JUAN GONZALEZ HAS PIPE DREAMS

by Jack Cobra, Cobra Brigade

Who said you can't teach an old dog new tricks? After being out of baseball for nearly two years, former AL MVP Juan Gonzalez will attempt a comeback with the St. Louis Cardinals this Spring in an effort to.....well, I'm not really sure what he's trying to do.

For the Cardinals, this was a low risk, high reward deal as they only had to commit a non-roster invitation to Spring Training and less than a million dollars in cash (if he makes the team). At his best, Gonzalez was one of the most feared hitters in the American League as he tore through opposing pitchers. At his worst, he was a broken down shell of his former self that couldn't run down the first base line without pulling a hamstring that would keep him out for an entire season.

In reality, this 'signing' was an effort on the Cardinals part to do a favor for Albert Pujols as he's been working out with him this off-season. There were times last season that Pujols and Manager Tony LaRussa just didn't get along, so this may be an avenue towards better days for them. I doubt Gonzalez is going to make the Cardinals as they seem to be preparing for a youth movement, but stranger things have happened. If he can come back and give the Cardinals consistent power to protect Pujols in the lineup, they have an opportunity to be a dangerous team in the NL Central.