All posts by Brian Walton

Brian Walton runs The Cardinal Nation, covering the St. Louis Cardinals and minor league system.

Cardinals Winter Warm-Up – In Their Words: Saturday, 1/18/25

photo: Winter Warm-Up fan lineup pre-opening (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Saturday’s Day 1 of the 2025 St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm-Up opened its third year at its new venues, Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village. The assembled fans were greeted by cold and windy conditions typical for a Midwest January.

The most popular presentation on day 1 had to be John Mozeliak’s always-informative main stage event, following a Q&A session with the media. The president of baseball operations then signed autographs.

Signing sessions, one or two hours each, with these current Cardinals players were scheduled on Saturday: Thomas Saggese, Erick Fedde, Tink Hence, Chris Roycroft, Sem Robberse, Drew Rom, Victor Scott II, Kyle Leahy, Steven Matz, Ivan Herrera, Ryan Helsley and Brendan Donovan.

Also signing for fans are Cardinals alumni including Al Hrabosky, Scott Cooper, Ray Lankford, Todd Stottlemyre, Kerry Robinson, Jason Simontacchi, Daniel Descalso and Jon Jay. The latter two are current Cardinals coaches.

Before or after they sign for fans and in some cases take questions and answers from fans (new for 2025), players meet with team physicians and are also brought to the media room for individual Q&A sessions.

Following are selected interviews held during the St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm-Up on Saturday, January 18, 2025. I summarize them and follow with the audio for those who want to listen to the full content. Special thanks to Kyle Reis for sharing video, as well.

Check back this afternoon and evening as additional content is added throughout the day.

Chris Roycroft (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Chris Roycroft (7:58)

Took 3-4 weeks off. Different from last year when he pitched in winter ball and didn’t really have any rest. Prioritized rest and recovery this winter.

Weird to talk about experiences last year – it was kind of overwhelming. But felt good about how he handled ups and downs. Learned to accept that going up and down to Memphis was not in his control.

Changed some pitch designs to maximize repertoire. Slider was his worst pitch in 2024. Making it shorter with smaller break. Other offerings are slider and cutter.

Drew Rom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Drew Rom (5:33)

Had shoulder scope last year. Spent off-season in Jupiter working with the rehab team every day. Shoulder getting stronger. Has progressed to batting practice. Should be about two weeks behind in spring training.

Will perform in any role. Have not discussed starting vs. relieving with Cardinals.

Audio:

Video:

John Mozeliak (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

John Mozeliak (28:38)

It has been a different off-season. Elephant in the room is will we move Nolan (Arenado)? Affecting how we round out roster. Offseason is not over – want closure by when camp opens. Have to be patient next 8-10 weeks.

No deadline clearly identified with Arenado but will clearly need to discuss before camp. But Arenado controls timing. Stressful environment.

Likes the starting pitching depth. Doesn’t want to trade them. Want to do more with bullpen. Payroll is going down but have a little bandwidth if needed. The (Houston) trade would have been very helpful (in filling roster needs). Bullpen and RH bat would be areas of more flexibility.

Free agent market is slowing down Arenado process. Under bidders (for free agent Alex Bregman) might have more interest.

Other moves if no Arenado trade – really don’t want to do that. For example, trading position players to achieve financial goals.

McGreevy competing for spot. Veterans there but have not been able to go post to post. Wants to keep rotation depth.

Contreras and Gray staying are not blocking anyone. They needed a first base replacement anyway. Both were asked about by other teams often.

First time in his career that in January that we’ve done nothing with the roster. “Hopeful” of getting Arenado deal done. Coin flip, but top priority of organization. Priorities one, two and three.

Arenado dynamic with team will be fine if he remains.

Helsley has been discussed with ownership and Chaim (Bloom). Mo wants to give them a clean slate for 2026. Roster flexibility.

Revenue is down so expense is down. But will see payroll grow again in future.

Player development growth is 20-25% includes headcount/salaries and technology, not facilities. Mostly headcount.

Haven’t made aggressive free agent offers. Need to do something else first (trade Arenado). Knew early on that Sasaki was not realistic.

Not feeling enormous pressure now. Got a lot done early. It is not a must to trade. Don’t want to tear team apart to get to a number.

Quinn Mathews had a breakout year. His swing and miss ability is vogue in the game. Has a lot of confidence. Sky is the limit.

Asked about Gorman and Walker importance. Mo added Nootbaar. Need to go post-to-post and get 600 at-bats.

No new player injuries reported this winter.

Is in favor of a signing deadline or quiet/dead period during offseason. Players want to know where they will be for the season by January 1.

On high spending teams, there have already been a few teams who could control the market. Some change over time. For last 25 years, Cardinals have punched above weight due to fans and TV contract.

Other teams willing to invest at a higher rate. Cardinals have to find the sweet spot. Not going to be like top spenders.

Audio:

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Victor Scott II (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Victor Scott II (14:57)

Spent three weeks in Jupiter in November. Down there again now.

Needs to study game more, like a classroom, per Willie McGee. Wants to be concrete mentally. Has notebook with tabs for different elements like hitting, baserunning, defense. Pen and paper mentality.

No. 1 memory is making debut in Dodger Stadium.

Physical focus is to turn fastballs into line drives. Brant Brown helping with body movement. Wants to become a hit collector.

Defensively, Jon Jay taught him a routine to help him take better routes and get better first steps. Doing it daily.

Brant Brown has ideas on pitch-to-pitch adjustments, moving body. Told him if he has loose shoulders, he will get under the ball.

Adding a leg kick helped him be athletic and adjustable. Made him more successful.

“Most definitely” coming to camp to win center field job. Mindset to prepare for war (not literally). Michael Siani takes a lot of pride in his defense. Does early work including using a “baby glove” to catch, so Scott now has one too. Took a ball off his mouth early on. Won’t do that again…

Former West Virginia teammate JJ Wetherholt is high energy, great bat-to-ball skills. They golf together. He is in Jupiter now, a Cardinal through and through but “he can’t run with me”.

Learned in 2024 that he can steal bases at this level. Learning more about pitcher tells.

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Sem Robberse (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Sem Robberse (6:35)

Offseason focus has been on the mental part. Checklist. How to attack hitters. Also increasing body weight and power.

2024 injury in back of mind. Was first time hurt. Making adjustments to routine. Finished season healthy. More rest this winter.

Decreased fastball usage in 2024. Went with strengths more. In the middle of the season, he wanted to show every batter every one of his four pitches. Adjusted later in season and stopped that.

Opportunity to join St. Louis is exciting. No interaction yet with new staff.

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Erick Fedde (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Erick Fedde (9:33)

Trying to repeat, refine, build off 2024. Last year, there were questions about his ability to replicate his success in Korea. Proved he belongs.

After joining StL, it took time to get to know catchers and for them to know his style.

Changeup consistency was not the best. Discussed with Dusty Blake. When induced vertical is less than 2, gives up fewer hits. Changed grip, seam shifting, slo-mo, Edgetronic.

In 2022-2023 off-season, moved to Arizona. Use Push Performance for lab, physical therapy, strength, etc.

Last year, was oldest pitcher on White Sox, but was with superstars on Nationals. Look to give back to others what he learned.

Audio:

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Kyle Leahy (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)_

Kyle Leahy (7:09)

Focus is trying to get 1% better in everything he does daily. Has experimented with position on the rubber, adding a two-seamer to run in on right-handers.

Does not look at numbers at all. They take care of themselves. Focus on completing the job that day.

Tough to pack up entire life when sent down. Desire is to get so much better that he isn’t sent down. Sulking wouldn’t help.

Lance Lynn taught him how to be a pro and made him feel a part of the team. Andrew Kittredge was best teammate. Made guys comfortable. Led by example.

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Thomas Saggese (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Thomas Saggese (14:44)

Wants to do more damage and walk more. Arizona Fall League served its purpose. Plan was to chase less and be more patient. Being more selective is something he had never this much emphasis on. Look for pitches in zone, put pressure on pitchers. Wait for pitch to do damage with. Doing game planning, which he did not do in the minors.

Had some arm fatigue at end of AFL. Being more conscious of body so can be ready to play in October.

He doesn’t have to be a different kind of player to be in MLB.

Has not had role discussion with team. Third base is different, less range required. Second base and shortstop, have to come to ball. Hasn’t done a lot of field work in offseason. Taking balls on concrete.

Paid a little attention to Arenado to know he might get a little more time at third base if Arenado is traded.

Audio:

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Sonny Gray (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)_

Sonny Gray (21:44)

Meant what he said 1 ½ years ago that he wants to be here. There is no standout team in the division. Not 100% sold we can’t win here, but it will look different. Have been on teams before that won a different way. Wants to be here, but that could change in future.

Young team, have to turn it over to them. It is their clubhouse and their team. Let them spread wings and fly. Provide guidance and help them. Can’t have young guys walking on eggshells. They have to take ownership to get to next step.

Wants to win. Knows he can still compete at highest level. Winning very important. Young guys throw energy into everyone.

Reset does not shock me though it was not anticipated when I signed. IMO, it is needed. I understand it. If caught in the middle, do you really have a direction you are going after?

Talked with a lot of the older guys. Everyone trying to make best decision for himself. The retool will benefit the organization for the next 10 years.

