According to a report from Jon Heyman of Sports Illustrated, the Red Sox have contacted the Cardinals about the possibility of trading for outfielder Colby Rasmus. The 24-year-old Rasmus — who hit 23 home runs with a .498 slugging percentage last season — has nine homers and is batting .241 in 89 games this season.

The Sox were one of several teams that asked about Rasmus, according to the Heyman report, but Cardinals GM John Mozeliak said that he is not shopping Rasmus and is highly unlikely to move him.

According to a report from Marc Topkin of the St. Petersburg Times (via twitter), veteran infielder Felipe Lopez is expected to sign a minor-league deal with the Rays in the coming days. If accurate, the report would represent a bit of bad news for the Red Sox, who signed Lopez during the penultimate weekend of the regular season (after he’d been released by the Cardinals and refused a waiver claim by the Padres) in part because of the possibility of netting a draft pick.

Lopez, who played on a one-year, $1 million deal last year, hit .233 with a .311 OBP, .345 slugging mark and .656 OPS for the Cardinals and Sox last year. He was a Type B free agent who turned down the Sox’ offer of salary arbitration, meaning that the Sox could have gotten a sandwich pick (around No. 55-60 in the coming draft) had he signed a major league deal with another club.

But, if Lopez signs a minor league deal, according to multiple major league sources, the Sox would not be entitled to any draft pick compensation.

In four games for the Sox, Lopez was 4-for-15. The Sox paid him approximately $50,000 (the balance of what he would have made on his 2010 deal had he not rejected the Padres’ waiver claim) during his brief time in Boston, and then declined an option on his services for the 2011 season, and instead paid him a $15,000 buyout.

Clay Buchholz was one pick from becoming a member of the Cardinals in 2009. (AP)

A couple weeks ago, Clay Buchholz reflected back on the summer of 2005, when he was getting ready for the major league draft. He knew that the Red Sox were interested in him, but was unaware that the Dodgers had also been considering him for the No. 40 overall pick before instead tabbing pitcher Luke Hochevar.

The only other club that Buchholz knew to be interested in drafting him early was the Cardinals.

“I hit with St. Louis,” recalled Buchholz, who was a shortstop and pitcher for Angelina Junior College in 2005. “I think they were looking to draft me in the third round as an outfielder.”

Not quite.

Cardinals Vice President of Player Procurement Jeff Luhnow, who is in charge of St. Louis’ draft, recalls that Buchholz did work out for the Cardinals. That workout, however, came immediately on the heels of a workout for the Florida Marlins, who share a complex with the Cards in Jupiter, Fla.

“Unfortunately, he had thrown for the Marlins right before he came to us,” Luhnow recalled in an email, “and his stuff was nowhere near as good as it had been when we saw him in Texas.”

Even so, the workout did not dissuade the Cardinals from the idea of selecting Buchholz. They viewed him as a high-ceiling pitcher (and not a position player). Like the Sox, the Cardinals had stockpiled first-round draft picks that year thanks to departed free agents. After selecting outfielder Colby Rasmus with their first pick (No. 28 overall) and Tyler Greene with their second selection (No. 30), the Cardinals were ready to move on the right-hander.

“His curveball was the best in the draft that year,” wrote Luhnow. “We had him high on our board and were prepared to take him with our next pick.”

That pick was the No. 43 overall choice in the draft. But the Sox swooped in at No. 42 and grabbed the right-hander, who is now flourishing in Boston, positioning himself for an All-Star berth on the strength of a 10-4 record and 2.45 ERA.

And so, with Buchholz off the board, the Cardinals selected another high-ceiling right-hander with their pick, Mark McCormick. McCormick featured tremendous raw stuff — a mid- to high-90s fastball and a swing-and-miss curveball. But injuries and command struggles plagued him over four minor league seasons, and after he missed the entire 2009 season due to injury, the Cardinals released him.

Still, though that pick may not have worked out, the Cardinals did pluck another potential All-Star pitcher in that draft after Buchholz was off the board. In the 22nd round, St. Louis took left-hander Jaime Garcia, who is 7-4 with a 2.27 ERA as a rookie for the Cardinals this year.

Knuckleballer Charlie Zink, who spent eight years in the Red Sox organization, agreed to a minor-league deal with the St. Louis Cardinals. The 30-year-old went 63-60 with a 4.25 ERA during his Sox minor-league career, and spent parts of the last five years in Triple A Pawtucket.

He was named the International League Pitcher of the Year in 2008, when he went 14-6 with a 2.84 ERA. That same year, Zink made his lone appearance in the majors for the Sox, allowing eight runs in 4.1 innings in a no-decision.

According to Zink’s agent, Jim Masteralexis, Zink received an invite to major-league camp with the Cardinals. He is expected to compete for the team’s Triple A rotation in Memphis, but the fact that the Cardinals do not currently have a fifth starter also played into the pitcher’s determination that St. Louis offered a good opportunity. The Sox did not offer Zink the opportunity to return to the organization, nor did the right-hander seek one.

