McClellan gets the call to the ‘pen; Garcia should be fifth starter

One of the biggest questions for the St. Louis Cardinals going into 2010 finally has an answer — almost. Tony La Russa announced Kyle McClellan will pitch out of the bullpen in 2010 for St. Louis. Jaime Garcia will likely slide into the fifth spot after a spectacular spring. La Russa said the decision on Garcia was not official but if he pitches well today it’s a done deal. In other words, it’s a done deal either way. With McClellan out of the picture, Garcia is the only worthy candidate for the job. He gets a chance to show everyone what he has with his first spring start today against Minnesota.

McClellan did a solid job all spring, but fell a little short. His services were also needed to give the bullpen depth. He has been very good in relief the past two years, and following a focused offseason, he should be one of the Cards top guns out of the ‘pen.

Check back later today for an update on the decision and how Garcia performed. Also, I will introduce another ‘Call to the Pen’ that has everyone here at FanSided excited.