Wish best for Arenado. Doesn’t change view of whether Cardinals can win or not.

Can’t panic if young guys struggle for first month, two or three. But need 1-2 guys to emerge not expected to become an All-Star caliber player.

Catchers Pages and Herrera complement one another. Room for growth. Contreras tremendous athlete, good work ethic. “Give him a chance (at first base).”

Hard to develop relationships in first year with new team. Second year is easier with mutual understanding and respect.

Audio:

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Steven Matz (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)_

Steven Matz (5:22)

Said he paid attention to rumors because he and his wife had a second child this winter and they wanted to know if they had to relocate or not.

Expecting to start and preparing for that role. Heading to FL in 10 days.

2024 team was still four games over .500 even with guys “like me” who didn’t perform as they wanted. Does not see we have a team that will tank.

In last year of contract and wants to keep playing after. Prove why they signed me.

Had a consistent off-season. No setbacks with his back. Working out three times per week since October.

Audio:

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Brendan Donovan (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Brendan Donovan (16:38)

Opened with a story about how he cut the line to get Sonny Gray’s autograph on a baseball.

Feels healthy and relaxed for year. Ready to go to Florida. Wants to be great teammate and play as hard as hell. Hard to establish identity until kicked in the mouth. Earn trust then hold accountable. Job is to represent the organization in a positive light.

Knowing you will be in the lineup gives a shot of confidence. There is always pressure, but his three focus areas are preparation, mentality and effort.

2025 is opportunity to shock a lot of people. We have a good roster. Players hungry for information to get better, to learn and to prove fans are right. Wants to get organization back into postseason.

Nootbaar can flip an 0-2 count to a walk fast. Hits ball hard. One of game’s best players when healthy.

Compared to when he started, his swing is different. Can’t stand striking out. Going on pitches earlier sometimes. Sometimes have to be aggressive.

Likes Brant Brown. Hit with him an hour ago. Showered and came here. Cleaning up things.

Playing in Rickwood, AL game made him feel like a kid, like a fairy tale. Meant a lot for him to play in front of family and friends. Hopes MLB continues the annual game.

Feels it is his duty to do more. Hosting first-ever charity event this season to raise awareness of veterans issues. Dad is a vet.

Audio:

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Tink Hence (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)_

Tink Hence (10:44)

40-man roster spot is one step away from his dream come true. Put achievements in past and see what’s next.

Last year, learned that he was able to compete without feeling his best, without his best stuff. Trouble with back tightness and could not get extended.

More consistent and dedicated in work off the field. Ball is coming out well this offseason. Hopefully will have full season healthy.

On Quinn Mathews, good to see he was disciplined. On Jimmy Crooks, gritty, works hard, really cares, doesn’t like to lose.

Known for his changeup and fastball. But slider made a big jump in 2024 and curveball is progressing. Can throw any pitch in any count against any batter.

Changed slider grip, throwing harder, but relies on deception more than velocity. Dusty Blake and Keynan Middleton showed him. It is a tough pitch for hitters.

Same offseason work plan, but more committed, conviction. Accepts there will be pain in stretching. Now five bullpens in and it feels nice.

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Ryan Helsley (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Ryan Helsley (10:14)

Blessed to stay healthy all year.

Based on rumors, almost certain he would not be back. Really excited to stay. Grew up as a Cardinal. Never been any talk about a contract extension. Another team probably would have traded him. Appreciate Cardinals for not. Mo told his agent six weeks into the offseason that he would be staying unless there was an offer that blew them away.

We have the players, but need guys to step up. Kittredge and JoJo Romero led league in holds. Fernandez pitched great. O’Brien didn’t but has the stuff. They could step in. Kittredge was a great friend and competitor. Wainwright harped on getting better daily.

Being a free agent next year is pretty crazy, surreal. The average MLB career is pretty short. Been in MLB for seven years. Minter and LeClerc free agent deals are promising. With starters going 4-5 innings, team needs a good pen.

If I am worried about a July trade, then I have the wrong focus. Wants to stay here, but it is a two-way street.

Already talked to arbitration players. Told them not to take it personal. Hearing not fun, but important.

Would be open to start if asked. Had 500 IP in minors as starter. Definitely could do it and have resources to help.

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Jon Jay and Daniel Descalso (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Jon Jay and Daniel Descalso (19:00)

JJ: Nice to just be here again. Reminder of how important baseball is here. After Marlins told him he could talk with other teams, coming to Cardinals happened quickly

DD: Fun to come back and see focus in players from last year.

JJ: Victor Scott is a hard worker, takes to heart. Worked with him five times already. Saw Jordan Walker several times, too.

DD: Big part of job is giving players runway. Offense didn’t perform. Help facilitate comebacks.

JJ: Will work with all players, not just outfielders. Take cues from DD.

DD: JJ was one of the smartest players. Helped position others on defense.

JJ: Tony La Russa taught him attention to detail. Preparation was consistent. Also worked with Dave McKay in Arizona. One of the best ever in consistent preparation.

DD: TLR was always a few moves ahead of the other players. Preparation helps calm nervousness.

JJ: Need to be relatable to players. Use experiences.

DD: Agrees, noting JJ has a ring. Get player buy-in and trust. Had late-career thought that they would coach together.

DD: Players don’t want to believe what is being written (about 2025). Playoff fight should be expectation, winning baseball. No rollover expectation.

DD: Brownie (Brant Brown) is not a magic pill. Players have to make adjustments. Not relaxing. Should be a sense of urgency. League is not ‘try hard’, but is ‘get it done’.

JJ: 2023 Marlins showed we can get better and make playoffs.

DD: Be honest with evaluations. Help players hold each other accountable. Says Jordan Walker needs to hit more line drives and Nolan Gorman needs to make more contact.

DD: Player has to be ready to accept coaching. You are your best hitting coach. No one knows your swing better than you.

DD: Fun to get to know new coaches (in player development). Keeping StL coaches engaged. Respecting Cardinals traditions while bringing new ideas.

JJ: Victor Scott wants to be great. Working on first step and routes. He is all in.

DD: Donovan is the ultimate professional. Plays multiple positions and gains respect. Leadership similar to Goldschmidt. There are a few dynamic personalities in the locker room who could become leaders, but not going to put pressure on them by naming names.

Audio:

Video:

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Insight on Cardinals’ 2025 Player Development and Performance Assignments

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Now Available for Pre-Ordering – 2025 Cardinals Prospect Guide

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All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!

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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

© 2025 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cardinals Invite 26 Non-Roster Players to 2025 Spring Training

photo: JJ Wetherholt (Abbie Schultz/Palm Beach Cardinals)

Top prospects JJ Wetherholt, Quinn Mathews, Chase Davis, Cooper Hjerpe, Jimmy Crooks and Leonardo Bernal highlight St. Louis Cardinals 2025 spring training camp invitee list.

St. Louis Cardinals release

The St. Louis Cardinals announced 26 non-roster invitees to 2025 Spring Training camp today (Thursday, January 16).  Highlighting the list of those set to report to Jupiter the second week of February are three Cardinals first round draft picks and several top prospects.

Each of the club’s three most recent First Round draft picks will participate: SS JJ Wetherholt (2024), OF Chase Davis (2023) and LHP Cooper Hjerpe (2022).  They will be joined by 2024 MiLB & Baseball America Minor League Pitcher of the Year Quinn Mathews, 2024 Texas League MVP and Cardinals Minor League Player of the Year Jimmy Crooks, and catching prospect Leonardo Bernal.

Five players who were acquired this offseason or late last season will report with the big leaguers: RHP Michael Gomez, LHP Oddanier Mosqueda, C Chance Sisco, INF Jose Barrero and OF Ryan Vilade.

Nine non-roster invitees will take part in their first Major League camp including pitchers Ian Bedell, Alex Cornwell, Edwin Nuñez, and Mathews; infielders R.J. Yeager and Wetherholt; and outfielders Nathan Church, Bryan Torres and Davis.

Cardinals 2023 Minor League Pitcher of the Year Max Rajcic returns to St. Louis’ spring roster along with other members who were in camp last season including pitchers Andre Granillo and Drew Rom; catchers Sammy Hernandez, Carlos Linárez, and Wade Stauss; and infielders César Prieto and Jeremy Rivas.  Catcher Gavin Collins will also be in Major League camp, his first with St. Louis.

Following is a positional list of non-roster invite players:

PITCHERS (10): Ian Bedell (RHP, TCN #15), Alex Cornwell (LHP), Michael Gomez (RHP), Andre Granillo (RHP, #39), Cooper Hjerpe (LHP, #7), Quinn Mathews (LHP, #2), Oddanier Mosqueda (LHP), Edwin Nuñez (RHP, #43), Max Rajcic (RHP, #19), Drew Rom (RHP, #45)

CATCHERS (7): Leonardo Bernal (#8), Gavin Collins, Jimmy Crooks (#6), Sammy Hernandez (#20), Carlos Linárez, Chance Sisco, Wade Stauss

INFIELDERS (5): Jose Barrero, César Prieto (#21), Jeremy Rivas (#44), JJ Wetherholt (#1), R.J. Yeager

OUTFIELDERS (4): Nathan Church, Chase Davis (#10), Bryan Torres, Ryan Vilade

Cardinals pitchers and catchers will hold their first practice at the Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium complex on Wednesday, February 12 with the first full squad workout scheduled for Monday, February 17.

