(The Chirp) -- First, manager Tony La Russa left. Then, first baseman Albert Pujols. And now longtime Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan won't be in the dugout this season as he cares for his ailing wife, Jeanine.
Mike Matheny has replaced La Russa. Lance Berkman will move to first base from right field and outfielder Carlos Beltran has signed. Meanwhile, bullpen coach Derek Lilliquist will come in from the outfield to replace Duncan in the dugout, as he did on an interim basis for the last two months of the 2011 regular season when Duncan was on a leave of absence.
Lilliquist said he would keep it simple.
"I don't see a reason to come in and change things around," said Lilliquist, whose first year as a major league coach was last year. "What Dunc advocates has been proven to work, so why would you not maintain that philosophy?
"I know the guys and believe the guys know me. It's a very professional group. They know their responsibility and take it very seriously."
Right-hander Kyle Lohse, the staff's leading winner with 14 victories last year, said he thought the transition would be relatively seamless.
"I think anybody will tell you you're not going to replace Dunc," Lohse said. "You're not going to replace Tony. You're not going to replace Albert. But Lilly showed last year when he stepped in that he was capable of doing what needed to be done.
"It wasn't like we got lost when he was the guy in the pitchers' meetings. He definitely seemed like he had an idea of what he wanted to get done. It will be a big step for him the first part of the year but I believe it's a solid situation."
NOTES, QUOTES
-Hitting coach Mark McGwire, entering his third season, is second in seniority among those staff members in the dugout. Only third-base coach Jose Oquendo has been on the big-league staff longer. Oquendo is entering his 13th season as third-base coach.
-C Koyie Hill, who had been with the Chicago Cubs, was signed to a minor league contract and will contest rookies Tony Cruz and Bryan Anderson for the backup job to Gold Glover Yadier Molina. Hill hit .194 with two home runs last season for Chicago.
-RHP Shelby Mille, two-time organizational minor league pitcher of the year, will be invited to big-league camp along with minor league player of the year Matt Adams, who hit 32 home runs and batted .300 at Class AA Springfield.
-2B Kolten Wong, the club's 2012 No. 1 draft choice who helped spark Quad Cities to the Midwest League title, will be in a big-league camp for the first time as a non-roster invitee.
-Veteran minor league pitching coach Dyar Miller will move up to the Cardinals scene as the bullpen coach. New pitching coach Derek Lilliquist and Miller have worked together often in the minors and Lilliquist, replacing Dave Duncan, who is taking an indefinite leave of absence to care for his wife, said: "It's the perfect situation if there's going to be a change. Dyar and I know each other. He's extremely familiar with the guys in the system and has helped a lot of the guys already here. I see it as a win-win."
BY THE NUMBERS: 5 - Number of pitchers who won between 11 and 14 games for the Cardinals last season. RHP Kyle Lohse was high at 14 and RHP Chris Carpenter was low at 11.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "I just want them to know if they have a desire to call me, they should feel completely comfortable doing it. But I don't want to interrupt anything they're doing. I want it to be something they invite." - Pitching coach Dave Duncan, speaking about his pitchers. Duncan will be on a leave of absence to care for his wife, Jeanine, who is battling a brain malignancy.
Is there a Molina situation?
The topic of Yadier Molina's future with the Cardinals is hot right now. here is an exerpt from a blog written by Chris Carelli on Redbird Rants.
"The St. Louis Cardinals have another difficult decision to make concerning a free-agent to be, catcher Yadier Molina. Redbird Rants' Justin McClary wrote back in December that the Cardinals should act quickly to extend Molina's contract before there is an occurrence similar to the Albert Pujols situation. Rob Rains wrote the other day, that the Cardinals may actually want to trade Molina. We also need to understand that Molina may elect to test free agency without entering into contract negotiations now because this will be his last long term contract. The best way for him to secure the largest value and longest contract could be through competitive bidding by various teams in the open market."
This is what general manager John Mozeliak needs to weigh over the next few weeks prior to spring training. There has been no indication from Molina's camp of his thought process at this time, but typically we have seen, as was the case with Pujols, that players will shut down discussions either at the time spring training begins or once the regular season begins."
First, discussing a contract extension for Molina makes sense for the Cardinals. There is no one in their system who can step into his shoes next season. They would have to look to the free agent market or make a trade in order to replace Molina. So, what type of terms do we expect Molina to demand and what is he worth?
Rains suggests that Molina could be looking for a five-year deal worth an average annual salary of $12 million, which is what Atlanta Braves catcher Brian McCann will earn next season if the Braves pick up his option. McCann will make $8.5 million this season. Molina is set to earn $7 million in 2012. Let's review a chart of the top 11 catchers sorted by WAR over the last three seasons