Redbirds ship off Robinson to Padres

JUPITER, Fla. -- So Taguchi took a huge step toward securing a roster spot with the Cardinals, going 4-for-4 Monday in a 5-4 victory over the New York Mets.

After the game, the Cardinals traded Kerry Robinson to San Diego for Brian Hunter in a swap of speedy outfielders. Robinson had been one of several players, including Taguchi, competing for playing time in left field.

The 34-year-old outfielder from Japan raised his batting average to .354 and became the first Cardinals player to have a four-hit game this spring.

"So has been playing as good as anybody in camp," manager Tony La Russa said. "I would said he has a pretty good chance of making the club without making it official."

Hunter is a .264 lifetime hitter in 10-plus seasons with Houston, Detroit, Seattle, Colorado, Cincinnati and Philadelphia.

La Russa said it was tough to let go of Robinson, a St. Louis native.

"It was a situation where his playing time would be infrequent and inconsistent," the manager said.

"He's been a good guy and a good player for us. But he has an opportunity there. And it is not like we are sending him some place for punishment. They should be a contender," he said.

Cardinals right-hander Jeff Suppan, making his next-to-last start before the season begins, was roughed up for four runs in the first two innings but finished on a positive note with three shutout innings.

"I didn't have my best stuff out there," Suppan said. "I was trying to make my pitches do more than they should be doing."

Noteworthy

OF Greg Vaughn, 38, announced his retirement Sunday after the Cardinals reassigned him to their minor league camp. Vaughn hit 355 home runs, including a career-high 50 while helping San Diego reach the World Series in 1998. He hit just .139 this spring.