photo: Adam Wainwright (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)
Most 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 have to 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 2023.
Now with the benefit of full hindsight, including the Top 10 Stories of 2023 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 2023 summaries here, so click on the article link below if you’d like to read those detailed reports.
This year, my predictive powers were above average. In fact, for the first time since 2017, all five of my predictions made the 2023 Top 10. However, I still had one major miss. I did not anticipate the Cardinals’ fall from first place to last, but then again, who did?
Here is the scoreboard.
Prediction
Actual
Pre-2023 prediction story
rank
rank
Post-2023 actual story
Firming Up the Rotation
1
2
The Big Sell-Off
6
Gambling on Age in 2024
Contreras Filling Yadi’s Cleats
2
4
Contreras Weathers Bashing
Jordan Walker and the Outfield
3
7
Walker and Winn Arrive
9
Clearing the Bench
Wainwright’s Last Hurrah
4
3
Wainwright Hangs on for 200
New Leaders in the Dugout
5
10
Bench Coach Shuffles
Revisiting my predicted top St. Louis Cardinals stories of 2023 from last January.
Firming Up the Rotation
In January 2023, I wrote about the six veteran pitchers vying for the starting five and how stability from them would be needed for the Cardinals to repeat as National League Central Division Champions.
As we all know, the rotation turned out to be a contributor to the last place finish, leading to a retooling for 2024. Adam Wainwright retired, Dakota Hudson was non-tendered and Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery were traded. The end of July sell-off topic became our no. 2 story of 2023.
Three free agents have been signed to join holdovers Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz in the 2024 version of the rotation. They are Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn and Sonny Gray. Their additions are our no. 6 story of 2023, with a bullet.
2. Contreras Filling Yadi’s Cleats
It was clear coming into the season that the Cardinals’ biggest addition for 2023 would become one of the year’s biggest stories. However, we didn’t know that free agent signee Willson Contreras would be engulfed in public controversy that embarrassed everyone involved.
Yet, by the end of the season, the catcher turned the negatives around by leading the team in OPS and showing leadership and maturity in the process. This became our no. 4 story of 2023.
3. Jordan Walker and the Outfield
The high expectations for top prospect Jordan Walker increased coming into 2023 when the 21-year-old jumped over Triple-A and became St. Louis’ starting right fielder. It wasn’t always easy, but the rookie made progress as the season went on. This became a part of our no. 7 story of 2023.
The fortunes of Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson took a turn downward in 2023, however, due to injury and performance below expectation. Following the season, O’Neill was traded to Boston (part of our no. 9 story), while Carlson is coming into 2024 as the fourth outfielder.
4. Wainwright’s Last Hurrah
The wish of everyone coming into 2023 was that Adam Wainwright’s final season would mirror the 2022 triumph of his longtime teammates Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina.
That did not come to pass, however, with the 41-year-old pitcher’s personal achievement of 200 career wins the only positive in a dismal year for player and team alike. This became our no. 3 story of 2023, though not as hoped.
5. Important New Leaders in the Dugout
Coming into 2023, the Cardinals had three new coaches replacing veterans in arguably the most important non-manager spots on the staff – pitching coach, hitting coach and bench coach.
Looking back, it is difficult to assess the individual contributions of Dusty Blake, Turner Ward and Joe McEwing during 2023, though the latter’s position was held as the year opened by Matt Holliday. McEwing was a quick hire last January when Holliday backed out.
Joe McEwing (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Two of the three will be back in 2024, but the Cardinals replaced the long-time MLB bench coach McEwing after one season in the job with first-time coach Daniel Descalso. The bench coach carousel became our no. 10 story of 2023.
Next up
In the final article of this annual series, I will outline my predictions for the top five St. Louis Cardinals stories of 2024.
Earlier article: The Cardinal Nation’s Top 10 Stories of 2023
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The pending passing of one year to another brings the sobering task of remembering members of the St. Louis Cardinals community who departed this life during the prior 12 months.
Among the almost two dozen Cardinals to pass away during 2023 are two mainstays of the 1960’s teams and team Hall of Famers, catcher Tim McCarver and outfielder-third baseman-broadcaster Mike Shannon.
