Jess Sanchez of MLB.com is reporting that the St. Louis Cardinals are near a deal with veteran infielder Alex Cora. The 14-year veteran plays both second base and shortstop, sporting a .243/.310/.338 career slash.

Neither an over-impressive hitter or a gold glove fielder, Cora has assumed the role of the flexible backup for the last seven seasons, earning a World Series ring in 2007 as a bench player with the Boston Red Sox.

Cora most recently played for the Washington Nationals, earning $900K on a one-year contract. With the departure infielder Ryan Theriot, the Cardinals appear to be seeking a proven backup for the duo of SS Rafael Furcal and 2B Skip Schumaker.

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