QUESTION: When full free agency opens later this week and the Cardinals can go after any free agent who fits their needs and payroll, who is one player (and only one) that you think the Cardinals should pursue?

JOE STRAUSS

I still believe the Cardinals’ largest issues involve depth rather than the everyday lineup. A player such as Miguel Tejada enables the club to strengthen itself at two positions by offering insurance for David Freese and Brendan Ryan, potentially productive players dogged by either injuries or inconsistency. Tejada is a pro, still fairly productive, and experienced a late-season push while playing in pitcher-friendly Petco Park. Acquiring such a player enables TLR to work a three-man rotation for two spots. The Cardinals’ bench requires more of a veteran presence. Second base would remain a question. Orlando Hudson is a name that fits, but he appears in decline offensively and does not project as the leadoff hitter the club needs. Jayson Werth would give the Cardinals an All-Star outfield but the club has so far given no indication of spending heavily on a marquee free agent this winter.

RICK HUMMEL

Miguel Tejada would be a good fit for a couple of reasons. He plays both positions on the left side of the infield and he is a respected bat off the bench. The Cardinals had very little veteran power presence off the bench last year. Besides, Tejada never has played in a World Series in his esteemed career and might see a shot at doing that here.

JEFF GORDON

The top priority should be keeping free agent Jake Westbrook. If that happens, the team’s pitching will be set. If Westbrook gets away, the team should consider investing in closer Rafael Soriano. Ryan Franklin could move to the set-up role in that scenario and Kyle McClellan could take Westbrook’s place in the rotation. That move would leave the Cards pitching in great shape. I don’t see similarly intriguing fits for the middle infield, where it appears the Cards will have to upgrade via trade.

DERRICK GOOLD

This question is almost as difficult as the task ahead for the Cardinals. See, there is no one player out there for the Cardinals, no game-changer. At the positions they need a boost, this free-agent crop is thin. At the places where this pool of free agents is its deepest, the Cardinals are either already set or hesitant to swim with the fat-wallet sharks. For example, Adrian Beltre sure would radically change the Cardinals’ lineup and give them a durable, slick-glove presence at third. But he’s pricy, and if David Freese is back, healthy and reliable, then Beltre would be an expensive block. Orlando Hudson could bat leadoff, would play second base and in many ways be a nice fit for the Cardinals. But a game-changer? No, he’s part of a series of moves that make the team better. He’s not the silver bullet answer here. There really isn’t one. So, let’s accept there isn’t one player (“and one only†) that would reboot the Cardinals available in this free-agent pool outside of the game-changers like Carl Crawford and Cliff Lee. But there are some interesting players that would help at several positions and at a reasonable price, like, say, Ty Wigginton.

KEVIN WHEELER (Host of “Sports Open Line† on KMOX)

Juan Uribe. It seems unlikely that he’ll leave San Francisco since he’s got a role with the World Champs that is well defined and allows him a lot of playing time, but he’s the guy I would target over all the others if he’s there when full free agency opens. He plays second, third and short (three spots where the Cards need help) and did so for the World Series winner, so I don’t see why he couldn’t do it here.

Uribe’s defense isn’t great but it’s adequate. He provides some power (10-plus HRs in 7 of the last 8 seasons and 20-plus in 4 of those) and he’s not the kind of player who will command a ton of money or a long-term deal. Uribe made $3.25 million last year but appears to be in line for a raise after hitting 24 HR and driving in 85 runs. Whatever that raise is it will likely be manageable.

LARRY BOROWSKY (Founder of Viva El Birdos and editor of “Maple Street Press Cardinals Annual†)

I’m not counting Jake Westbrook, who is FA-eligible but might re-sign with StL without actually testing the market.

Of the remaining candidates, I think Orlando Hudson is the most obvious fit – a switch-hitting second baseman who has four Gold Gloves, enough on-base ability to set the table in front of Pujols, and enough sock to drive in some runs at the back end of the order. He’s also not a Type A free agent, so he won’t cost the Cards their 1st-rounder in next June’s draft. The arguments against O-Dawg – and there are arguments against every player in this uninspiring free-agent pool – are that he’s aging (will be 33 by Opening Day), injury prone, and coming off the worst offensive season of his career. The Cards signed a 2bman with this type of profile not long ago – Adam Kennedy, back in 2007 – and weren’t happy with the results. But Hudson is a more well-rounded player than Kennedy. More to the point, he’s a vast improvement over Skip Schumaker. Unless his skills fall off a cliff – always a risk for a 33-year-old middle infielder – Hudson will offer immediate upgrades in a number of dimensions, including up-the-middle defense, baserunning, and lineup depth/breadth.