The St. Louis Cardinals lost Albert Pujols as a free agent to the Angels since winning the World Series. The Cardinals seem pretty content with the team that won it all last year as they have not made many changes for 2012. Here is a look at the new faces they have brought in so far:

In the field: The biggest player the Cardinals have brought in over the winter is outfielder Carlos Beltran. This will allow the Cardinals to move Lance Berkman to 1B to replace Albert Pujols. Beltran won’t be able to replace the offensive numbers that Pujols put up, but the Cardinals have a very solid offensive team and he’s going to fit right in. The Cardinals also recently signed veteran catcher Koyie Hill who will battle it out with Tony Cruz in spring training to see who will back up Yadier Molina in 2012.

On the mound: The Cardinals wanted another lefty for the pen so they have signed J.C. Romero and R.J. Swindle to compete for the job in spring training. Romero is almost a lock to make the Cardinals’ opening day pitching staff.

Overall: The Cardinals might wind up being even better in 2012 without Albert Pujols. That is because they are going to have an outstanding starting rotation that will welcome back Adam Wainwright, who is one of the best pitchers in the league. If Beltran stays healthy in 2012, he will cushion the loss of Pujols a little bit.

The Cardinals have signed 32-year old righty swinging catcher Koyie Hill to a minor league deal. Hill played in 46 games for the Cubs last year and he was 26 for 134 (.194 avg, .545 OPS) with 15 runs scored, 2 homers, 9 RBIs and 1 stolen base. He has now played in 302 games in his first 8 years in the majors and he is 176 of 833 (.211 avg, .573 OPS) with 75 runs scored, 8 homers, 75 RBIs and 3 stolen bases. Hill will battle Tony Cruz this spring for the right to see who will back up Yadier Molina in 2012.

The Cardinals have signed 34-year old switch-hitting outfielder Carlos Beltran to a 2-year, $26 million dollar deal. Beltan played in 142 games for the Mets & Giants last year and he was 156 of 520 (.300 avg, .910 OPS) with 78 runs scored, 22 homers, 84 RBIs and 4 stolen bases. He has now played in 1,768 games in his first 14 years in the majors and he is 1,917 of 6,767 (.283 avg, .857 OPS) with 1,184 runs scored, 302 homers, 1,146 RBIs and 293 stolen bases. Beltran will likely start in RF when the 2012 season begins for the Cardinals and then shift to CF when Allen Craig is ready to return from injury. This was a great move for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals have signed 28-year old lefty reliever R.J. Swindle to a minor league deal. Swindle pitched in 39 games (0 starts) in AAA-ball last year and he was 2-0 with 1 save, a 2.37 ERA and a 1.24 WHIP. He last pitched in the majors back in 2009 for the Brewers. He has pitched in 9 games (0 starts) in his first two years in the minors and he is 0-0 with a 12.71 ERA and a 2.38 WHIP. The Cardinals might give Swindle a chance to make the team next spring as a situational lefty in the pen.

The Cardinals have signed IF/OF Eugenio Velez to a minor league deal. Velez played in 34 games for the Dodgers last year and he was 0 for 37 (.000 avg, .075 OPS) with 5 runs scored, 1 RBI and 1 stolen base. He has now played in 259 games in his first five years in the majors and he is 160 of 663 (.241 avg, .654 OPS) with 89 runs scored, 8 homers, 72 RBIs and 31 stolen bases. The Cardinals will likely stash Velez in AAA in 2012 and give him another chance at the majors to make up for 2011, if the need arises and he deserves to be recalled.