“We are grateful to the Red Sox for having the patience with Charlie to learn and refine the knuckleball, but it is time to move on,” Masteralexis wrote in an email. “Charlie is excited about this opportunity. It is a great organization, has a great major league pitching coach in Dave Duncan and it is a fresh start. … Charlie needs a fresh start and opportunity.”

In some respects, Zink’s departure is a commentary on the changing shape of the Red Sox’ minor league system over time. When he signed with the Sox as a undrafted free agent on the recommendation of college pitching coach (at Savannah College of Art and Design) Luis Tiant, the Sox had few useful pitchers in the system who could help the major-league team. But over time, Zink saw the organization become flush with talented young arms. Last spring, he reflected on his time with the Sarasota Sox in 2004 and the Portland Sea Dogs in 2005, when he was suddenly flanked by a staff that consisted of Jon Lester, Jonathan Papelbon, Manny Delcarmen and others.

“You could see at that time there was a good group of prospects coming up. They were serious prospects. They were going to be impact players. That was the first time I ever noticed it. Before that, there wasn’t a whole lot here. Then it got big real quick, and all of a sudden we had draft class after draft class filled with power arms who were smart,” Zink said. “It’s not frustrating, but you see it. They just keep grooming younger and younger guys with power arms. You see them come and come, and keep going up.”

JUPITER, Fla. — That was Red Sox pitching coach John Farrell talking about Justin Masterson, who turned in another solid outing, this time going  two innings, giving up just a hit and a walk. As Farrrell points out, Masterson once again implemented the change-up he had left behind when making the move to the bullpen last season at a key time. (It was an emphasis the pitcher pointed out early on in camp.)

“He’s a pitcher,” said Farrell after the Red Sox’ 4-2 loss to the Cardinals, Thursday at Roger Dean Stadium. “It doesn’t matter if it’s the first inning, the eighth inning, the ninth inning, he goes out and gets people out. I think one of the big keys today was the 2-0 pitch to Ankiel where he threw a change-up with a man in scoring position for a ground out to first. It shows, again, one of our goals for him coming in was not only incorporate the wind-up but to get a feel for the change-up which he got away from in the relieving role last year. He’s been very good, very good.”

In nine spring training innings, Masterson hasn’t allowed a run, while walking just two. When asked if the hurler’s role would have to be soon defined, Farrell said, “There’s a lot that can happen in the next couple of weeks. But again we’ve got the candidates in the rotation. It will be encouraging tomorrow with Brad Penny taking the mound again, Clay Buchholz has been outstanding. Provided everybody continues to do their job it will make our decision difficult but in a good way.” (Penny is throwing in a minor league, inter-squad game Friday.)

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JUPITER, Fla. — Here is Josh Beckett after his scoreless four-inning outing (in which he threw 13 of 15 first-pitch strikes) against St. Louis at Roger Dean Stadium. (Oh, and by the way, Joe Mather hit a tw0-run homer off Marcus McBeth in the ninth inning to give the Cardinals a 4-2 win over the Red Sox): 

“I threw all my pitches. I threw some curveballs, I threw some good changeups. I felt the baseball situations went really well today.”

(On continuing his progression) “It was good. Obviously that’s what they wanted and that’s kind of where we’re at. The extra week has given us a little more leeway to work it up slow.”

“I think this year you obviously have more time as far as the innings and pitches. But for the most part the progression’s been the same.”

(On his command) “Today I didn’t think it was that sharp but I got away with it because it wasn’t right down the middle. It was kind of toward the exits. They hit some ball to some guys and guys played good defense.”

“I think baseball situations are taking precedent over working on stuff now. Obviously you’re still trying to build up, but now you’re thinking through a lineup and stuff like that.”

(How felt after throwing 50 pitches) “I felt fine.”

JUPITER, Fla. — The only damage down against Josh Beckett in his four innings of work was done by old friend Joe Thurston, who played in four games with the Red Sox last season. Thurston accounted for the lone two hits against the Sox starter, the first coming on a drag bunt in the first inning, and the second on a double down the right-field line to lead off the fourth.

The only other baserunner St. Louis managed against Beckett was Chris Duncan, who drew a two-out walk in the fourth. For Beckett, who would finish with two strikeouts, it was the first free pass he has surrendered this spring. He has now pitched 11 spring training innings, giving up five hits and no runs. Beckett finished with 50 pitches, 33 for strikes.

Two more things about Thurston: He has never faced Beckett in a regular season game, and he is C.C. Sabathia’s first cousin.

Justin Masterson replaces Beckett, with Michael Bowden and Marcus McBeth also slated to pitch for the Red Sox. New Hampshire’s own Chris Carpenter pitched well for the Cardinals in his start, surrendering no runs, two hits, and two walks over four innings. Notching the hits off Carpenter were Josh Reddick (leadoff triple) and Jed Lowrie.

One casualty for the Red Sox was Jonathan Van Every, who sprained his right ankle when pulling up between second and third on a Reddick single to right field. He was replaced by pinch-runner Chip Ambres. Julio Lugo promptly plated Ambres with a single to right for the game’s first run.