With Cardinals players set to report to Rodger Dean Stadium in Jupiter, Florida over the next few days, here’s a look at some of the latest news, rumors, and reports on the Redbirds:

• Despite the fact that the Cardinals won’t be holding their first official spring workout until Friday and that the team doesn’t require position players to arrive for Spring Training for over a week, more than 20 Cardinals were already down at Rodger Dean Stadium in Jupiter Florida as of Monday. Read more about the early arrivals from the St. Louis Post-Dispatch and Cardinals.com.
• Michael Wacha threw a series of bullpen sessions Tuesday and reported no pain in his right shoulder. “I don’t have any of that feeling in the shoulder area. I’m real happy with everything, the way everything is coming out, the way the arm feels throughout the whole ‘pen,” Wacha told Jenifer Langosch of Cardinals.com. Wacha is expected to throw next on Friday, which is the first official workout date for pitchers and catchers. Read more on Wacha from Cardinals.com.
• For years, Cardinals’ All-Star catcher Yadier Molina has kept the same locker in the Spring Training clubhouse at Roger Dean Stadium. This year the 11-year veteran suggested a move, but he isn’t going anywhere. Instead, at Yadi’s suggestion, young pitcher Carlos Martinez will have the locker right next to Molina’s so that the two can talk and Martinez can learn from the 6-time All-Star catcher. Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch has the full story.
• Brian Stull of St. Louis Baseball Weekly recently spoke with Cardinals infielder Pete Kozma, who said that he enjoys being part of the Cardinals organization and plans to come into Spring Training ready to fight for a job: “I’m not gonna assume anything. I’m going to go in, work my butt off, and try to make the team in St. Louis first. If something else happens, then so be it…The way things work and everybody’s on board, everybody gets along-it’s a good place to be. I like it here.” Read more from Kozma from Stull’s article on stlbaseballweekly.com.
• Stull also spoke with young right-hander Sam Tuivailala, who discussed what he learned from his first taste of the major leagues as well as what he’s been working on this offseason: “Getting a taste of it was really useful. To kind of see how everyone goes about their way everyday.  Seeing what it’s like to actually play in the Bigs- it was really useful to me.” Tuivailala also said that he has worked a lot on his curveball and changeup this offseason. Read Tuivailala’s full comments as well as more about him from Stull’s article.
• FOX2’s Charlie Marlow provides a look into his top five Cardinals storylines headed into Spring Training, including what Jaime Garcia’s role could be and if Matt Adams can be the regular at first base, in this video.
• Cardinals team president Bill DeWitt III addressed four main points to the fans with Cardinals.com’s Jenifer Langosch. Read DeWitt’s comments here.
• Young Cards pitcher Marco Gonzales celebrated his 23rd birthday on Monday, and he spoke with Brian Stull of St. Louis Baseball Weekly about the last year or so: “I couldn’t have written it better myself, honestly… It was a lot of fun. I learned a lot. Looking back after the end of the season, kind of wait a couple of weeks–everything kinda hits ya.” Read more from Gonzalez in Stull’s article.
• Stan McNeal of Fox Sports Midwest proposes the key stats that Cardinals pitchers and position players could achieve for the team to earn a playoff spot in two in-depth articles (position players, pitchers).
• Finally, Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch has the latest on rehabbing pitchers John Gast and Kevin Siegrist in this article.

–CB

Feature image used under Creative Commons from Collen_S. No changes made. Image License.