Brian Walton’s take

14 of the 26 are members of The Cardinal Nation’s Top 50 Prospect List for 2025. Their rankings are inserted in parentheses above.

Six of the NRIs are among our Top 10 prospects, with the other four having already graduated to the 40-man roster. The six are Wetherholt, Mathews, Crooks, Hjerpe, Bernal and Davis.

Two of the four of the Top 10 who are on the 40-man, Saggese and McGreevy, have debuted with St. Louis, while Hence and Roby are trying to join them.

In spring training, the group of 26 non-roster invitees will join the 39 players currently on the 40-man roster for a camp total of 65.

Of course, additional roster changes could occur between now and February 12.

For transaction and roster information

To see all players in the system by level and position plus every transaction all year ‘round (including these NRIs), check out the always free Roster Matrix here at The Cardinal Nation, refreshed today.

Now Available for Pre-Ordering – 2025 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its eighth year. It includes 256 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Pre-order your PDF or printed book copy today!

All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!

Pre-Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospects – The Newbies

Not yet a member?

Subscribe to The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

© 2025 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wednesday With Walton – January 15, 2025

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by guest analyst Kyle Reis for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

Our podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 20-25 minutes. More information on everything we discuss can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Brian’s guest analyst this week is Kyle Reis, who selected five of the top prospects in the St. Louis Cardinals system to discuss. They are JJ Wetherholt, Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby and Jimmy Crooks. Before that, we touched on some of the 12 international prospects the Cardinals signed earlier in the day.

Check out Kyle’s work at Birds on the Black and his very popular Prospects After Dark interactive podcasts. He is also one of the most informative and entertaining Cardinals related social media follows at @kyler416.

All video of episodes of the return of Wednesday With Walton at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

The audio is also simulcast each week via the Scoops Sports Network and your favorite podcast apps.

Now Available for Pre-Ordering – 2025 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its eighth year. It includes 256 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Pre-order your PDF or printed book copy today!

All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!

Pre-Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospects – The Newbies

Not yet a member?

Subscribe to The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

© 2025 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cardinals Announce 12 International Signings to Open 2025 Period

photo: Miguel Hernandez (Ben Badler photo)

Ten position players and two pitchers representing five different countries are among the St. Louis Cardinals’ first-day 2025 international signees.

St. Louis Cardinals release

The St. Louis Cardinals announced today (Wednesday, January 15) the signing of 12 free-agent players representing the Dominican Republic, Venezuela, Panama, Mexico and Nicaragua on the first day of Major League Baseball’s international signing period for 2025.  Five infielders, four outfielders, two pitchers, and one catcher were among the signees who will all be assigned to the Dominican Summer League.

All of the players are being signed for the 2025 minor league season and are subject to MLB approval.  A complete listing of the Cardinals international player signings is below:

Name                   Pos.       B/T         HT         WT         DOB                       Age Hometown
Michael Cordero 3B R/R 5’11” 185 8/24/2008 16 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
Sebastian Dos Santos SS S/R 6’0” 173 1/29/2008 16 Barquisimeto, Venezuela
Juan Carlos Garcia RHP R/R 6’0” 197 5/30/2008 16 Teran, Nuevo Leon, Mexico
Daniel Gomez RHP R/R 6’2” 183 1/6/2008 17 La Guaira, Venezuela
Miguel Hernández SS R/R 6’0” 165 6/2/2008 16 Pariaguan, Venezuela
Kenly Hunter CF R/R 5’10″ 158 05/09/08 16 Corn Island, Nicaragua
Yostin Peña OF R/R 6’5″ 210 10/19/07 17 Santo Domingo Este, Dominican Republic
Jesus Perez INF R/R 5’10” 162 10/04/07 17 Punto Fijo, Venezuela
Yeferson Portolatin SS S/R 5’10” 159 11/29/2007 17 La Romana, Dominican Republic
Juan Rujano C R/R 6’3″ 200 12/14/07 17 Santiago, Veraguas, Panama
Royelny Strop CF L/L 6’0″ 176 06/04/08 16 Palenque, Dominican Republic
Yordy Valdez CF R/R 5’11″ 155 08/23/08 16 Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic

Brian Walton’s take

Dominican outfielder Royelny Strop, son of former Cubs closer Pedro Strop, had long been expected to sign with the Cardinals. The jewel of this recruiting class from St. Louis is receiving $1.4 million to sign, per journalist Francys Romero. Strop is the no. 28 prospect of the international class according to MLB Pipeline and no. 31 according to Baseball America.

Juan Rujano (Ben Badler photo)

Catcher Juan Rujano will receive a signing bonus of $750,000. Per BA’s Ben Badler, this is expected to be the highest bonus in this class for a player from Panama. Rujano was BA’s no. 67 prospect in the class.

Dominican shortstop Kenly Hunter received a $700,000 bonus plus a $50,000 scholarship. Romero, who reported the information, add that. Hunter’s bonus is the highest given to a Nicaragua-born player since 2013.

Receiving $300,000 was Dominican outfielder Yostin Peña, per journalist Antonio Puesán.

Michael Cordero (Antonio Puesan)

The Cardinals signed another son of a former big-league reliever, third baseman Michael Cordero, whose father is Francisco Cordero. According to Puesán, Cordero’s bonus is $100,000.

Three other Cardinals signees are ranked in BA’s Top 100 international prospects. Outfielder Kenly Hunter from Nicaragua is no. 68, shortstop Miguel Hernandez from Venezuela is no. 88 and shortstop Yeferson Portalatin from the Dominican Republic is no. 96.

What is next

Look for my upcoming interview with Cardinals Assistant General Manager Moises Rodriguez, who has responsibility for the international program. Rodriguez will provide insight on key members of this signing class. This will be for paid members of The Cardinal Nation, so join today and don’t miss out!

For transaction and roster information

To see all players in the system by level and position plus every transaction all year ‘round, check out the always free Roster Matrix here at The Cardinal Nation, refreshed today.

Now Available for Pre-Ordering – 2025 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its eighth year. It includes 256 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Pre-order your PDF or printed book copy today!

All paid members can purchase our Prospect Guide PDF at 50% off. Thank you for your support of The Cardinal Nation!

Pre-Order The Cardinal Nation’s 2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospects – The Newbies

Not yet a member?

Subscribe to The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

© 2025 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Cardinals Claim Lefty Bailey Horn off Waivers

photo: Bailey Horn (Eric Canha/USA TODAY Sports)

The St. Louis Cardinals haven’t been busy in the free agent or trade markets this winter, but they continue to scour the waiver wire for pitching.

On Thursday, January 9, the Cardinals claimed left-handed reliever Bailey Horn off waivers from the Detroit Tigers. That follows the November 1 claim of right-hander Roddery Muñoz from the Miami Marlins. The two pitchers are the only external additions to St. Louis’ 40-man roster to date this offseason.

Horn, 26, has been well-traveled, with the Cardinals his third organization this winter and fifth in the last 12 months. Detroit designated Horn for assignment last week, just over a month after they claimed him from the Boston Red Sox, who had also waived the lefty.

Bailey Horn

Horn did not make his MLB debut until June 29, 2024, with the Red Sox. With Boston last season, he logged a 6.50 ERA in 18 innings on 22 hits and 10 walks against 13 strikeouts.

The Texas native has had some success in Triple-A, with a career 4.95 ERA and 10.6 strikeouts per nine innings, but walks have been a big problem with a 5.1 per nine rate. His fastball approaches the mid-90’s.

Originally the fifth-round pick of the White Sox in the COVID-shortened 2020 draft, Horn was traded to the Cubs in July 2021, only to head back in the other direction last February. Two months later, the White Sox designated him for assignment and subsequently sold his contract to Boston. (Note that Horn joined the Red Sox long after Chaim Bloom left the organization.)

It is unclear how Horn fits in the short term with St. Louis, as the Cardinals are well stocked from the left side of the pen. Incumbents are JoJo Romero, John King, Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson.

However, Horn still has two minor league option years remaining, so he can be stashed in Memphis for when the inevitable in-season needs arise.

The Cardinals used one of their two open 40-man roster spots for the addition of Horn.

For transaction and roster information

To see all players in the system by level and position plus every transaction all year ‘round, check out the always free Roster Matrix here at The Cardinal Nation, refreshed today.

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St. Louis Cardinals 2024-2025 Winter Ball Report – January 7

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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

© 2025 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Six Cardinals Approach Salary Arbitration Deadline

photo: Ryan Helsley (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

An important date in the arbitration process to set 2025 salaries for eligible players occurs on Thursday, January 9. Six Cardinals are included.

Though the St. Louis Cardinals front office has neither signed a major leaguer nor traded any this off-season, they have been busy the last few days.

No, not busy trading Nolan Arenado, but they have been in salary negotiations with six arbitration-eligible players. The six were contractually committed to the Cardinals for 2025 when tendered contracts in November, but because of their MLB service time, their salaries for the upcoming season will be set via the arbitration process.

The six Cardinals are Ryan Helsley (third year), JoJo Romero (second), John King (second), Lars Nootbaar (first), Brendan Donovan (first) and Andre Pallante (Super Two, first).