Those former Cardinals still with us, however, include 1954 pitcher Bill Greason, the oldest living former Cardinals player. The right-hander celebrated his 99th birthday on September 3rd.
A short remembrance of each of the 23 follows in chronological order. We conclude with a look at the St. Louis Browns, as is our annual custom. Fortunately, at least that section is short this year.
2023 Cardinals deaths
January 6, Bill Campbell, age 74
After a tour in Vietnam, the right-hander reached the majors with the 1973 Twins. Campbell became one of the better relievers in the game, and in his best seasons, he received top 10 placements in the 1976 and 1977 Cy Young and MVP voting.
Campbell moved to the Red Sox as a free agent for 1977, then to the Cubs and Phillies before a trade brought him to the Cardinals for the 1985 season. After posting a 3.50 ERA in 50 games, the then-36-year-old logged a 1.42 ERA in six postseason appearances. It was his only playoff action in 15 big league seasons.
After just one year with St. Louis, Campbell was released, finishing his 700-appearance playing career with Detroit and Montreal. He later coached in the Brewers and Red Sox systems. Campbell passed after battling cancer.
Ted Savage (St. Louis Cardinals)
January 12, Ted Savage, age 86
A native of Venice, Illinois, the US Army veteran signed with the Phillies in 1960. Savage reached the majors in 1962 and was traded to the Pirates that fall. Two years later, the part-time outfielder moved to St. Louis in another trade.
Savage spent the 1965 and 1966 seasons in the Cardinals organization, primarily in Triple-A, before his contract was sold to the Cubs in May 1967. He had been a Pacific Coast League All-Star in 1966. Over his partial two-plus years, he had 111 plate appearances with St. Louis, batting .160.
From there, Savage played for the Dodgers, Reds, Brewers and Royals to close out his nine-year MLB career.
Savage later served nine years as athletic director at Harris-Stowe University followed by 25 years in the Cardinals’ Community Relations department before retiring in 2012.
Tim McCarver
February 16, Tim McCarver, age 81
The catcher-turned-broadcaster from Memphis and Red Jacket Club member was one of the last links to the glory days of the 1960s. After playing 21 years over four decades, McCarver then covered a record 23 World Series in the booth before finishing as a part time analyst on FOX Sports Midwest.
Signed in 1959, McCarver spent most of the next four years in the minors before becoming St. Louis’ starting catcher at the age of 21 in 1963. He was a key cog in the Cardinals World Series teams of 1964, 1967 and 1968. McCarver was a National League All-Star in 1966 and 1967 and the latter year, he finished second to teammate Orlando Cepeda in the NL MVP balloting. Amazingly, the catcher led the NL in triples in 1966.
McCarver moved to the Phillies in the 1969 Curt Flood trade and was with Philadelphia for two different stints covering eight seasons. In between, he returned to the Cardinals for 1973 and 1974, also playing a year with Montreal and parts of two seasons with the Red Sox.
He entered the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2017 and retired from broadcasting in 2022 before passing due to heart failure.
February 28, Fred Marolewski, age 94
We move from perhaps the most famous name on this list to the most obscure.
Fred Marolewski appeared in just one game in the majors, with the 1953 Cardinals. On September 19, the first baseman was an end-of-game defensive replacement, but neither touched the ball in the field nor appeared at the plate as the visiting Cubs won in the 12th inning.
Signed in 1948, Marolewski spent three years in the minors before missing two more due to military service in Korea. In 1953, he hit 23 home runs in Triple-A, earning his very brief cup of coffee with St. Louis.
In his eight-year minor league career, he hit 144 home runs over 1,077 games. Post retirement, Marolewski entered the insurance business in his hometown Chicago.
April 6, Hobie Landrith, age 93
The catcher played 13 years in the majors, including two with St. Louis, 1957 and 1958. Landrith first signed with the Reds in 1949 and was with Cincinnati from 1950 through 1955. He moved to the Cubs in 1956 and was dealt to the Cardinals that winter.
In his two years with St. Louis, Landrith appeared in 145 games, batting .232 with a .635 OPS.
