St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Chris Carpenter told The Associated Press that he wants to start in 2009, although he’s willing to move back to the bullpen if his body can’t hold up to the rotation pressures.
"I’ll do whatever they want me to do," Carpenter said. "If that’s the case, that’s the case. I’m just going to take it one game at a time like I have all the time in the past. I’m going to do everything I can to take the ball every fifth day. With everything that I’ve gone through, obviously, some of it is out of my hands. I’ve done everything I can in the past four months to go out and pitch."
Cardinals manager Tony La Russa has said earlier in the offseason that he might use Carpenter as a closer if he is unable to start every fifth game.
Carpenter, 33, has had elbow and shoulder surgeries on his pitching arm. The righty threw 15 1-3 innings in 2008 for a 0-1 record with a 1.76 ERA.
