The headlines reveal another season-ending surgery and another pitcher with a sore shoulder. Just a typical day with the 2007 St. Louis Cardinals.

Last night's loss to the Phillies was a perfect microcosm of the season. Given up for dead after being buried with a huge deficit, the club stages an improbable rally only to come up short.

Time to look toward 2008. This is one messy jigsaw puzzle. Whether it's Walt Jocketty and Tony La Russsa or another GM/Manager combo, they have a lot of work to do.

Let's begin by looking at the players who'll definitely return to St. Louis next season -- not all of them for the right reasons.

That's nine players who'll return to St. Louis -- five of them because they're damaged goods.

This isn't the ratio you want to see.

Actually, Carpenter could go in the second group as well -- no one's going to swallow his contract after coming off Tommy John surgery. But I'm giving him the benefit of the doubt based on past performance.

This is the big reason why 2008 may not be much better than 2007.

The five players on the right side of the table have little market value through a combination of their contracts and their health. Rolen and Kennedy had season-ending surgeries. Spiezio has red flags because of off-field issues. Mulder was already a question mark before his shoulder started bothering him. Edmonds is a shell of what he used to be. He'll be 38 next season.

The not-so-fab-five will make a combined $32.3 million next year. Throw Carpenter over into that category and you're up to $42.8 million. And this doesn't take into account Juan Encarnacion, who had a potential career-ending injury this year. The Cardinals are scheduled to pay him $6.5 million in 2008.

That's seven players and $50 million locked up. To put that number in perspective, the Cardinals opened the 2007 season with a total payroll of about $90 million.

Let's turn next to the free agents or potential free agents should the Cardinals chose not to exercise an option. Here's where these players stand.

Jason Isringhausen will return next season. Russ Springer wants to return to St. Louis next season. La Russa has a Mancrush on Taguchi -- So will return if the skipper does. I think Russell Branyan and Troy Percival could be nice role players. Somebody has to be their backup catcher. Pineiro is a question mark. For the most part, I'm neutral or negative about everyone on that free agent list.

The big name on the right side of the table is World Series MVP David Eckstein. I'd let him go. He's getting older and increasingly bothered by injuries. The Cardinals have more pressing needs.

This brings us to the final two categories of players. If the Cardinals are going to make trades this off-season, some of these guys will surely be in the mix.

The Cardinals have used 25 different pitchers this season. Two of those are Spiezio and Aaron Miles. But even backing those out, you still have almost two-dozen guys who threw for St. Louis in 2007. In looking over the table, I missed a few guys. Throw Dennis Dove and Andy Cavazos into the mix, as well.

Anthony Reyes needs to get a new lease on life in another organization. The other name that catches my eye in terms of a potential trade prospect is Chris Duncan. He seems a natural for an American League team looking for a first baseman/designated hitter.

Duncan is part of a crowded outfield picture. There's Ankiel, Ludwick (another guy that may draw interest), Schumaker, Edmonds, possibly Taguchi and the Memphis farmhands (I'm not counting on Encarnacion at all). Somebody needs to go.

Whether it's a starting outfield of Duncan/Edmonds/Ankiel in 2008 or Duncan/Rasmus/Ankiel in 2009, the pieces just don't fit. Everyone hits left-handed.

The Cardinals are getting a very good look this week at Aaron Rowand, He's a right-handed bat who plays the outfield. He's also a free agent after this season. He would look good in a Cardinals uniform.

The right side of the table represents the future of the organization (I only considered Double-A and Triple-A players). It's these guys that will draw the most interest from other teams. If they don't get dealt, I could see Perez, Hoffpauir and Mather in St. Louis next season. Rasmus will make it -- just a question of when.

Timing is also the issue for the St. Louis front office. Do you sacrifice long-term gain for short-term performance? Do you play to win in 2008 or build for 2009?

This will be a busy and fascinating offseason.