With the Cardinals banking on a surgically reconstructed Chris Carpenter to be their #3 starter in 2004, I have to reiterate what I wrote three years ago (eighth item down): the fragile Carpenter should be moved to the bullpen, where he'll have a better chance at staying healthy to unleash his nasty stuff on hitters.

Of course, the Cards are too desperate for starters to consider that option, and to be honest, there are certainly examples (Steve Karsay, Tom Gordon) of converted relievers whose health records haven't improved much on the switch to the bullpen. But I'm not optimistic about Carpenter as a dependable every-fifth-day guy.