With the recent signing of record-holder Francisco Rodriguez, and the trade for flame-thrower J.J. Putz, the pool for closers is closing rather quickly for the hopes of the St. Louis Cardinals. The New York Mets have assessed their bleak bullpen issues from last year by adding the single season saves leader, and another reliever who has closing experience in Seattle. The Indians also included themselves in the field in signing former Cubs closer, Kerry Wood. All of this movement has shown Cardinals GM John Mozeliak he needs to act fast to acquire a stopper since they're flying off the market by the day.

Manager Tony LaRussa told reporters Brian Fuentes is the "top priority" for the Cardinals now that the pool is shrinking. Baseballs Winter Meetsings are on their last day of action in Las Vegas, with the Cardinals looking to add Fuentes, as they've specifically met with Fuentes and both sides have expressed mutal interest. Mozeliak hasn't specifically stated that Fuentes is the key person of interest for the Cardinals, but with LaRussa's statements, that the left-handed closer from Colorado is the guy the Cardinals will pursue the most in the remaining hours of the Winter Meetings.

Although, if Fuentes doesn't decided to ink his name on a contract with St. Louis, they have a few backup plans. Matt Capps, a young reliever from Pittsburgh is an interesting name that the Cardinals have swirled. Capps is young, and has a few more years on his contract which allows team to not pay him much money at all. Jose Valverde has been rumored around the Cardinals, as well as Jon Rauch. The only downfall to Rauch is that he's been used over 240 times since the start of the 2006 season.

LaRussa has made it compeltely clear the returning members of the Cardinal bullpen will not be the people who close games this season. That having been said, you can look for a new ninth-inning stopper in St. Louis.  

Just when it looked as if the Cardinals were going to lose out on veteran pitcher Trever Miller, the Cardinals swooped in and finalized a deal. General Manager John Mozeliak had been working heavily on acquiring Miller, but it felt like the deal would never get done. Miller came to St. Louis for a physical, leading everyone to believe the deal was all but signed. Unfortunately, Miller left St. Louis that same day, only to not have had his name inked on a St. Louis contract. The left-handed specialist closed the deal with the Birds on Wednesday, leaving most of the St. Louis fans and management very happy.

Details on the contract would allow Miller to earn up to $2 million for one year of work if he reaches all of the incentives in which the Cardinals have included in the deal. Specifics have not been released on the exact incentives that Miller would have to reach to obtain his full $2 million.

Not long after the deal was completed with signing Trever Miller, the Cardinals wasted little time in zoning in on another essential need for this off-season, middle-infield help. With the Cardinals not re-signing Cesar Isturiz, they needed some help at second-base or shortstop, in which they found in the form of trading for Padres shortstop, Khalil Greene. It is unclear what exactly the Cardinals have to give up for Greene, but sources say two pitchers are what he's being traded for. Those two pitchers are likely to be younger pitchers who haven't reached the big league level thus far.

Greene, who was a highly touted prospect to come up in the Padres system has never really lived up to all the hype he received as a young player, but is still and upgrade over Isturiz. Injuries have been plaguing Greene throughout his short career, but shows signs of solidity when healthy. Greene possess a strong throwing arm while swinging a pretty decent stick at the plate, and will definitely bring some energy to the 2009 club.

Two essential needs down for the Cardinals, but there are still a few to go for Mozeliak and his staff. St. Louis needs to put their sights on a second basemen as well as another starter, or left-handed reliever. With the moves the Cardinals have made thus far, it would leave them with approximately $10-15 million to fill their remaining holes.

Look for St. Louis to stay decently active and move in on possible targets such as Felipe Lopez and Mark Grudzielanek for second base, Arthur Rhodes as another reliever, and other starters free on the market.