St. Louis heads to Winter Meetings with pieces in place

LAKE BUENA VISTA, Fla. -- Often the setting for some of the offseason's biggest signings and swappings, the Winter Meetings kick off on Monday as an encore to the frenzied week of activity that preceded it.

While much of the Cardinals' winter work was completed before Thanksgiving, a number of the most coveted free agents have come off the board in recent days. It did not take until the Winter Meetings for the Hot Stove to start simmering, but it nevertheless remains a certainty that when representatives from all 30 Major League Baseball teams gather this week at the Walt Disney World Swan & Dolphin Resort, there will be additional activity. For the Cardinals, their involvement is likely to be limited. The club's shopping list was already reduced significantly with the recent acquisitions of Jhonny Peralta and Peter Bourjos.

General manager John Mozeliak still seeks a right-handed hitting infielder, but that sort of add will be a complementary one. The Cardinals have the young pitching talent to pull off an impact trade, if desired, though there are no glaring holes that require the Cardinals to entertain shedding that depth.

Stay connected to the Cardinals' Winter Meeting activity on Cardinals.com, which will have comprehensive coverage from Lake Buena Vista all week. Mozeliak's daily media briefings will be covered by MLB.com, as well as manager Mike Matheny's Tuesday session with reporters. The Expansion Era Committee's Hall of Fame decisions, GIBBY Award announcements and the Rule 5 Draft will also be a part of the coverage.

MLB.com will not only bring fans daily stories from the Winter Meetings. There will be video content, too, along with regular social media updates.

As you prepare to get plugged in for a week of news out of Lake Buena Vista, use the comments section below to offer your suggestions on what you'd like to see the Cardinals accomplish this week. What holes do they still need to fill? How best could they address those deficiencies? And do you envision the Cardinals making a surprise splash before all is said and done?

Stay tuned. It should be an intriguing week ahead.