JUPITER, Fla. — The day Major League Baseball’s lockout ended, free-agent Nick Wittgren packed two bags — one baseball, one personal — so that he was ready, like any experienced reliever, to go immediately when he got the call. When it came from the Cardinals, whose complex is a short drive from his offseason home, he retrieved the personal bag.
“Alright, unpack this one,” he said.
It was a sneak peek into what the Cardinals have planned.
The call to relieve could come at any time.
Be prepared to adjust.
It’s not personal. It’s strategy.