St Louis Cardinals

With the new year vastly approaching, we’re inching closer and closer to spring training, where the St. Louis Cardinals will rev up for what they hope to be another red October.

Former Major League Baseball pitcher, and current ESPN baseball analyst, Mark Mulder announced he is attempting a return to baseball, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.

Mulder retired in 2009 after two surgeries on his left shoulder and after having realized he couldn't pitch at a high level again:

As St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak heads into his second day of the baseball winter meetings, it must be a nice feeling to hold all of the cards, so to speak.  He doesn't have to make a move but can if he sees a great opportunity.

There are no more holes to fill in the everyday lineup and the pitching cupboard is overflowing with arms.  Mozeliak has built this team to contend not only in 2014, but well beyond that as well.

CBS Sports' Jon Heyman was the first to report that the St. Louis Cardinals had signed free agent Jhonny Peralta to a contract pending a team physical.

It may not be as big or impactful of a trade as Prince Fielder for Ian Kinsler was from earlier in the week, but the swap between the St. Louis Cardinals and Los Angeles Angels does leave plenty to dissect and discuss.

The St. Louis Cardinals have agreed to a deal that will send former World Series MVP David Freese and reliever Fernando Salas to the Los Angeles Angels in exchange for outfielder Peter Bourjos and prospect Randal Grichuk.

David Freese and Fernando Salas were traded to Anaheim in exchange for outfielder Peter Bourjos and minor league outfielder Randal Grichuk, as reported by various outlets including the Cardinals' Twitter account.  The move is an interesting one for the Cardinals and impacts far more than the outfield.

The Hot Stove League is in full swing and the rumors are swirling at a rapid pace. At this rate, the Cardinals will have about 10 shortstops to fill their void before the week is out.

Here is a breakdown of some of those rumors and the pros and cons with each rumored player as they pertains to the Cardinals' needs.

The Cardinals made it known that Trevor Rosenthal will remain their closer in 2014.

After taking over for the fatigued and broken down Edward Mujica, Rosenthal, 23, was phenomenal in the second half of the 2013 season and the postseason.

The hard-throwing Rosenthal was unhittable. He routinely made opposing hitters look foolish as they whiffed at his 98-plus mph heat.

It's time for the offseason shuffle! The St. Louis Cardinals will be among the 30 MLB clubs shaping up their lineups heading into 2014, and the free agent market is the biggest tool at their disposal.

The team made headlines with their young talent this year, but it seems as if trading away the farm system is not in the plans.