Lack of Competition

So Tony LaRussa, a man who tends to thrive on competition for positions in spring training, made the rotation official yesterday, or at least as official as it can get before spring training games have even started.

Not that it was a big surprise.  Chris Carpenter, Adam Wainwright, Kyle Lohse and Todd Wellemeyer were locked into jobs and would basically have to get no one out in the spring to even have cause to worry.  (Wainwright and Lohse probably wouldn't even worry then, while Carpenter's worry would be injury-related.)

The fifth spot was expected to go to Joel Pineiro, but after yesterday's outburst and the fact that, honestly, he's not that good, you'd almost expect LaRussa to leave the door open or say "it's his if he goes and takes it" or something along those lines.  Instead, the skipper pretty much penned him into the rotation.

"I think Joel is in our rotation," La Russa said. "And from what I've seen of how he's throwing and the shape he's in, I expect he'll pitch well."

All that said, of course, if Pineiro stinks up the spring and someone like Mitchell Boggs or Jess Todd or Blake Hawksworth (who is running out of time and is looking good so far in camp) impresses, Pineiro could be moved to the bullpen.  I don't think I'd necessarily rest on my laurels if I was him.

Matthew Leach put up some very nice pictures from Jupiter on his blog yesterday.  Makes you wish you were there, doesn't it?

Playing pepper today with the Angels and the Diamondbacks, so come back for that!


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