If the two sides cannot come to an agreement on the amount by 1:00 p.m. ET today, they will formally exchange figures in preparation for a hearing to be held in the January 27 to February 14 time period.

The Cardinals have long followed a process called “file and trial,” which means they will proceed to a hearing with any of the six with whom they don’t reach an agreement today. The only exception would be for a multi-year extension, which could occur at any time pre-hearing, such as with the two-year, $16.5 million deal with Tommy Edman last winter.

As the hearings are held, a panel of three arbitrators listen to the presentations from each side, team and player, and select one pre-submitted amount or the other, with no compromise allowed.

MLB.com is reporting that the Cardinals have discussed multi-year deals with Donovan and Nootbaar, with the former close to an agreement but the latter set to accept a one-year contract.

Update: Shortly after the above comment, MLB.com reversed course, saying that Donovan and the team have had “minimal” talks on a long-term deal and it is not expected today.

Each year, MLB Trade Rumors estimates contract amounts for all eligible players, based on years of experience, position and past performance. Here are their projections for the six, with the total $18.7 million.

2025 Cardinals Arb Year Est ($MM) Team file Player file Actual ($MM) Source
Ryan Helsley 3 $6.9 $8.2 Katie Woo
JoJo Romero 2 $1.9 $2.26 Katie Woo
John King 2 $1.5 $1.605 Ari Alexander
Brendan Donovan 1 $3.6 $2.85 $3.3 Mark Feinsand
Lars Nootbaar 1 $2.5 $2.45 $2.95 Mark Feinsand
Andre Pallante 1 $2.3 $1.925 $2.1 Mark Feinsand
Total $18.7

Update

As noted above, the three most experienced eligible players came to terms with the Cardinals on one-year contracts. The three first timers will head to hearings.

What is next

This article will be updated once the exchanged figures are disclosed and any agreements are made.

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

St. Louis Cardinals 2024-2025 Winter Ball Report – January 7

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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

© 2025 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Wednesday With Walton – January 8, 2025

photo: Nolan Sparks (University of Rochester Athletics)

The Cardinal Nation’s Brian Walton is joined by guest analyst Kareem Haq for a weekly discussion of St. Louis Cardinals news, with a focus on player development and the minor leagues.

Our podcasts are quick hitting and timely, covering a short list of current topics in 20-25 minutes. More information on everything we discuss can be found in articles here at The Cardinal Nation.

Brian’s guest this week is Kareem Haq, who selected eight diverse players in the St. Louis Cardinals system to discuss. They are pitchers Sem Robberse, Jack Ralston, Cooper Hjerpe, Nolan Sparks and Leonel Sequera. Position players are Travis Honeyman, Rainiel Rodriguez and Yairo Padilla.

Check out Kareem’s work at the Birds on the Farm podcast, Redbird Rants and on social media @KareemSSN (X) and @CardinalsProspects (Instagram).

All video of episodes of the return of Wednesday With Walton and Newberry at The Cardinal Nation can be found here.

The audio is also simulcast each week via the Scoops Sports Network and your favorite podcast apps.

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

St. Louis Cardinals 2024-2025 Winter Ball Report – January 7

Not yet a member?

Subscribe to The Cardinal Nation for the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

© 2025 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Projected Top St. Louis Cardinals Stories of 2025

photo: Bill DeWitt III, Bill DeWitt Jr., John Mozeliak, Chaim Bloom (Bally Sports Midwest)

A look ahead to what Brian Walton predicts may become the top stories developing during 2025 for the St. Louis Cardinals.

To begin our annual year-end series, we ranked the Top 10 stories affecting the St. Louis Cardinals in 2024. The number one story was how the drive for veteran leadership failed to bring the Cardinals back into the playoffs, followed by the end of the Goldenado era and the new focus on youth and player development.

The Cardinal Nation’s Top 10 St. Louis Cardinals Stories of 2024

To close the three-article series are my annual predictions of the top story lines that may grab the largest headlines throughout this New Year of 2025.

The top story is customarily the easiest and most logical one – the results of the team on the field during the upcoming season. However, that is assumed so will be excluded from these predictions.

As I compiled the list and set the rankings, I considered the staying power of the story – how long it might remain in the headlines – as well as its potential short- and long-term impact – both on the 2025 Cardinals and the organization’s future.

Without further ado, here are my projected top St. Louis Cardinals stories of 2025. As always, your comments are encouraged at The Cardinal Nation’s free message board.

Prediction
Top Story Predictions for 2025 rank 
How will Youth be Served? 1
Player Development to the Forefront 2
The Arenado Saga 3
Rotation of the Future 4
Gorman and Walker 5
  1. How will Youth be Served?

At the big-league level, the Cardinals are cutting payroll from 2024, with a by-product being a 2025 roster that projects to be much younger than the prior edition.

Gone from 2024 are Matt Carpenter, age 38, Brandon Crawford, 37, Paul Goldschmidt, 36, Lance Lynn, 37, Kyle Gibson, 36, Andrew Kittredge, 34 and Giovanny Gallegos, 32, among others. Remaining in temporary limbo are Steven Matz and Nolan Arenado, both 33 years of age.

Only because they hold no-trade protection, Sonny Gray, 34, and Miles Mikolas, 35, are expected to be back to head the 2025 rotation. Former catcher and new first baseman Willson Contreras has the same contract protection, with the 32-year-old the remaining greybeard on offense.

Who will fill in behind them and how they perform will set the course for the 2025 Cardinals.

With contracts through 2027 and 2028, respectively, will Gray and Contreras become the new faces of the franchise?

Willson Contreras

Another departing face of the franchise in favor of youth is 55-year-old President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak, who will be replaced by 41-year-old Chaim Bloom following the season.

  1. Player Development to the Forefront

One of the few positives from the losing of 2023 is the Cardinals receiving the seventh overall selection in the 2024 Draft, which they used on shortstop JJ Wetherholt.

Even better for 2025 is the Cardinals’ number five position in the upcoming July draft. It is crucial for these very early picks to come through for an organization that is putting in place a major push to restore their player development pipeline to prominence.

In terms of investment, the team is planning an 8-12% increase in player development spending. We’ve already seen future PBO Bloom spearhead the hiring of a new assistant general manager plus multiple directors and coordinators, all from outside the organization, with more to come.

Also expected is the implementation of new tools and disciplines to help the Cardinals catch up with other systems.

It is the team’s long-term bet to reestablish a ready supply of talented (and low cost) players to feed the major league roster. The actions taken in 2025 should give us a better understanding of what is planned and how long it will take to bear fruit.

  1. The Arenado Saga

Acquired to help take the Cardinals to the next level in October, third baseman Nolan Arenado is not a fit with the team’s new direction. Everyone knows that, but the veteran holds the cards as to whether he will accept a trade.

Arenado has already vetoed one trade, to the Houston Astros. Likely his market will not solidify until the top third baseman on the market, free agent Alex Bregman, selects his new team.

Nolan Arenado

However, because of Arenado’s age, declining productivity and large, complex contract, he may not be able to find a new home. That would create a very uncomfortable 2025 for all parties involved.

The Cardinals want the cost savings gained by unloading his contract, and Arenado wants to win a World Series. The sooner they can work this out, the better.

This story could be ranked even higher, but as soon as Arenado is traded, it will become a non-story. Whether that happens in January, March, July or even later remains to be seen, however.

  1. Rotation of the Future

As detailed in our Revisit to the Projected Top Stories of 2024, the Cardinals are no better off now than they were one year ago in identifying their future rotation.

Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz and Erick Fedde are all in the final year of their contract in 2025. Sonny Gray and Andre Pallante should be around through at least 2027.

Andre Pallante

What will happen with the other three spots is unclear. Michael McGreevy seems the first in line if or when a position opens in 2025.

After that is simply a long list of names that may or may not include those who have already been tried, such as Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson. Gordon Graceffo had a brief cup of coffee and Sem Robberse also has a 40-man roster spot.

Also with 40-man berths are high-potential injury risks Tink Hence and Tekoah Roby, but the duo has never pitched above Double-A. Prospect Quinn Mathews will be looking for an opening, as will newcomer Roddery Muñoz.

Finding their next wave of starting pitchers is absolutely crucial for the Cardinals to pull off their “reset” in a relatively short period of time.

  1. Gorman and Walker

The former first rounders have shown the ability to be productive major league hitters. However, neither outfielder Jordan Walker nor infielder Nolan Gorman have been unable to sustain. After having been with St. Louis for almost all of 2023, both spent significant time in Triple-A in 2024.

Both are penciled into the 2025 lineup and them finally realizing their considerable potential would be huge in helping the Cardinals successfully exercise their current “reset”.

This article concludes our annual series for another year, but we will be back in 12 months to see how we did and start the process all over again. Please join us!

Related articles:

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

TCN 2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #2 – Quinn Mathews

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If you enjoyed this article, please consider joining The Cardinal Nation to receive the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

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© 2025 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

Revisiting TCN’s Top St. Louis Cardinals Stories of 2024 Predictions

photo: Oliver Marmol (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Most everyone makes predictions, but who comes back after the fact to self-assess the quality of the guesses? We do in this review of our top stories of the year predictions from 12 months ago.

Seemingly everyone makes predictions, but very few come back after the fact to self-assess the quality of the guesses. When bows are to be taken, memories are crystal clear, but bad takes are often conveniently forgotten.

