Draft prep: St. Louis Cardinals outlook

After winning one of the most unlikely world championships in MLB history, the Cardinals played more down to their abilities in 2007, finishing 78-84. And that record would have been a lot worse if not for their midseason playoff push.

Yes, the Cardinals have some wholesale changes in store -- and none more evident than in their pitching staff, where their patchwork attempt at building something reliable met with disaster last year. They finished 23rd in runs allowed, in part because ace Chris Carpenter succumbed to season-ending shoulder surgery, though trying to make Kip Wells their No. 2 man certainly didn't help. Because the Cardinals expect neither Carpenter nor lefty Mark Mulder (shoulder) to return until later this season, Adam Wainwright becomes the team's De facto ace, and while he has plenty of talent and Fantasy potential, most teams would prefer to have him as their No. 2 or 3 starter.

On offense, the Cardinals finally parted ways with ancient outfielder Jim Edmonds. Though his performance had obviously declined over the last three seasons, his departure leaves the team with major holes in their batting order and outfield -- ones top prospect Colby Rasmus hopes to fill eventually. The Cardinals also punted disgruntled third baseman Scott Rolen, shipping him to Toronto for home run threat Troy Glaus.

But after the Cardinals finally seemed to have all their pieces in place during this time of transition, star slugger Albert Pujols delivered them their biggest bombshell yet: His right elbow hurts. After an offseason of rest, he still can't straighten it without pain, and if it begins to bother him too much this season, he won't play through it. The threat of Pujols, easily the Cardinals best Fantasy player, going down for the season might scare enough Fantasy owners away to make him a late first-round draft pick.

But the loss of Pujols could devastate the Cardinals even more. Already a long shot to contend, his removal from their lineup makes them potentially a last-place team. Outfielders Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan, for all their power potential, don't offer enough offensively without Prince Albert in the middle.

Spring position battles

Center field, right field -- Brian Barton vs. Ryan Ludwick, Skip Schumaker and Colby Rasmus

Ankiel will start in either center or right, depending on who wins this battle for the Cardinals' one outfield vacancy. We call Barton, a Rule-5 draft pick from the Indians, the favorite here. He has the speed and on-base ability to give the Cardinals the leadoff hitter they need. In such a role, he'd certainly deserve a look in NL-only leagues for his stolen bases and runs scored. Ludwick offers power and Schumaker plays good defense, but the long-term winner here is five-tool talent Rasmus. The Cardinals will likely start him at Triple-A, but watch for him at some point during the season. He can make a Fantasy impact immediately.

Second base -- Adam Kennedy vs. Aaron Miles

Consider this matchup one of the real snoozer battles we've featured this spring, as only Fantasy owners in the deepest of NL-only leagues care one way or the other. Neither Kennedy nor Miles has real speed or power, but the winner might emerge as the team's leadoff hitter (if Barton doesn't), making him useful for a handful of runs scored.

Starting pitcher No. 5 -- Matt Clement vs. Brad Thompson and Mark Mulder

Clement, pitching coach Dave Duncan's latest reclamation project, hasn't pitched in the majors since mid 2006. He has battled endless shoulder issues, but he still has intriguing strikeout potential if he can prove his health this spring (fat chance). Call him a super sleeper for NL-only leagues. Thompson is nothing more than a fallback option, and Mulder would likely take his place when he returns, possibly in May.

You can e-mail your Fantasy Baseball questions to dmfantasybaseball@cbs.com. Be sure to put Attn: Cardinals outlook in the subject field. Please include your full name, hometown and state.