After the 1958 season, Landrith became a Giant in a multi-player trade in which Ernie Broglio joined St. Louis. He was one of the original Mets, moved to the Orioles and finished with the 1963 Senators. Landrith coached one year before getting into automobile sales management.
April 24, Dennis Ribant, age 81
The native of Detroit signed with the Milwaukee Braves in 1961 and the pitcher made his major league debut with the Mets upon his acquisition in 1964. Ribant began the life of a baseball journeyman as he moved to the Pirates, then Detroit, the White Sox, back to Detroit and to the expansion Royals.
Coming out of spring training 1969, Kansas City sold Ribant to the Cardinals. With St. Louis, he pitched in one game, allowing two runs in 1 1/3 innings, and pinch-ran for Joe Torre in another contest before being sent down to Triple-A. That June, St. Louis traded him to Cincinnati.
Ribant finished his playing career in the minor league systems of Pittsburgh, San Diego and Philadelphia from 1970-1972.
Dick Groat
April 27, Dick Groat, age 92
The former Duke multi-sport star went on to an accomplished 14-year MLB career as a shortstop, earning eight All-Star Game selections, primarily with the Pittsburgh Pirates.
In 1952, Groat was signed by then-Pirates general manager Branch Rickey. He went on to win the 1960 batting title and was named National League MVP, helping lead the Bucs to the World Championship.
The Cardinals acquired Groat in late 1962. He played three seasons in St. Louis, finished second in NL MVP voting in 1963 and was a key member of the 1964 World Series champions. After a less-productive 1965 season, the then-34-year-old was dealt to the Phillies along with Bill White and Bob Uecker.
Groat retired after the 1967 season with the Giants. In his retirement years, he was a long-time basketball radio commentator and ran a golf course in his native Pennsylvania.
Mike Shannon (Getty Images)
April 29, Mike Shannon, age 83
Shannon was a member of Cardinals World Series teams in 1964, 1967 and 1968 and spent over 60 years with the organization, including 50 as a beloved member of the team’s radio broadcasts.
The St. Louis native and multi-sport prep star broke into the big leagues with the Cardinals in 1962 and became the regular right fielder during the 1964 World Championship season. In 1967, he was moved to third base to make room for Roger Maris. However, his nine-year playing career was cut short in 1970 by a kidney disease.
Shannon, who was also a successful local restaurateur, was enshrined in the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2014.
June 1, Bobby Morgan, age 96
The Oklahoma native signed with the Dodgers in 1944 and after serving in World War II, Morgan reached the majors in 1950. Brooklyn traded the utility infielder to the Phillies in 1954.
Morgan became a Cardinal in 1956 in exchange for Solly Hemus, but the team sent him back to Philadelphia that fall. In his lone year with St. Louis, the right-handed hitter appeared in 60 games, batting .130.
He finished the major league portion of his career with the 1957 and 1958 Cubs before playing through the 1963 season in the minor leagues. Morgan later managed in the Phillies organization and scouted for the Royals.
Roger Craig (St. Louis Cardinals)
June 4, Roger Craig, age 93
Most known for his later success as a long-time coach and manager and teacher of the split-finger fastball popularized by Bruce Sutter and others, Craig earlier spent one season as a pitcher with St. Louis, in 1964.
Craig had been a swingman with two World Champion Dodgers squads in 1955 and 1959 before losing 20 consecutive games for the expansion 1962-1963 Mets. The Cards acquired Craig following the 1963 season and traded him to the Reds a year later.
In the regular season for the World Series-winning 1964 Cards, Craig made 19 starts and 20 relief appearances, logging a 3.25 ERA. He threw five shutout innings in the Fall Classic, earning a win in Game 4 in New York.
June 4, John Glenn, age 94
Before the other John Glenn, there was the former Cardinal.
The Georgia native was first signed by Brooklyn in 1950. Glenn was in his 11th year in the Dodgers’ minor league system when traded to St. Louis in June 1960. The outfielder played in 32 games for the Cardinals that season, but was often used as a pinch runner or late game defensive replacement. As a result, he made just 32 plate appearances, batting .258.
