St. Louis ? Almost every year at about this time, the St. Louis Cardinals get a talent infusion.

Trade-deadline time, and even a little after, is when general manager Walt Jocketty is at his best. Adding Larry Walker on Friday without impacting the 40-man roster, and without greatly impacting the budget, was the latest masterstroke from the front office.

“They always come up big,” pitcher Matt Morris said. “What an unbelievable acquisition.”

Jocketty first served notice that he was a major late-season player when he acquired Mark McGwire from the Athletics for three nondescript pitchers at the 1997 deadline. McGwire helped the Cardinals make the playoffs in 2000 along with obliterating Roger Maris’ 37-year-old home run record with 70 in 1998.

In 2000, he acquired Will Clark from the Orioles for minor-league third baseman Jose Leon. Clark hit .345 with 12 homers and 42 RBIs in 51 games, helping the Cardinals get to the NLCS before they lost to the Mets.

In 2002, Scott Rolen was pried loose from the Phillies, and he helped the Cardinals win another division championship. This year he’s putting up MVP-like numbers, leading the NL with 98 RBIs, batting .338 and playing excellent defense at third base.

The cost: second baseman Placido Polanco and pitchers Mike Timlin and Bud Smith.

Now, even though they had the major leagues’ best record, Jocketty got ownership to OK a trade for Walker, a three-time batting champion.

“You look at this lineup and say ‘How can it get any better?”‘ outfielder Reggie Sanders said. “But adding him, it does.”

It helped that Jocketty talked the Rockies into paying $7.5 million of his 2005 salary of $12.5 million. He also persuaded ownership into agreeing to take on more payroll.

“We’re taking on some money this year in a year that we’ve stretched the budget about as far as we could,” Jocketty said.