Because they drew the assignment of facing the Marlins on the night Miami christened its new ballpark, the defending World Champion Cardinals managed not to dominate the storylines on Opening Day. Still, there are storylines aplenty as St. Louis attempts to become just the third team since 1979 to repeat as World Champs.

Mike Matheny makes his managerial debut on Wednesday as the new-look Cardinals play on without Tony La Russa, Albert Pujols and Dave Duncan. The Cardinals will also go down as the first team to face the Marlins in the team’s new stadium, and the novelty of the ballpark caught the attention of everyone upon first glance.

“It’s bright. It’s unique, too,” Matheny said. “I think that’s something that you look at with the new parks. It seems like you go through phases where everything kind of looks the same. But they’ve got their own unique flavor to this one.”

Said Jon Jay, a Miami native: “We always hoped for something like this. Now the Miami community will have a real baseball stadium. You’ll get that feeling of a baseball park that we get going across the country. I think it’s nice for the community and the kids and everyone that is a part of Miami.”

Though there was plenty of oohing and ahhing over the unique new park during Tuesday’s workout, that wasn’t so much the case today. For those in red, this is game No. 1 of 162. That’s it. Asked if there would be a different feel to the night given all the pregame ceremonies and build up in Miami, starter Kyle Lohse might have put it best: “It’s another game. Pitching in the World Series last year, that’s different.”

The Cardinals’ Opening Day roster includes six players who have never been on a Major League Opening Day roster before. Those include Tony Cruz, Erik Komatsu, Lance Lynn, Matt Carpenter, Fernando Salas and Shane Robinson. Komatsu is the only one of the bunch who did not make an appearance with the Cardinals at some point last year.

“You always want to be a part of Opening Day roster,” said Lynn, who will make his season debut in Milwaukee on Sunday. “I happen to have a World Series under my belt before I had one of these, which is kind of weird. But it’s very exciting for this first one.”

Though terms of the agreement have not all been finalized, left-hander Doug Slaten has chosen to sign a Minor League deal with the Pirates, a source confirmed on Wednesday. The addition of Slaten will give the club another reliever to consider for its bullpen.

Slaten became a free agent in December, when the Nationals decided not to tender a contract to the arbitration-eligible pitcher. His contract with the Pirates will include an invitation to participate in Spring Training.

Slaten, 31, spent close to three months on the disabled list in 2011 due to a left elbow injury. As a result, he made just 31 appearances and logged only 16 1/3 innings. His season ERA finished at 4.41. Slaten struck out 16 and walked three.

Now healthy, Slaten had multiple offers this winter before ultimately deciding that the Pirates provided him with the best fit and opportunity. Though the Pirates haven’t prioritized including a left-handed specialist in the ‘pen in several years, Slaten profiles as an option for that type of role.

– Jenifer Langosch

Lefty Jo-Jo Reyes has agreed to a Minor League deal with the Pirates, a source confirmed to MLB.com. Terms of the deal were not immediately known, though Reyes is expected to participate in the Pirates’ big-league camp this spring.

Reyes, 27, became a free agent last month when the Orioles opted not to tender a contract to the left-hander, who was arbitration eligible for the first time in his career.

In 2011, Reyes made 20 starts for the Blue Jays before being designated for assignment in late July. He was subsequently picked up off waivers by Baltimore, which used Reyes in nine games (five as a starter) over the season’s final two months. Reyes combined to finish with a 7-11 record and 5.57 ERA.

A former second-round pick in the 2002 First-Year Player Draft, Reyes has made 70 career appearances (62 starts) in parts of five seasons in the Majors. He spent the first nine years of his professional career in the Braves organization.

– Jenifer Langosch

Jason Grilli will be back in the Pirates’ bullpen next season, having secured his spot on the club by agreeing to terms on a one-year deal with Pittsburgh. According to mlbtraderumors.com, the contract will pay Grilli $1.1 million in 2012.

After beginning the 2011 season in the Phillies’ Minor League system, Grilli was granted his release on July 19 so that he could sign with Pittsburgh two days later. He went on to make 28 appearances and post a 2.48 ERA with the Pirates. Grilli, 35, struck out 37 and walked 15 in those 32 2/3 innings.

The right-hander quickly worked his way into a set-up role and was scored upon just twice in his final 19 appearances.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Pirates and Brewers swapped arbitration-eligible players on Monday, with Casey McGehee coming to Pittsburgh in exchange for right-hander Jose Veras.

Veras was in jeopardy of not being tendered a contract by Monday’s deadline, while McGehee became expandable after Milwaukee signed free agent Aramis Ramirez to be the club’s starting third baseman.

After batting .285 with 23 homers and 104 RBIs in 2010, McGehee endured a tough 2011 season. He hit just .223 with 13 homers, 67 RBIs and a .280 on-base percentage. McGehee appeared in 155 games, mostly as the team’s starting third baseman.

The addition of McGehee, 29, gives the Pirates another option at third base, though the club has insisted that Pedro Alvarez will get the first crack at holding onto the starting role. If the Pirates don’t need McGehee to step in and play third, he could be used across the diamond at first base or as a back-up outfielder.

