LAS VEGAS -- The Cardinals, still celebrating the acquisition of first baseman Paul Goldschmidt when they descended upon Las Vegas for the Winter Meetings, return home knowing there remains work to be done.
The club's time in Sin City did not trigger any significant tweaks to the team's 40-man roster, but it may have laid the foundation for impact additions to come. St. Louis fielded interest in first baseman/outfielder Jose Martinez and explored various paths through which it could bolster the back end of its bullpen. Searches for a backup catcher and left-handed-hitting position players also continued in earnest.
The organization's stated goal was to leave the Winter Meetings with a better understanding of how it might address remaining areas of deficiency over the next two months.
As far as deals done, the Cardinals had two. They opened the week by claiming right-hander Ryan Meisinger off waivers from the Orioles. That addition gives St. Louis additional bullpen depth and also filled the team's roster, thus precluding it from participating in Thursday's Rule 5 Draft.
On Tuesday, the Cardinals swapped utility players with the Rangers. Patrick Wisdom, who didn't have a clear fit moving forward in St. Louis, went to the Rangers in exchange for Drew Robinson. Not only does Robinson bring greater defensive versatility than Wisdom, he also hits from the left side.

This year's Winter Meetings did not initiate a flourish of transactions in either league. Las Vegas native Bryce Harper continues to court suitors, and the Cardinals remain on the periphery of his market. The free-agent-reliever market began to open only hours before team executives boarded flights home.
With baseball's biggest offseason event now in the rear-view mirror, here is a look at where St. Louis stands with two months remaining before Spring Training:
Biggest remaining needs
1. Relief pitching: Without a closer and enough reliable lefty relief, the Cardinals continue their search for bullpen help. They may be able to address this via trade (perhaps by dealing Martinez), though the club does maintain the financial flexibility to spend on free agents. Zach Britton and Andrew Miller remain the most prominent lefty relievers on the market.
2. Utility IF/OF: Even with the acquisition of Robinson, St. Louis has not ruled out adding another left-handed-hitting position player. That would likely to be someone who can come off the bench to play multiple positions.
3. Catcher: The Cardinals still need to find a backup for Yadier Molina now that Carson Kelly is no longer in the organization. The club is intrigued by a possible reunion with Francisco Pena, who served in that role last season, but are also considering other candidates. Ideally, St. Louis would be able to fill this need through a Minor League deal.

Rule 5 Draft
The Cardinals did not have room on their roster to participate in the Major League portion of the Rule 5 Draft, but they did lose right-hander Chris Ellis in it. The Rangers, who had the eighth selection, plucked Ellis for a price of $100,000 and then dealt him to the Royals. If Kansas City does not keep Ellis on its big league roster for the entirety of next season, St. Louis will have the opportunity to take him back.
• 2018 Rule 5 Draft results
Ellis, who came to the Cardinals as part of Atlanta's package for Jaime Garcia two years ago, split last season between Double-A Springfield and Triple-A Memphis. He combined to post a 3.93 ERA over 31 games (21 starts) while striking out 124 and walking 37.
In the Minor League portion of the Rule 5 Draft, the Cardinals took right-hander John Fasola (Rangers) and shortstop Alberto Triunfel (Angels).
GM's bottom line
"I think we're trying to build a postseason team. We feel like we're in good shape and have made good progress, but I'm not sure that we're sitting on our hands feeling we're done. We're still working on our roster to make sure it's a postseason team." -- Michael Girsch