photo: Keynan Middleton (Kamil Krzaczynski/USA TODAY Sports)
The St. Louis Cardinals added two players to the 40-man roster, including a $6 million reliever, and moved two others off. Our weekly history feature highlights prior team transactions and notable events that occurred during the January 29-February 4 period.
Cardinals sign free agent reliever Keynan Middleton
On Saturday, February 3, the St. Louis Cardinals formally announced they had signed free agent RHP Keynan Middleton to a one-year contract with a club option for 2025. The deal is for $6 million. The option for the second season could make the deal worth $11 million total. The buyout for the 2025 season is $1 million.
The 30-year-old right hander pitched in 2023 for the White Sox and Yankees. Middleton was a third-round choice of the Angels in the 2013 draft. He pitched in four seasons for the Angels. He became a free agent in 2020 and signed with the Seattle Mariners for the 2021 season.
Middleton had a cup of coffee with the Diamondbacks in 2022 before again becoming a free agent. He signed with the White Sox for the 2023 season and was traded in August to the Yankees.
Middleton posted an ERA of 3.38 in 50 2/3 total innings in 2023 during which he struck out 64 hitters. He joins a Cardinals team that has prioritized pitchers with high strikeout rates while rebuilding their pitching staff following a last place finish in 2023.
He joins a bullpen with other new additions for 2023 including Andrew Kittredge, Nick Robertson and Ryan Fernandez.
News and Notes for the Cardinals offseason
This section features offseason news items each week that do not require extensive coverage.
- The Cardinals 2024 spring training informally begins with Truck Day leaving St. Louis on Monday, February 5. Pitchers and catchers will report to Jupiter, FL on February 13. First workouts for pitchers and catchers will be on February 14. Position players will hold their first workout on February 19.
The Cardinals announced their list of 27 non-roster invitees, which includes 14 pitchers, seven catchers, four infielders, and two outfielders.
- The Cardinals have decided to scrap their traditional red jerseys for Spring Training and don their regular white and gray regular season uniforms for the 2024 pre-season.
The move appears to be in anticipation of the unveiling of the Cardinals City Connect jerseys at some point in 2024. MLB guidelines allow teams to have five types of jerseys, two each for home and road, plus one alternative concept. The Cardinals currently sport the white and cream jerseys for home games and the gray and blue jerseys for the road. The City Connect jerseys, when they arrive, will then be the alternative concept, making the spring training red jerseys no longer a viable option.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 1/29 The Cardinals claimed 1B Alfonso Rivas off waivers from the Los Angeles Angels.
- 1/29 The Cardinals designated OF Moisés Gómez for assignment.
- 2/2 The Cardinals sent OF Moisés Gómez outright to the Memphis Redbirds.
- 2/3 The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Keynan Middleton.
- 2/3 The Cardinals designated RHP Guillermo Zuñiga for assignment.
Injury Report
- IF/OF Tommy Edman had arthroscopic surgery on his right wrist in October. The surgery was not publicly announced by the Cardinals, and its occurrence was revealed in several reports on X (formerly Twitter) on January 4. Edman will not be cleared to hit for the start of Spring Training but hopes to play the final two weeks of games.
- During the Winter Warm-Up, POBO John Mozeliak provided updates on Brendan Donovan and Dylan Carlson, both of whom ended the season on the injured list.
Mozeliak stated that both Donovan (elbow) and Carlson (ankle) are expected to be ready to go for Spring Training.
Looking Ahead
Spring Training begins soon. The first workout for pitchers and catchers is on February 14. Position players follow on February 19. The first spring training games are on February 24 with split squads playing the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium and playing the Mets in St. Lucie.
The Cardinals Spring Training schedule can be found here.
The last spring training game in Florida will be against the Astros in Palm Beach on March 24. The Cardinals will then travel to Arizona to play the final two spring games against the Cubs on March 25 and 26.
The regular season begins on March 28 with a four-game series against the Dodgers in Los Angeles. They end the road trip in San Diego with a three-game series beginning April 1.
The Cardinals home opener is on April 4 against the Marlins.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues the look at some notable trades and/or signings that occurred during the offseason each week during January and into February. Other notable events for the week of January 29 through February 4 in addition to player transactions are included.
This is the final installment of this series.
Player transactions
January 29, 1959 – Stan Musial signs one of the first six-figure contracts in National League history. The contract was for $100,000.
February 1, 1985 – The Cardinals acquired Jack Clark from the San Francisco Giants in exchange for David Green, Dave LaPoint, Gary Rajsich, and Jose Uribe.
February 4, 2004 – The Cardinals and Albert Pujols agree to a seven-year, $100 million contract to avoid arbitration.
Other notable events
January 30, 2007 – Max Lanier, left-handed pitcher for the Cardinals, and later, a 2023 inductee to the Cardinals Hall of Fame, passed away at the age of 91.
February 1, 1970 – Jesse “Pop” Haines is elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee. Haines, a right-hander, pitched for the Cardinals from 1920 to 1937.
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