Veras made a career-high 79 appearances for the Pirates in 2011, many of those coming in late-inning, set-up situations. The 31-year-old right-hander finished with a 3.80 ERA, 79 strikeouts and 34 walks in 71 innings.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Pirates made a trade late on Wednesday to acquire infielder Yamaico Navarro from the Royals in exchange for Minor Leaguers Brooks Pounders and Diego Goris. Pittsburgh will officially add Navarro to the 40-man roster on Thursday, at which time the club will have to make a corresponding roster move.

Navarro, 24, profiles as a candidate to compete for the role as a backup infielder. In limited Major League action over the past two seasons, Navarro has appeared at second, third, short and in the outfield. The Pirates, who designated Pedro Ciriaco for assignment earlier on Wednesday, will need a backup to new shortstop Clint Barmes in 2012.

A .279 hitter over six Minor League seasons, Navarro was signed as a non-drafted free agent by the Red Sox in 2005. He entered 2011 ranked as the organization’s 12th-best prospect but was later dealt to the Royals in exchange for Mike Aviles at the Trade Deadline.

Pounders, a second-round pick in the 2009 First-Year Player Draft, went 5-5 with a 3.68 ERA in 36 games (one start) at the low-A level. In 2011, Goris, 21, hit .350 with 20 doubles, five homers, 46 RBIs and 53 runs scored in the Dominican Summer League. He was named to the DSL All-Star team each of the past two seasons.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Pirates have signed left-hander Erik Bedard to a one-year, $4.5 million deal, a source has confirmed to MLB.com. The club is expected to make an official announcement regarding the signing later on Wednesday.

When the deal becomes official, the Pirates will have to open up a spot for Bedard on the 40-man roster.

Bedard, 32, split the 2011 season between Seattle and Boston, going 5-9 with a 3.62 ERA. He struck out 125 and walked 48 in 129 1/3 innings. He has a career 3.70 ERA in parts of eight seasons in the Majors.

– Jenifer Langosch

Free agent outfielder Nate McLouth has agreed to a one-year, $1.75 million deal with the Pirates. The contract is likely to be finalized and announced on Wednesday, after McLouth goes through a physical. The $1.75 million is all guaranteed money, though there may also be some incentives built into the deal.

For McLouth, a return to Pittsburgh will offer him the chance to get playing time and try to rebuild his value back up after a few dismal years in Atlanta. McLouth’s last full season with the Pirates was in 2008, when he was an All-Star and Gold Glove Award winner.

For the Pirates, the reunion gives the club an experienced fourth outfielder.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Pirates are close to reaching a deal with free agent Nate McLouth, a source confirmed to MLB.com on Tuesday afternoon.

McLouth is no stranger to Pittsburgh, which drafted the 30-year-old outfielder in 2000. McLouth broke into the Majors in 2005 and was a part of the organization until being traded to Atlanta in June 2009.

Though McLouth was an All-Star and Gold Glove winner for the Pirates in ’08, he never came close to that type of success with the Braves. In parts of three seasons with the Braves, McLouth hit just .229 with 44 doubles, 21 homers and 76 RBIs in 250 games.

This last season was the final year of a three-year extension that McLouth signed just months before the Pirates dealt him away for Charlie Morton, Gorkys Hernandez and Jeff Locke.

The Pirates’ interest in signing McLouth comes from their need to add to their outfield depth. McLouth would be a candidate to take one of the corner outfield spots, though the Pirates would likely give Alex Presley the first chance to solidify himself as a starter.

The deal, which is believed to be for one year, is not expected to be finalized until Wednesday, at the earliest.

– Jenifer Langosch

The Pirates have filled their hole at shortstop, replacing Ronny Cedeno with Clint Barmes, who confirmed on Monday that he has agreed to a two-year deal with Pittsburgh. The contract is worth $10.5 million.

Pittsburgh has been looking for a new shortstop since deciding not to exercise Cedeno’s $3 million option for 2012. That pushed Cedeno into a fairly thin free agent shortstop market, which already included Barmes. Barmes, who spent the 2011 season in Houston, became a free agent at the end of the year due to service time.

By signing with the Pirates, Barmes will be reunited with Clint Hurdle, Barmes’ long-time manager in Colorado. Drafted by the Rockies in 2000, Barmes spent parts of eight seasons in Colorado before being traded to the Astros.

Knowing that he would be able to remain at short also made Pittsburgh an appealing destination. Though Barmes played almost exclusively as a shortstop in 2011, he has appeared in 306 Major League games as a second baseman.

“In talking with my agent and talking with the club, they were wanting to make a decision and they wanted to know by pretty much yesterday who their shortstop was going to be so they could continue to move on,” Barmes said. “It was one of those things they had a few others guys lined up behind me, and the way it was explained to me I was the first in line as far as who they wanted. They threw a great offer.”

Barmes confirmed that the Brewers were also talking to him about a two-year deal but weren’t willing to make an offer until things were resolved with Prince Fielder. The Astros, who are rebuilding, were not going to be able to afford to re-sign the middle infielder.

– Jenifer Langosch