Young gun

By Eric Pfahler
Posted at 03:21 PM on March 08, 2006

St. Louis Cardinals' pitcher Brad Thompson easily wins the team award for youngest looking player. He's got a solid build, and so it's not unbelievable that he is a major league pitcher. Still, Thompson has a baby face. Maybe it's something about relievers because former pitcher Danny Graves looks incredibly young as well.

Thompson is all but a lock for a bullpen spot. It's kind of surprising based on his numbers that he's not being at least discussed as a potential starter. He's had past success, and starting pitchers are worth far more than relief pitchers. Perhaps, that's why they will keep him there, to keep his cost down. This makes the Sidney Ponson signing hit me funny. Sure, Ponson is a veteran, and the Cardinals might have gotten a great bargain, but the Cardinals are strong at starting pitcher in the high minors to the point that Thompson has been all but cast into the bullpen for the foreseeable future. It seems as if he would be a starting candidate for many other teams.

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