They play scared on offense. They don't create turnovers on defense. The special teams remain a problem. On top of that, there seems to be another player added to the injury list every day. Could the injuries to offensive linemen Orlando Pace, Mark Setterstrom, Todd Steussie and Richie Incognito be simply an unlucky break? I don't think so. It seems clear something far more sinister may be at play here: the curse of the "Donut Brothers". Scott Linehan broke up the Donut Brothers, Adam Timmerman and Andy McCollum. He released Timmerman and benched McCollum. They had been the heart and soul of the line for several years. Its been all downhill for the Rams offensive line since the break-up. Even the guys the Donut Brothers blocked for, Marc Bulger and Steven Jackson, have been injured. Adam Timmerman probably has a dozen jelly donuts that he's been sticking with voodoo pins. If your name is on a donut, brother you've got problems. Brett Rhomberg can't be sleeping very well right not.

I'm sure the Cubs are a little bitter with the Cardinals for putting up such a weak fight against the Milwaukee Brewers. As the Cubs try to hold off the Brewers for the Central division title, they were hoping for some help from the Cards. Instead, the Cardinals rolled over and took two back to back poundings in Milwaukee. They weren't even competitive. For the Redbirds the season can't possibly end soon enough, and they've looked totally uninterested in the series with the Brewers.

It's obvious to everyone that the Cardinals will have to acquire a couple of front line pitchers in the offseason if they're going to be competitive in 2008. With a very thin free agent pitching market this year, that means the Cards will probably have to acquire pitching help thru trades. But who do they have as trade bait? It'd be hard, if not impossible, to move aging veterans with huge contracts like Scott Rolen, Jim Edmonds, Jason Isringhausen, Adam Kennedy or Juan Encarnaction (if he can even play again after his horrible eye injury). It seems to me the only players that would attract much interest on the trade market are Yadier Molina, Rick Ankiel and Chris Duncan. Those are three talented younger players who don't carry the baggage of an enormous contract. The Cardinals and their fans would hate to see any of those three go, but starting pitching is what wins titles. The front office may be faced with making some highly unpopular trades as they rebuild the starting rotation. I would think only Albert Pujols, Adam Wainwright and Colby Rasmus are untouchable. Everybody else, including Molina and Ankiel, have to be considered trade bait if the Cardinals are truly serious about rejoining the ranks of the contenders