Chris Carpenter's 2012 season never even got underway, but the right-hander's status heading into 2013 will surely affect the St. Louis Cardinals' offseason plans.
Carpenter threw for the first time since undergoing surgery on July 19 to address his thoracic outlet syndrome.
While this was seen as progress for the veteran, Carpenter also acknowledged that he still feels mild sensation in the shoulder and there is no timetable for his future. Essentially, his return in 2013 is certainly possible, but it depends entirely on Carpenter -- and in fact, he may not be able to make it back at all.
That wide range of possibilities poses a problem for the Cardinals: Does the club count Carpenter among its future plans, or will the team be better off searching for a replacement?
We know for sure that the 2013 five-man rotation will include Adam Wainwright, Lance Lynnand Jaime Garcia (assuming he's fully recovered from his own shoulder issues). But Kyle Lohse and Jake Westbrook are potential free agents, and then there are young arms to consider, like Joe Kelly, Trevor Rosenthal and Shelby Miller.
Carpenter himself is under contract for 2013, and he believes he will know by the end of this year whether he can make it back in time.
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