JUPITER, Fla. - New St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak is a lot more media friendly than his predecessor, Walt Jocketty. | MLB page

Mozeliak, 36, took over this offseason after Jocketty's removal. Already, he has presided over significant changes as the Cardinals begin the rebuilding process.

Several prominent players from the 2006 championship team - third baseman Scott Rolen, center fielder Jim Edmonds, shortstop David Eckstein and utilityman Scott Spiezio among them - are no longer with the team.

Mozeliak recently sat down for a 10-minute question-and-answer session with The Associated Press.

AP: What's the biggest difference in your job?

Mozeliak: Just overseeing the day-to-day operations. Now my focus is on a much more global picture of the Cardinals. So far it's been enjoyable, it's been a good spring. We've had a few hurdles along the way but for the most part it's been a good experience.

AP: How much more time is required of you?

Mozeliak: The time commitment has gone up but I've got a really good staff in place and as that starts to evolve at some point it'll probably ratchet back down. This offseason was very long and obviously making the moves we made did create a lot of office time. Now there's some normalcy. It's more like a 12-hour day or maybe 14 hours, depending on what's going on. Obviously in spring training there's a little bit of a laid-back atmosphere.

AP: What's the most important thing you learned from Walt Jocketty?

Mozeliak: Walt was excellent at disseminating information, processing it and being patient throughout the process. It's one of the things I've always admired about him and really hope that's ingrained in me as I move forward.

AP: What's the biggest difference in your style?

Mozeliak: I'm more involved with different aspects of the business. My excitement and appreciation for my new role is being able to cross over and deal with some of the things in the minor leaguers or on the technology side that I'm a fan of. We are definitely cut a little differently and the technology side of the game is something I've always enjoyed and want to continue learn more about.

AP: So would you say you attempt to meld the old and new school?

Mozeliak: I think that's fair to say. The game's changing and the Cardinals need to change with it, and so do I.

AP: How has your relationship with manager Tony La Russa changed?

Mozeliak: Obviously, there's a lot more daily contact than it used to be, and so far it's been great. He's showed me a lot of respect and obviously I admire him and look at what he's accomplished. He's obviously a special guy and a special manager and one that ultimately will end up in the Hall of Fame. I feel really fortunate to be able to work with him being a first year GM because Tony knows how to run his camp, he knows what he expects of his coaches. All of that is really seamless from year to year and I'm grateful for that.

AP: Were there any worries about how you'd be received?

Mozeliak: To say I wasn't cognizant of it wouldn't be fair. But the way he's treated me and the way our offseason unfolded, it was very fortunate. It seemed like we were making the moves he was happy about and it seemed to buy me a little capital early, which was important.

AP: The early part of spring training was marred by the release of Scott Spiezio. Is this an enjoyable time for you?

Mozeliak: The whole process has been really positive. As we get closer to opening day I do feel a little bit of buildup maybe internally, but I would also say I do feel relaxed going into it. You're really only as good as your health and how that's impacted but right now I'm encouraged with all the positive vibes we're getting from our pitching staff in particular.

AP: Is Brian Barton the biggest surprise of camp?

Mozeliak: I wouldn't say he's the biggest surprise. There were a lot of people advocating for him prior to the Rule 5 draft, so I guess what it's really done is allow me to trust a few more people that I might have doubted in the past. It's been real encouraging to see what we've got.

AP: What's your playing background?

Mozeliak: I played to the high school level. I'm left-handed so I played first base. I wasn't very good. But I've always been a big fan of baseball. My grandfather started taking me to baseball games when I was real young and baseball's just always been a part of my life. Oddly enough, now I'm a general manager. Obviously, there's less resistance because look at who's running teams now. More importantly, I did pay my dues. I started at a very low level and grinded it out in the scouting world and learned a lot of things.