St. Louis ? I was listening to the Boston vs. Toronto game on satellite radio Friday night when starting pitcher A.J. Burnett departed after throwing 78 pitches. He was removed because of “elbow discomfort” and was placed on the disabled list Saturday.

It was Burnett’s seventh trip to the DL in six years, including twice already this year. And we’re only three weeks into the season. Toronto gave Burnett a five-year, $55 million contract last offseason. So far he’s thrown only 173 pitches, and he’s 0-1 with a 6.30 earned-run average. Burnett’s career won/loss record is 49-51.

You may recall that the Cardinals were smitten with Burnett and went as far as dangling a four-year offer worth nearly $40 million. When Burnett chose the highest bidder instead of a winning atmosphere and signed with the Blue Jays, the disappointed Cardinals sorted through their options for a fifth starter and found Sidney Ponson on the discard pile.

The Cardinals signed Ponson for $1 million. In the modern baseball economy, it was a minor deal and represented a calculated investment of faith. The Cardinals believed Ponson could emerge from the degradation of multiple alcohol-related arrests and a brief jailhouse stay to turn his life around.

So far, Ponson’s soul is on the way to recovery. After pressing through an excruciating but ultimately successful start in Saturday’s 4-1 win over the visiting Chicago Cubs, Ponson is 2-0 with a 3.31 ERA.

Imagine if Burnett had said yes to the Cardinals. As the old expression goes, sometimes the best deals are those you don’t make.

“We’ll see how that goes,” Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan said. “It’s a long season.”

Duncan is right. Burnett has electric stuff. If he can get healthy and stay there, he’s capable of brilliance and dominance. And Ponson still has much to prove. But the Cardinals like what they see from Ponson in talent, commitment and his gregarious, oversized personality.

“He fits in good,” said Chris Carpenter, the 2005 NL Cy Young Award winner, who is not known for tolerating fools or silliness. “Sidney has a lot of fun. He brings that aspect to the other four of us in the rotation. He makes us enjoy being together a little bit more. We’re the more serious types. He’s definitely a different guy when he comes to the park and it’s his day to pitch. He’s serious, and you know he’s ready for his day. But in between starts he keeps us laughing. It’s fun to have him around. Everybody in here is pulling for him. When you’re around him, you can see he’s a nice guy, and he’s here to compete and win.”

Ponson was in deep Saturday.

None of his pitches accompanied him to the mound.

“I had nothing,” Ponson said.

Except for persistence.

“To fight through a day like that when everything was a struggle, that was a great performance,” Duncan said.

The Cubs put 10 runners on base in Ponson’s five innings, but only one scored. He was saved by a sensational play by third baseman Scott Rolen. The bullpen preserved his lead. But mostly, Ponson got outs with his toughness. And with his previous team, Baltimore, Ponson’s grit was considered nonexistent. Progress? Sure. He’s sober. And he’s mentally stronger.

Ponson credited the defense, timely hitting and bullpen for Saturday’s win. But he did his part. “I battled my butt off,” he said. “It wasn’t pretty. I got lucky.”

The luck bounces both ways. The Cardinals and Ponson are good for each other. And if A.J. Burnett had signed with St. Louis, the Cardinals would be paying a lot of money-say, $55 million-for MRI exams.