That isn’t how we do it here at The Cardinal Nation, though. Whether we can strut or must eat a big piece of humble pie, we follow through.

Last year at this time, as in each January, I published my predictions of the topics I felt could evolve into the top five stories across the St. Louis Cardinals organization for the then-New Year of 2024.

Projected Top St. Louis Cardinals Stories of 2024

Now with the benefit of full hindsight, including the Top 10 Stories of 2024 now on the books, it is time to return to my initial forecast.

The original top five projections from a year ago follow, along with where the stories ended up at year end. I won’t be repeating my 2024 summaries here, so click on the article link below if you’d like to read those detailed reports.

The Cardinal Nation’s Top 10 St. Louis Cardinals Stories of 2024

This year, my predictive powers were ok. While all five of my predictions made the 2024 Top 10, it was a stretch to line several of them up.

Here is the scoreboard.

Prediction Actual
Pre-2024 prediction story  rank  rank  Post-2024 actual story
The “Over the Hill Gang” 1 1 Veteran Leadership Not the Answer, Either
Lame duck manager 2 8 Coaches Ward and McGee Replaced
Sorting out pitching prospects 3 5 Move to Reliance on Youth
Going for the Gold(y) 4 2 End of the Goldenado Era
Walker and Winn in year two 5 5 Move to Reliance on Youth

Revisiting my predicted top five St. Louis Cardinals stories of 2024.

  1. The “Over the Hill Gang”

The Cardinals entered 2024 with a five-man rotation who were all between the ages of 32 and 36 and had all been signed as free agents. Three – Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn – were new additions made during the 2023-2024 off-season.

While these moves played into the “veteran leadership” theme for 2024, the real hope was to get more quality innings from the rotation and put less pressure on the bullpen. The cost of the starting five was $62.2 million in salary, over 35% of the team’s payroll expenditure.

Sonny Gray

The approach neither failed, nor was it partcularly successful. Compared to 2023, St. Louis’ 2024 starters threw just 32 more innings for the entire season. Their ERA improved from 26th in MLB (5.08) to 20th (4.33).

So, they were better, but still below average and the group really did not eat any more innings than in 2023.

For 2025, the Cardinals are trying to pivot to youth, but they are severely limited by the large contracts they previously agreed to.

They asked Gray if he would consider a trade, but he declined. Even if he would agree to a trade, Miles Mikolas’ salary compared to his contribution is too big to move. Steven Matz’ contract might be tradeable if the Cardinals would eat considerable salary. July addition Erick Fedde is most appealing to other teams because his 2025 cost is relatively low ($7.5 million).

As it currently stands, the 2025 rotation will still be highly veteran heavy with little apparent upside.

  1. Lame Duck Manager

Coming off 92 losses in 2023, one of the early Cardinals storylines of 2024 was how long they would continue with lame duck manager Oliver Marmol if the team again got out of the blocks slowly.

The Cardinals ended that speculation during Spring Training when they surprisingly announced a two-year contract extension for their manager. That quickly, the story became a non-story.

After the team went 83-79 in 2024, the Cardinals changed their hitting coach and their outfield coach for 2025.

  1. Sorting out Pitching Prospects

After acquiring nine minor leaguers, primarily pitching prospects, at the 2023 trade deadline, it was hoped that the team would use 2024 to determine which candidates were keepers.

With Lynn and Gibson on one-year contracts for 2024 with 2025 team options, they could be kept if the youngsters did not emerge or let go if younger and cheaper options emerged during the 2024 season.

While Lynn and Gibson were in fact eventually let go, the reason was money. In terms of replacements, the team is no better off than they were the year before. In fact, they traded away a valuable position player in Tommy Edman just to get another veteran starting pitcher, Erick Fedde.

For various reasons, primarily injury or ineffectiveness, of the following candidates, just one, Michael McGreevy, has emerged. And he was already in the organization prior to 2023.

Michael McGreevy

Incumbents with Major League experience coming into 2024 included Matthew Liberatore, Zack Thompson and Drew Rom. Other prospects added late in the 2023 season included Tekoah Roby, Adam Kloffenstein and Sem Robberse. Homegrown candidates included Gordon Graceffo, McGreevy and Tink Hence.

  1. Going for the Gold(y) 

2022 National League Most Valuable Player Paul Goldschmidt was heading into the final season of his contract in 2024. Coming off a disappointing 2023, he had the opportunity to earn perhaps a career-ending extension with the Cardinals if he could return his performance to his prior standards.

Paul Goldschmidt

Instead, the 36-year-old fell deeper into a late-career slump and the Cardinals made no overtures to retain his services for 2025. Goldschmidt moved to the New York Yankees as a free agent.

In the fall, the Cardinals announced that catcher Willson Contreras would be moving to first base for 2025.

  1. Walker and Winn in Year Two

Hope for improvement from the Cardinals offense in 2024 was focused on a pair of then-21-year-olds. Right fielder Jordan Walker and shortstop Masyn Winn have been closely linked since they were drafted in the first and second rounds, respectively, in 2020.

Masyn Winn

However, their fortunes in 2024 were very different.

Despite Walker having more MLB experience, it was Winn who took off, becoming one of the league’s best rookies. The Cardinals showed little patience with Walker’s slow start, sending him down to Triple-A in April, from where he did not return until August.

Jordan Walker

Now, with Winn established, the 2025 focus is on Walker and another former first-rounder, Nolan Gorman, to elevate their game.

Next up

In the final article of this annual series, I outline my predictions for the top five St. Louis Cardinals stories of 2025.

Projected Top St. Louis Cardinals Stories of 2025

Earlier article: The Cardinal Nation’s Top 10 Stories of 2024

The Cardinal Nation’s Top 10 St. Louis Cardinals Stories of 2024

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

TCN 2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #2 – Quinn Mathews

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If you enjoyed this article, please consider joining The Cardinal Nation to receive the most comprehensive coverage of the St. Louis Cardinals from the majors through the entire minor league system.

Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

© 2025 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

The Cardinal Nation’s Top 10 St. Louis Cardinals Stories of 2024

photo: Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)

The Cardinal Nation’s annual review of the top stories affecting the St. Louis Cardinals during the prior calendar year is back for 2024, its 20th year. The Top Stories of the Year are based on my view of the importance of the key events surrounding the team during the prior 12 months.

Per tradition, I will follow in subsequent articles with my predictions of the top five Cardinals-related stories ahead in 2025 and audit how well I did in attempting to predict 2024’s biggest news items one year ago.

As a refresher, a link to the top stories of each year from 2005 through 2023 and my start-of-year predictions for 2024 can always be found via “STORIES OF THE YEAR”, located on the red bar on the left side of the page, in the list directly underneath the site logo.

Also, join the discussion about this series at The Cardinal Nation’s free forum.

The Cardinal Nation’s Top 10 Stories of 2024

Many of the top stories of 2024 are about change, which is generally agreed to be necessary. While the Cardinals improved from a 71-win club in 2023 to 83 victories in 2024, they were still a long way from qualifying for October play.

As usual, the number one story reflects the team’s results on the field, but the aftershocks from St. Louis’ second consecutive non-playoff season appear throughout the top 10.

TCN’s 2024 Cardinals Top 10 Stories
1 Veteran Leadership Not the Answer, Either
2 Goldenado Era Ends with a Whimper
3 New Focus on Player Development
4 Major Front Office Changes
5 Move to Reliance on Youth
6 Helsley Sets Saves Record
7 Edman is a World Champion; Fedde is Not
8 Marmol Extended; Coaches Ward and McGee Replaced
9 High Hopes for Wetherholt Draft Pick
10 Ex-Cards Outfielders O’Neill and Carlson on Different Tracks
  1. Ex-Cardinals Outfielders O’Neill and Carlson are on Different Tracks

Much has been said and written about the players the St. Louis Cardinals let get away for a minimal return, only for them to experience success elsewhere. Two of the most prominent examples are outfielders Randy Arozarena and Adolis Garcia.

In the last year, the Cardinals gave up on another pair of outfielders. Rather than high-bonused international signees like the prior duo, Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson were first-round type draft picks. However, only one of the two enjoyed a career boost post-St. Louis.

I say first round “type”, because O’Neill was originally a third-round selection by Seattle, but St. Louis gave up a first rounder (Marco Gonzales) to acquire him. Carlson was indeed a top round addition by St. Louis.

Tyler O’Neill

During their six and five partial years with St. Louis, respectively, both outfielders struggled with injury and inconsistency, leading the Cardinals to finally trade them away for minimal return.

O’Neill was the first to go, dealt to the Boston Red Sox last December. The Cardinals’ take was a non-prospect pitcher who posted a 5.61 ERA in Triple-A (Victor Santos) and a big-league reliever who didn’t make it through August before being waived (Nick Robertson).

O’Neill shined in the 2024 Red Sox lineup. Though he missed time due to injury as usual, he played in 113 games, second most in a season in his career. O’Neill blasted 31 home runs and compiled an .847 OPS. As a free agent this fall, he landed a three-year, $49.5 million contract with the contending Baltimore Orioles.

