubs started to figure out his weaknesses, the former third round pick had respectable power numbers in 132 ABs while up. Before the Glaus injury, an option for the Scott Speizio role, and I’m not talking about that of clubhouse addict.
• Joe Thurston – He’s played outfield and second base but was already looking more like a utility guy if he was going to make the roster. He’ll surely get at-bats.
• Brett Wallace – The big-boneded one with the bigger bat has all the opportunity in the world to make a huge Walrus splash and force the Cardinals hand, but his ascendance isn’t likely before September.
• Allen Craig – Held back in AA despite an enormous year to allow for Freese’s playing time and pushed aside to allow for Wallace’s Springfield arrival late in 2008, the 23-year-old Craig’s yet again the odd man out, but his opportunities at AAA improved greatly with Glaus going down.

This also means an improved shot for Colby Rasmus to land on the 25-man out of Spring Training. If he’s not up before then, at the trading deadline, Colby makes his big league debut to replace one of the Duncan/Ludwick/Ankiel troupe dealt to the Yankees for the now-expendable Philip Hughes.

This option could make Mather and Thurston’s utility auditions a more permanent possibility, and it could mean Skip’s sashay at second gains traction.

As bad as the 2009 record might turn out this way, it’d certainly make for an interesting campaign.

Tony whines his way to a veteran stop-gap

Tony LaRussa, while showing a willingness to give a few kids some rope last year and with a notable history of star players getting a look early in their careers in Oakland, is most often going to default to veterans.

Morgan Ensberg, Ruben Gotay and Ty Wigginton are among a dwindling number of free agent third basemen who could come in under a digestible-enough contract to allow for other moves.

All have significant, recent Major League experience, and Gotay and Wigginton have played multiple positions. They’d serve as adequate utility men upon Glaus’s unlikely (in my doomsday scenario) return or the arrival of any of the aforementioned kids.

Besides taking away another $1 million or so, the budget isn’t derailed. No trade chips are harmed in the making of this production. Mo doesn’t have to redraw whatever remains of his off-season plan.

The fall-off from Glaus to one of these guys would be dramatic but wouldn’t necessarily make success this season significantly less likely pending these other moves.

We do something drastic

These two options require a bit of imagination:

• Sign Joe Crede – The oft-injured 2008 All-Star remains available and looks like a value signing, but the health of his back remains a big question mark. The former White Sox slugging third bagger plans to work out for a number of teams soon.
• Trade one of the outfield triumvirate, plus Adam Kennedy and cash for Dan Uggla – The word today out of Marlins’ camp is that no matter what happens in arbitration for the mediocre-fielding but solid-swinging second baseman, they’re holding onto Uggla. That’s a sure sign he could be had.

Crede offers similar keep-the-off-season-plan-intact benefits as the cheaper veterans but just in the sense that the trade chips aren’t lost.

If he’s added, don’t expect another lefty reliever, and don’t expect another cheap, depth starter.

In the minor leagues, Uggla played more games at third base (228) than he did at second base (219). Neither position makes him look especially nimble, but if there’s any chance of a young gun replacing him mid-year, Uggla temporarily at third, then shifted to second base would look pretty amazing.

Uggla’s addition would scrap any further moves until the trade deadline. While not much more expensive than what is owed Kennedy, bringing this 28-year-old All-Star into the fold will not come cheap, and his upcoming arbitration hearing is his first.

Use that imagination I mentioned, and think about the line-up Tony could run out there on Opening Day…

1. Rasmus, CF
2. Duncan, LF
3. Pujols, 1B
4. Ankiel, RF
5. Uggla, 3B
6. Greene, SS
7. Molina, C
8. Carpenter, P
9. Thurston, 2B

And if my doomsday scenario is destroyed by a miracle recovery and a rapid rise by the big boneded one, come September…

1. Rasmus, CF
2. Wallace LF
3. Pujols, 1B
4. Ankiel, RF
5. Glaus, 3B
6. Uggla, 2B
7. Molina, C
8. Carpenter, P
9. Greene, SS

Now wasn’t that more fun than twirling around conspiracy theories?

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