--LHP Royce Ring agreed to a one-year, $475,000 deal with the Cardinals, giving the team three new left-handed relievers. He joins free agent signee Trever Miller and waiver claim Charlie Manning. Ring made 42 appearances for the Braves last year before being released after posting an 8.46 ERA.
--The Cardinals still are showing interest in free agent LHPs Randy Wolf and Oliver Perez. --The arbitration-eligible players on the Cardinals' roster are OFs Ryan Ludwick, Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan and RHPs Todd Wellemeyer and Brad Thompson. All but Duncan, who was injured last year, are likely to get significant salary bumps.
--INF Joe Thurston, a 29-year-old left-handed hitter, will have a shot at filling Aaron Miles' utility role after hitting .316 last year for Class AAA Pawtucket. Thurston has been playing well in Puerto Rico, where Cardinals third base coach Jose Oquendo is managing.
--Thirty-nine wins would give manager Tony La Russa 2,500 for his major league career. Only two managers -- Connie Mack (3,731) and John McGraw (2,763) -- have won more games.
--For the eighth consecutive season, 1B Albert Pujols was named the St. Louis Baseball Man of the Year by the St. Louis Baseball Writers chapter, which will honor him at its 51st dinner on Jan. 19.
BY THE NUMBERS: 15 -- The longest hitting streak by a Cardinal in 2008 was 15 games, by Aaron Miles.
QUOTE TO NOTE: "We understood the risk we took when we non-tendered him." -- GM John Mozeliak on INF Aaron Miles, who hit .317, signing with the Cubs.