Dylan Carlson

On the other hand, Carlson opened the season on the injured list again, and upon his return, he could never get untracked. It was a major disappointment, as when it became clear that Tommy Edman would not be ready to go, Carlson had been counted on to man center field for St. Louis. That forced two unproven players, Victor Scott and Michael Siani, to try to pick up the slack at a very thin position coming into the year.

By the July trade deadline, Carlson’s OPS was a meager .515 and most felt that a change of scenery would be best for both parties. He was shipped to Tampa Bay for reliever Shawn Armstrong. The right-hander threw just 12 2/3 innings for St. Louis before being waived after just one month with the team.

Carlson’s new team and league were not enough to significantly improve his fortunes and this fall, the Rays non-tendered him (did not offer him a contract for 2025). Carlson is currently a free agent.

  1. High Hopes for Wetherholt Draft Pick

The ugly 71-win 2023 season put the Cardinals squarely in the 2024 Draft Lottery, from where they received the number seven selection. The club used the pick on University of West Virginia shortstop JJ Wetherholt.

JJ Wetherholt

Prior to a nagging hamstring injury this past spring, Wetherholt was considered a strong candidate to go first overall. As a result, the Cardinals were predictably delighted with their selection, who is considered by some to be St. Louis’ second baseman of the future.

The pick is crucial for the organization as seventh overall is St. Louis’ earliest selection in any draft since they took J.D. Drew fifth in 1997.

The Cardinals fared even better in the 2025 Lottery, snaring the fifth overall spot in the upcoming July draft.

  1. Marmol Extended; Coaches Ward and McGee Replaced

Coming into 2024, manager Oliver Marmol was entering the final year of his initial contract. In a surprise considering the team’s poor performance in 2023, he was given a contract extension during spring training.

Fast forward to the end of a second straight disappointing campaign. With the manager set for two more years, the team decided to make two changes to the coaching staff for 2025.

Hitting coach Turner Ward’s contract was not renewed and coach Willie McGee was reassigned in the organization.

Joining the organization in their places are Brant Brown as hitting coach and former Cardinals outfielder Jon Jay as a coach.

Brown, 53, has held various hitting-related positions with the Mariners, Dodgers, Marlins and Rangers. Jay, 39, played for St. Louis in six of his 12 MLB seasons and was most recently first base and outfield coach under Skip Schumaker with the Miami Marlins.

  1. Edman is a World Champion; Fedde is Not

One of the Cardinals’ most versatile, well-liked and valuable players in recent seasons was Tommy Edman. Offering quality defense at multiple skill positions including shortstop, second base and center field, the switch-hitter was expected to man center for the 2024 Cardinals.

However, his recovery from a nagging wrist injury and resulting surgery dragged on for nine months. While Edman was finally playing in minor league rehab games in late July, the Cardinals traded him to the Dodgers in a three-way deal that netted St. Louis pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham from the White Sox.

At the time of the trade, Edman was only under team control though 2025, but so was Fedde. St. Louis made the move to try to shore up their starting pitching and bench in the hope the new players would add enough to push the Cardinals into the postseason.

Once again, the plan did not achieve its desired result.

Tommy Edman

Edman sparked the World Championship-bound Dodgers lineup and drove in a record-tying 11 runs in the National League Championship Series, for which he was named MVP. He subsequently signed a five-year $74 million contract extension that will keep him with Los Angeles through at least 2029. It is a deal that the Cardinals would likely have shied away from.

Fedde was neither terrible with St. Louis nor as good as he had been in Chicago. Unless traded, he is expected to be St. Louis’ number two starter in 2025 after Sonny Gray. If not dealt this winter, the free agent to be could be on the move at the July trade deadline, unless the Cardinals are surprise contenders. The odds of Fedde remaining a Cardinal long term seem low.

Erick Fedde

Pham was merely a hired hand to try help the poor-performing bench. But when it quickly became clear that he and Fedde were not enough to power the 2024 Cardinals into October, Pham asked to be cut loose. St. Louis placed him on waivers, from where the Royals picked him up.

  1. Helsley Sets Save Record

29-year-old closer Ryan Helsley was not only the most valuable pitcher on the 2024 Cardinals, but he was also arguably the best reliever in baseball.

His 3.0 bWAR dwarfed all other St. Louis hurlers, with Sonny Gray next at 1.9. Even among position players, only Masyn Winn topped him, with Willson Contreras tied.

Helsley was the Cardinals’ representative in the 2024 All-Star Game. After the season, he was named National League Relief Pitcher of the Year and placed ninth in the NL Cy Young Award vote.

Ryan Helsley

The most eye-catching stat from Helsley’s season is his new team-record and MLB-leading 49 saves in 53 chances.

With one final year under team control before free agency, Helsley would be coveted trade acquisition for a contender, but at least for now, the Cardinals say they plan to keep the Oklahoma native in 2025.

  1. Move to Reliance on Youth

As revenues dipped with the team fortunes on the field and their television contract fell in value, the Cardinals disclosed plans to cut their big-league player payroll. The new plan for 2025 is to focus on their younger players.

Especially for an organization like St. Louis that stays clear of high-priced free agents, having success with their first-round draft picks is crucial. A typical first rounder’s signing bonus is two-thirds or more of each year’s draft budget.

As noted above, prior top selections Gonzales and Carlson fell short, as have more recent first-round selections Zack Thompson, Dakota Hudson, Delvin Perez, Jake Woodford and Nick Plummer.

Now squarely under the heat of the spotlight are two other first-round selections who initially experienced major league success only to backslide in 2024. Of course, I am referring to infielder Nolan Gorman and outfielder Jordan Walker.

Nolan Gorman

Ironically, both were drafted as third basemen, but moved to other positions as minor leaguers due in a large part to the multi-year commitment given to Nolan Arenado. With Arenado out of place on a team that hit the “reset” button for 2025, Gorman is considered the likely successor at third.

However, neither Gorman nor Walker is on solid ground as a major leaguer.

As his home runs and batting average dropped and his strikeouts increased, the now-24-year-old Gorman was sent down to Triple-A Memphis on August 21 and he did not return.

Jordan Walker

After a slow start with St. Louis, Walker was optioned out in April and was not recalled until mid-August. The 22-year-old is penciled in as St. Louis’ right fielder for 2025.

Suggesting the Cardinals’ entire youth movement in the near term is centered on these two would be unfair, but it is still a lot closer to the truth than not.

Because they refused to be traded, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras are expected to the the veteran anchors of the 2025 team. But Gorman and Walker achieving the considerable upside that both hold could be the 2025 difference-maker.

On the starting pitching side, it is unclear how many youngsters will slot behind returnees Gray, Fedde and Andre Pallante. Any potential additions to the rotation are currently blocked by veterans Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz, both with bloated contracts compared to their results achieved.

Michael McGreevy

Currently, Michael McGreevy appears to be at the front of the line and should get his shot if Matz is traded.

  1. Major Front Office Changes

In the last year, and more so since the end of the 2024 season, the Cardinals have made sweeping changes to their front office.

President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak confirmed his intention to step down following the 2025 season.

Chaim Bloom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

After focusing on player development in 2025, special assistant Chaim Bloom will take over for Mozeliak, on a five-year contract.

General Manager Michael Girsch was reassigned to a new VP of Special Projects position. The GM job will remain open for 2025, likely to be filled by a Bloom appointee later.

Assistant GM and Director of Player Development Gary LaRocque retired. His job was split into two individuals with Rob Cerfolio the new AGM and Larry Day the new PD director.

Director of Performance Dr. Robert Butler left the organization prior to the 2024 season and his position was unfilled until the Cardinals hired Carl Kochan in December.

Director of International Operations Luis Morales also departed before last season with his position still open.

  1. New Focus on Player Development

As several of the hires outlined above indicate, the Cardinals have made an affirmation to invest and modernize their player development capabilities. They announced an increase of 8-12% in spending in this area, which could be used both for personnel as well as the technologies and the infrastructure to support them.

Rob Cerfolio

On the people side, I touched on the first hire, that of Rob Cerfolio, Assistant General Manager for Player Development and Performance.

Under Cerfolio are Directors Larry Day, Carl Kochan and Director of Pitching Matt Pierpont. One level down are four new coordinators: Ryan Barba, Minor League Field Coordinator; Jose Leger – Assistant Minor League Field Coordinator / Baserunning Coordinator; Austin Meine – Minor League Pitching Coordinator; and Ethan Goforth – Minor League Catching Coordinator.

All these individuals and more will develop the new path that is intended to restore the Cardinals big-league player pipeline to prominence. The ultimate goal is to always have a supply of MLB-ready prospects for the big-league club to call upon.

The 2025 focus will be to lay in place the groundwork. The organization is betting its future on it.

  1. Goldenado Era Ends with a Whimper

As homegrown hitting stars Yadier Molina and Albert Pujols neared the end of their long and productive MLB careers, replacements with that kind of potential impact were nowhere to be found in the system.

Taking a page out of the playbook of Walt Jocketty several decades earlier, the Cardinals acquired a pair of celebrated veteran corner infielders hungry to win their first titles while anchoring the lineup for the organization’s anticipated next period of success.

Only it didn’t work out that way.

Paul Goldschmidt

Prior to the 2019 season, first baseman Paul Goldschmidt was acquired from the Arizona Diamondbacks. He brought with him six straight All-Star appearances, four Silver Slugger Awards, three Gold Glove Awards and four top 10 MVP finishes.

