Redbirds pitchers, catchers report to camp

~ Thompson eager to compete for spot in the starting rotation.

JUPITER, Fla. -- Brad Thompson got a chance to be a starter last season and liked it. As he and other pitchers and catchers reported to spring training for the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday, he said he's eager to try and earn a spot in the rotation.

At least one spot in the rotation is up for grabs as St. Louis tries to rebound from a disappointing 78-win season with a vastly different cast of characters. Among position players, stalwarts Scott Rolen and Jim Edmonds were traded, David Eckstein was lost to free agency and Juan Encarnacion is questionable after suffering a serious eye injury from a foul ball late last season.

Equally uncertain is the starting rotation, especially with Mark Mulder recovering from a second shoulder surgery and Chris Carpenter coming back from elbow reconstruction. Mulder isn't expected back until May at the earliest; Carpenter hopes to be back by June.

That leaves Adam Wainwright as the ace, with Braden Looper, Joel Pineiro and newcomer Matt Clement in the 2-4 spots in the rotation, though Clement hasn't pitched since 2006 due to shoulder issues.

As for the fifth spot, Thompson, Todd Wellemeyer and Anthony Reyes are in open competition.

"We have a few question marks obviously until Carp and Mulder come back, and definitely it's one of those spots I'd like to slip into," Thompson, 25, said. "But we've got a lot of great arms, so it's going to be a big spring for me."

Until last season, Thompson had made only one major league start since his debut on May 8, 2005. As injuries mounted, he was pushed into a starting role and was solid, going 6-4 with a 4.66 ERA in 17 starts. Overall, he was 8-6 with a 4.73 ERA.

Wellemeyer, 29, was a pleasant surprise last season after the Cardinals claimed him off waivers from Kansas City in May. He started 11 games and was 3-2 with a 3.11 ERA.

The Cardinals still aren't sure what to make of Reyes, 26, who has a strong arm, good stuff, and whose win in Game 1 of the 2006 World Series helped the Cardinals to a five-game win over Detroit. But he struggled last season, going 2-14 with a 6.04 ERA.

"It's an opportunity for some of these other guys to start, so when Mark and Chris come back, then somebody else gets banged and not them, so it's very healthy," manager Tony La Russa said.

A total of 41 pitchers and catchers were expected to report Thursday. Workouts begin today, with the full squad reporting next week.

Thompson said he'll focus on his sinker, though he wants to keep it in the strike zone more often this season.

"I know coming in this year what my role could be," Thompson said. "I could be a swing guy again. I could potentially be a starter. I could potentially be bullpen. I've got to be ready for both."