The Gas House Gang

Shelby Miller was in some exclusive company as he was picked as the fifth best prospect in baseball in MLB.com.  He had solid stints for both the Texas League and the Florida State League last year and he finished with 170 strikeouts in 139 2/3 innings.

So far, he’s avoided a lot of home runs despite being a fly ball pitcher.  His walk rate is also a little high but he’s still young and will be working on that as he moves up the ladder.  The Cardinals got this kid at number 19 in 2009 and it’s looking like a solid steal at that pick.

The Cardinals inked pitcher Kyle McClellan to a one year deal and they’ll avoid arbitration.  The deal will bring McClellan around $2.5 million and that leaves just one player, Jason Motte, to deal with as far as arbitration.

McClellan filled in as a starter in 2012 for the first time in his four year career with the Cardinals.  He was solid enough with a 12-7 record but it cost him considerably with regard to his strikeout rate.  At this point, I like McClellan as a fill in for the rotation if needed, but I like him better as a reliever and his 2010 was a nice one.