Though his contract had just one year remaining, Goldschmidt agreed to terms on a five-year extension before playing his first game wearing the Birds on the Bat. Other than 2021 and his MVP season of 2022, his other four years as a Cardinal were all below any of his seven peak years with the Diamondbacks. It culminated in a career-low 1.3 bWAR in 2024, his age 36 season.

Equally decorated, third baseman Nolan Arenado was acquired from the Colorado Rockies prior to the 2021 season with the desire to play for a contender. Like Goldschmidt, except for 2022, his other three years with St. Louis did not approach the productivity of any of his final six full seasons with the Rockies.

Nolan Arenado

During the four seasons the two former NL West stars were in the middle of the St. Louis lineup, the trend was not positive. The club dropped two straight Wild Card Series without winning a game followed by two years of playoff misses.

While the team’s results the last two seasons were not all their fault, the facts indicate that the two declined from an aggregate 15.4 bWAR in 2022 to just 3.8 combined in 2024. The drop of 12 wins was almost impossible for the Cardinals to overcome.

St. Louis did not ask Goldschmidt back for 2025 and he subsequently signed with the New York Yankees. With the team’s ‘reset’ and youth focus, Arenado and the Cardinals agreed a trade would be in the best interest of both parties.

Despite a significant future financial commitment to Arenado, the Cardinals worked out a December trade with the Houston Astros, which Arenado turned down. He remains on the trade block.

  1. Veteran Leadership not the Answer, Either

From the 93-win, first place Cardinals of 2022 to the dreadful 2023 result of just 71 games against 91 losses shook the base of the proud franchise. St. Louis finished 21 games behind first-place Milwaukee and five games below perennial cellar-dweller Pittsburgh, the first last place team in the three decades of DeWitt ownership.

The major change made to try to reverse fortunes in 2024 was the signing of three new members of the starting rotation and two reserves, all via free agency. The rallying cry of the need for “veteran leadership” was met by the addition of the five, who were all well into their thirties.

Sonny Gray

The rotation overhaul, led by Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn, was mostly required due to the lack of a pipeline of in-house developed pitchers to step in. None of the three delivered a negative bWAR (though Lynn was close), but they were not the solution, either. Had the rotation been hitting on all cylinders, there would have been no need to acquire Fedde in late July.

Billed as “innings eaters,” over 162 games, the 2024 Cardinals rotation threw just 32 more innings than the 2023 edition, though their ERA was improved.

Due to their relatively high salaries, Gibson and Lynn were not retained for 2025 and the Cardinals probably would have traded Gray, but he blocked that initiative.

The position players, infielders Matt Carpenter and Brandon Crawford, took up two of the Cardinals’ four reserve spots, with the other bench spots a catcher and an outfielder. When neither veteran hit when called upon, it severely limited manager Oliver Marmol’s options.

Brandon Crawford

Carpenter logged a -0.1 bWAR, and Crawford was at -0.2 when released in August. Combine them with Dylan Carlson’s -1.0 before he was traded, and you get the picture. The veteran reserves were not contributing in a positive manner.

This, along with the continued decline of Goldenado and the stumbles of Walker and Gorman, left the 2024 Cardinals with a below average offense, 22nd in runs scored in MLB. Hence the new tagline of going with youth.

For the record, the 2024 Cardinals finished two games above .500, at 83-79, 10 games behind the division champion Milwaukee Brewers. As the direction of the non-playoff season became clear, more and more no-shows leading to sections of mostly-empty seats were evident at Busch Stadium.

Some of the by-products of the continued disappointment in 2024 include our top stories #2, #3, #4, #5 and #8.

Trying to reverse this trend while initiating a ‘reset’ that includes dropping the big-league payroll while increasing investment in player development is the ambitious game plan for 2025.

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In Memory of Former St. Louis Cardinals – 2024

photo: Whitey Herzog

The pending passing of one year to another brings the sobering task of remembering members of the St. Louis Cardinals community who passed away during the prior 12 months.

Among those to leave us during 2024 are well known names including Hall of Famers Whitey Herzog and Orlando Cepeda. Others are so obscure they played in just a handful of games, but all 16 are former St. Louis Cardinals who passed away this past year.

The many former Cardinals still with us include 1954 pitcher Bill Greason, the team’s oldest living former player. The right-hander celebrated his 100th birthday on September 3rd.

In our 19th annual feature, a short remembrance of each of the 16 follows, down from 23 one year ago. We conclude with a look at the St. Louis Browns, as is our annual custom. Fortunately, that section is again short this year.

2024 Cardinals deaths

January 22, Don Lassetter, age 90

An outfielder from the University of Georgia, Lassetter appeared in four games for the 1957 Cardinals, batting .154 in his only MLB experience.

January 26, Jimy Williams, age 81

Most known later for his 12 years managing the Toronto Blue Jays, Boston Red Sox and Houston Astros, Williams’ only time as a major league player came with the Cardinals of 1966 and 1967. A middle infielder, the California native appeared in 14 games, batting .231.

February 4, Brant Alyea, age 81

The outfielder closed his six partial years in the majors with his fourth team. Taking 19 at-bats for the 1972 Cardinals, Alyea hit .158.

Jose DeLeon (St. Louis Cardinals)

February 25, Jose DeLeon, age 63

The native of the Dominican Republic pitched for parts of 13 seasons in the majors, including 1988 through 1992 with the Cardinals. DeLeon had a career 3.76 ERA but finished 33 games under .500 due to pitching for several below-average teams.

DeLeon became a Cardinal when Lance Johnson and Ricky Horton were dealt to the Chicago White Sox in 1988. In 1989, DeLeon led the National League with 201 strikeouts, after ranking third the year before. St. Louis released DeLeon in August 1992, but he pitched for three more seasons in the majors.

April 16, Whitey Herzog, age 92

As Cardinals manager from 1980 to 1990, Herzog led his teams to three (1982, 1985 and 1987) World Series, including the title in 1982, and he ranks third on the franchise’s all-time managerial wins list with 822.

After his time as an outfielder in the majors, Herzog managed Texas, California and Kansas City before joining the Cardinals. With St. Louis, he added general manager duties, enabling him to build a roster that took advantage of Busch Stadium.

His team’s style of play, featuring slap hitting, speed on the bases and tight defense, led to its own term, “Whiteyball”.

The native of New Athens, IL was inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame in 2010, his number 24 was retired by the team, and he was an inaugural member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame (2014).

May 26, Tony Scott, age 72

The center fielder played 11 seasons in the National League including with St. Louis from 1977-1981. Scott was brought to St. Louis by new manager Vern Rapp and had both starting and reserve roles until Whitey Herzog traded him to Houston for Joaquin Andjuar in June of 1981.

After his playing days ended, Scott was a long-time coach in the Phillies organization, including at the major league level from 2001-2003.

Orlando Cepeda

June 28, Orlando Cepeda, age 86

The 11-time All-Star spent fewer than three of his 17 MLB seasons with the Cardinals, but they were highly impactful ones. Cepeda joined St. Louis in May 1966 and became the National League Comeback Player of the Year.

The next season, he led the Cardinals to the World Series title and was unanimously voted NL Most Valuable Player. Cepeda slumped in 1968 as St. Louis won the NL pennant. Before the 1969 season, he was traded to the Atlanta Braves for another future Hall of Famer, Joe Torre.

July 14, Jerry Walker, age 85

As a major leaguer (1957-1964), Walker became the youngest pitcher to start the All-Star Game at age 20 in 1959, representing the Baltimore Orioles. After his playing days ended, he became a coach, scout and front office executive.

From 1995 through 2007, Walker was the vice president and director of player personnel under Cardinals general manager Walt Jocketty. He then followed Jocketty to the Reds.

Walker passed away due to a heart attack in his Ada, Oklahoma home.

July 15, Nelson Chittum, age 91

The right-hander broke in with the 1958 Cardinals and logged a 6.44 ERA in 13 games. Chittum later pitched for the Red Sox in parts of 1959 and 1960.

July 17, Bob Chlupsa, age 88

The right-handed relief pitcher appeared in 15 Cardinals games in 1970 and 1971, with an 8.84 ERA. Chlupsa did not appear in the majors again.

July 28, Doug Creek, age 55

The left-hander was drafted by the Cardinals in the seventh round in 1991 and debuted with St. Louis in 1995. Creek was traded in 1996 to the Giants as part of the deal that brought shortstop Royce Clayton to St. Louis. He later pitched in Japan and for five other MLB teams through 2005.

Creek retired in the Tampa Bay area and passed away due to pancreatic cancer.

September 1, Bob Blaylock, age 89

The right-handed pitcher appeared in 14 games in 1956 and another three in 1959 with St. Louis. That comprised his major league career as Blaylock finished with a 5.94 ERA.

Gaylen Pitts (St. Louis Cardinals)

October 10, Gaylen Pitts, age 78

Signed by St. Louis in 1964, the infielder reached the majors with the Oakland A’s.

Later, Pitts returned to the Cardinals organization and spent 40 years as a minor league manager, coach and talent evaluator. The Arkansas native also coached with St. Louis under Joe Torre and Mike Matheny.

