The Cardinals are interested in Yuniesky Betancourt

Shortstop Rafael Furcal will miss the entire 2013 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, leaving the Cardinals in a bit of a pickle. Pete Kozma and Ronny Cedeno are next in line, but the Cardinals are looking for a more established player from outside the organization. That player just might be Yuniesky Betancourt, reports Nick Cafardo:

He has improved his visibility, and it wouldn’t be shocking to see a team deal for him before the season. The best thing that happened for Betancourt is Jimmy Rollins playing in the WBC. Betancourt is also in good shape, which has been a challenge for him in the past. With a March 24 opt-out in his minor league deal, he’s on the Cardinals’ list as they attempt to replace Rafael Furcal.

In 35 spring at-bats with the Phillies, Betancourt is hitting .400 with just one strikeout. However, since 2009, he has been by far the worst position player in baseball (minimum 1,000 plate appearances). Given the strong spring showing by Freddy Galvis, who is capable of playing second base, third base, and shortstop, the Phillies feel a lot more comfortable sending away their only other shortstop-capable infielder.