MLB Free Agents 2012: Carlos Beltran and 5 Targets for the St. Louis Cardinals

Albert Pujols is gone, so now the St. Louis Cardinals have some holes to fill if they want to defend their World Series title in 2012.

Fortunately, though some of the bigger names are off the market, there is still plenty of talent to be had for the right price.

The Cardinals certainly have some money to spend after saving $250 million by not re-signing their star slugger.

So, here are five free agents they should target with some of that money.

5. Prince Fielder

I know this move isn’t likely, but if the Cards have $210 million for Albert Pujols, why can’t they have $170-180 million for Fielder?

The Cardinals can move Lance Berkman to first base this year, but signing Fielder and keeping Berkman in the outfield would make the offense much more potent.

It’s surprising to me that St. Louis isn’t even making an offer for Fielder.

4. Edwin Jackson

Jackson was a very solid starter for the Cardinals down the stretch last year.

In his 12 starts, he ate up a lot of innings, went 5-2 and had a decent 3.58 ERA.

Give him another year to work with Dave Duncan and he could get even better.

Plus, signing Jackson gives them a rotation of Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Jaime Garcia, Jackson and Kyle Lohse. That’s a pretty good rotation.

3. Ryan Ludwick

Ludwick thrived during his time in St. Louis.

He was a solid No. 2 hitter and a fan favorite; he always played hard and was a great outfielder.

If the Cardinals can get him back, he can take over for Lance Berkman in right field, giving them an outfield of Matt Holliday, Jon Jay and Ryan Ludwick, with Berkman at first base. That’s not a bad lineup.

2. Craig Counsell

Nick Punto and Ryan Theriot are both free agents and probably shouldn’t be re-signed by the Cardinals.

So, they are in the market for another utility infielder to back up David Freese, Rafael Furcal and Skip Schumaker. Counsell fits that bill.

He’s a guy that can come in and be very productive in limited action. He’s also a decent pinch-hitter.

1. Carlos Beltran

Beltran showed he could still produce last year, hitting .300 with 22 home runs and 84 RBI.

He doesn’t run as well as he used to, but he can still cover some ground in the outfield.

He’s not a center fielder any more, but he could still be a valuable right fielder.

With Berkman likely moving to first, Beltran could become a valuable switch-hitting bat in the Cardinals outfield.