October 22, Fernando Valenzuela, age 63

By the time the Dodgers left-handed pitching icon reached his age 37 season in 1997, Valenzuela was hanging on as a journeyman. The most productive Mexican native in MLB history made five starts with the Cardinals, posting a 5.56 ERA to complete his storied big-league career.

After his retirement, Valenzuela spent 22 years on the Dodgers Spanish language telecasts.

November 4, Don Ferrarese, age 95

In 1962, the left-handed pitcher became a Cardinal, his sixth team in eight seasons. Ferrarese posted a 2.70 ERA in 38 relief appearances to conclude his MLB years.

December 16, Gary Sutherland, age 80

After 12 seasons in the majors, the infielder joined St. Louis for 10 games in 1978 to close his career. With the Cardinals, Sutherland batted .167.

Remembering the Browns

For the second consecutive year, the count of living former St. Louis Browns happily remained the same. As 2025 opens, the total holds at three – of the 764 men who once played for the team that is now the Baltimore Orioles.

The trio of ex-Brownies still with us are Frank Saucier (age 98), Ed Mickelson (age 98) and Billy Hunter (age 96).

Last year’s article

In Memory of Former St. Louis Cardinals – 23 in 2023

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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

© 2024 The Cardinal Nation, thecardinalnation.com. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.

St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm-Up Autograph Prices – 2025

Going all the way back to 2008, I have tracked St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm-Up autograph prices. The just-for-fun exercise looks at the comparative fan popularity of the various players, currently and in the past, as gauged by the organization.

Ideally, all signings will sell out at the highest prices the market will bear. After all, the annual event is a fund-raiser for Cardinals Care, which does so much to help the community, so the needy are the winners.

The three-day Winter Warm-Up fan event is held each January over Martin Luther King weekend. The 2025 dates are from Saturday, January 18 through Monday, January 20 with the event being held at Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village.

Winter Warm-Up fan lineup pre-opening (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

At the time of the initial announcement, on Monday, December 16, 36 individuals from the team’s past and present are scheduled to sign for a fee, plus three others will be available for photos. Autograph tickets are now on sale.

The groupings below are mine, but the prices come from the Cardinals. The “Change” column represents a general comparison to those individuals who had listed prices in 2024 as well.

The top dogs

Top dogs Autograph Change
Brendan Donovan $75 up from $40
Lars Nootbaar $75 up from $50
Jordan Walker $75
Masyn Winn $75 up from $40

The Cardinals refocus on youth is evident by the top four signatures in price at $75 each. These four players – Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, Jordan Walker and Masyn Winn – are the team’s new core. Autograph prices rose accordingly.

2024 leaders Paul Goldschmidt, Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras will apparently not be present in 2025, though the latter three are still on the team.

Middle of the pack

Middle of the pack Autograph Change
Ryan Helsley $50 up from $45
Alec Burleson $40 up from $30
Eric Fedde $30 new
Oliver Marmol $30 down from $40
Miles Mikolas $30 down from $40 in 2023

The next group of autographs are in the $30 to $50 range, led by 2024 NL Reliever of the Year Ryan Helsley. Others include Eric Fedde, at his first WWU, manager Oliver Marmol, Alec Burleson and Miles Mikolas.

Prices for Marmol and Mikolas are down from 2024. Helsley and Burleson are up.

Mid-tier picks

Mid-tier picks Autograph Change
Luken Baker $25
Daniel Descalso $25
Jon Jay $25 last in 2015
Matthew Liberatore $25
Pedro Pages $25 new
Steven Matz $20 down from $30
Andre Pallante $20
Thomas Saggese $20 up from $10
Victor Scott $20 up from $10
Michael Siani $20 up from $10
Zack Thompson $20

The common thread among almost all the players here is that they should make contributions to St. Louis in 2025, but their autograph prices are in the more reasonable $20-$25 range.

This group includes returnees such as Luken Baker, Matthew Liberatore, Andre Pallante and Zack Thompson. New is Pedro Pages at $25. Former players and current coaches Daniel Descalso and Jon Jay will also sign for $25 each.

Up and comers include Thomas Saggese, Victor Scott and Michael Siani. All look to be a good bargain at $20 each.

Value picks

Value picks Autograph Change
Jose Fermin $15
Ryan Fernandez $15 new
Ivan Herrera $15
Matt Koperniak $15 new
Kyle Leahy $15 new
Ryan Loutos $15 new
Michael McGreevy $15 up from $10 in 2023
Riley O’Brien $15 new
Drew Rom $15 up from $10
Chris Roycroft $15 new
Tink Hence $15 up from $10

As members of the 40-man roster (except Drew Rom), these players all have some MLB experience and are looking for more. Of them, each of whom will sign for $15, catcher Ivan Herrera, starter Michael McGreevy and reliever Ryan Fernandez all had a notable 2024 season.

Top prospects

Prospects Autograph Change
Jimmy Crooks $10 new
Sem Robberse $10 new
Quinn Mathews $10 new

This group consists of two non-roster prospects and a 40-man pitcher hoping to make their St. Louis debuts soon. Organization Pitcher of the Year Quinn Mathews is joined by Player of the Year Jimmy Crooks and pitcher Sem Robberse.

Former Cardinals

Hall of Famers (1) Autograph
Tony La Russa $50
Alumni (4) Autograph Last
Matt Adams $20 2017
Jason Isringhausen $35 photo down from $75 signed 2023
Ray Lankford $35 photo down from $75 signed 2023
Ozzie Smith $35 photo down from $50 pre-sign 2024

After the passing of Whitey Herzog during 2024, it is good to see that Tony La Russa will be back and in-person again in 2025.

New for 2025 are tickets for a Red Jacket Photo with a member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame, featuring Ozzie Smith, Ray Lankford and Jason Isringhausen at just $35 each.

Among the missing

40-man missing (10) (8) 2024 Notes
Nolan Arenado $150 in 2023 missed 2024
Willson Contreras $125 see update below
Nolan Gorman $50
Sonny Gray $50 see update below
JoJo Romero $15
John King $10
Gordon Graceffo $10
Matt Svanson new 40-man
Tekoah Roby new 40-man
Roddery Munoz new to org

More names may be added to the 39 scheduled to participate, down from 50 one year ago. Notably missing are 10 of 38 players on the 40-man roster who are not among the initial list of signees. Seven of the 10 have been to prior Winter Warm-Ups.

Some or all could still join the 2025 WWU roster later. The most obvious players missing are Arenado, Contreras, Gray and Nolan Gorman.

Moved on

Nine members of the 40-man roster in January 2024 who signed autographs at WWU last year are no longer in the organization.

Moved on (9) 2024
Tommy Edman $75
Paul Goldschmidt $75 (pre-signed)
Tyler O’Neill $40
Dylan Carlson $35
Kyle Gibson $30
Lance Lynn $30
Richie Palacios $25
Buddy Kennedy $10
James Naile $10

In addition, the quantity of Cardinals alumni signing for a fee has dropped significantly, with another ten names absent from 2024.

StL HOFers (1) 2024
Ted Simmons $50 (pre-signed)
Alumni not back (9) 2024
David Freese $75
Ray King $40
Steve Kline $40
Tony Womack $40
David Eckstein $25
Randy Flores $20
Bo Hart $20
Ryan Ludwick $10
Xavier Scruggs $10

Freebies

Typically, up to two dozen former players and notables sign for free during WWU. When those names are announced, this article will be updated with that information. These tickets will be made available during the second week of January.

Update – January 9

Sonny Gray, at the same price as last year, $50, has been added to the WWU lineup.

Team addition Autograph Chg
Sonny Gray $50

Update – January 7

A limited number of free autograph tickets redeemable at Winter Warm-Up will be available with the following individuals starting Friday, January 10 at 10 a.m. CT at cardinals.com/WWU.

Alan Benes Andy Benes Scott Cooper Bill DeWitt Jr.
Bill DeWitt III Mitch Harris Rick Horton Al Hrabosky
Bengie Molina John Mozeliak Kerry Robinson Xavier Scruggs
Jason Simontacchi Brad Thompson

January 5 update

The Cardinals have added four more names to the paid signing list, increasing the total to 43. Three are alumni, two of whom will be in person. None have been present in recent years.

The other addition is Willson Contreras, who will be signing for $50 less than one year ago’s $125.

Team addition Autograph Chg
Willson Contreras $75 down $50
Alumni additions Autograph Last
Vince Coleman $20 photo 2011
Trevor Rosenthal $20 2017
Todd Stottlemyre $20 pre-2008

In conclusion

The 28th annual Winter Warm-Up, a three-day event, will take place on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend; Saturday, Sunday and Monday, January 18-20, 2025. Three-day event passes are already on sale for $50.

Each individual typically signs for just one or two hours on one of the three days only, so check the detailed event schedule and any restrictions and limits carefully before buying your tickets.

For the first time in 2025, the included tour of the Cardinals Clubhouse has a new option – the opportunity to take photos of the club’s World Series trophies for a $20 advance fee. .

For full WWU information, including signing schedules and ticket ordering, follow this link.

Related event

Many of the event participants also appear at the St. Louis Baseball Writers’ Dinner, always held on WWU Sunday night, January 19 this year. Tickets are $300 and $200. Details here.

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Brian Walton can be reached via email at brian@thecardinalnation.com. Follow Brian and The Cardinal Nation on X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and Bluesky.

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