Glenn finished his career in the minors with the Cardinals, Senators, Cubs and Giants from 1961-1963.
June 10, Don Hood, age 73
The left-hander pitched his entire 10-year MLB career in the American League except for 1980, when he joined St. Louis.
Hood, a native of South Carolina, was Baltimore’s first round draft pick in 1969. He reached the majors in 1973 but was traded to Cleveland two years later in a deal that included future Cardinals pitching coach Dave Duncan.
Hood moved to the Yankees in 1979 before signing with the Cardinals as a free agent in 1980. In 33 games including eight starts for St. Louis, he logged a 3.39 ERA, walked 34 and struck out just 35 in 82 1/3 innings.
That October, the Cardinals released Hood and he completed his career with the Royals in 1983.
George Frazier
June 19, George Frazier, age 68
Frazier first signed with Milwaukee in 1976 and was traded a year later to the Cardinals for Buck Martinez. Over the 1978-1980 seasons, the right-hander from Oklahoma appeared in 61 games out of the St. Louis bullpen, posting a 3-11 record and a 3.84 ERA.
Frazier was dealt to the Yankees prior to the 1981 season, where that fall, he set the unenviable record of losing three World Series games. He then moved to Cleveland, the Cubs and Twins. In the latter stop, he was a member of the 1987 World Champions, after which he retired.
Frazier was a long-time broadcaster for the Colorado Rockies.
July 2, Mario Guerrero, age 73
The native of the Dominican Republic first signed with the Yankees in 1968. The right-handed hitting infielder played in the New York farm system until he was dealt to the Red Sox during the 1972 season. Guerrero made his MLB debut with Boston in 1973.
Heading into 1975, Guerrero became a Cardinal in return for pitcher Jim Willoughby. In 64 games that season with St. Louis, he batted .239. After bouncing back and forth between St. Louis and Triple-A, he was dealt to the Angels in May 1976 for two non-prospects.
Guerrero played five more years with the Angels and A’s, with an eight-year career line of .257/.285/.312/.597. He later became a player agent.
July 13, Eddie Bressoud, age 91
The infielder concluded his 12 years in the majors with the 1967 Cardinals.
Bressoud, then an 18-year-old from California, signed with the Giants in 1950. After two years in military service, he first reached the majors in 1956. He was taken by Houston in the 1961 expansion draft but was immediately dealt to Boston. Bressoud hit a career-best 20 home runs in 1963 and batted a career-high .293 in 1964, when he was named an American League All-Star.
Following the 1965 season, Bressoud was traded to the Mets and after a year, another deal made him a Cardinal. In the 1967 season, the right-handed hitter batted just .134 in 76 plate appearances but earned a ring with St. Louis. He was often used as a defensive replacement when light-hitting shortstop Dal Maxvill left for a pinch-hitter.
Holder of a master’s degree, Bressoud managed in the minor leagues for two years before serving as baseball coach, athletic director and in administration at DeAnza College for more than two decades.
August 6, Lee Richard, age 74
The middle infielder was the first-round draft pick of the White Sox in 1970, taken sixth overall. Richard had exceptional speed but was a below average hitter and fielder.
Richard played in Chicago for parts of four of the five years from 1971-1975 before he was traded to the Cardinals prior to the 1976 season. In his only year with St. Louis, the right-handed hitter batted .176 and was released that fall, ending his MLB career.
Pat Corrales
August 27, Pat Corrales, age 82
The nine-year MLB catcher and future manager was a Cardinal relatively early in his career, in 1966. Corrales first signed with the Phillies in 1959 and reached the majors in 1964. The following fall, he became a Cardinal as part of the trade that sent Dick Groat, Bob Uecker and Bill White to Philadelphia.
Corrales appeared in just 28 games for St. Louis in 1966, batting .181 before spending all of 1967 in Triple-A. He was traded to Cincinnati in 1968, where he backed up Johnny Bench until 1972. Corrales finished his playing years with the Padres.
He was a major league manager, the first of Mexican descent, and coach for most of the ensuring three-plus decades.
October 13, Leo Burke, age 89
The infielder-outfielder from Virginia first signed with Baltimore in 1957. Burke made brief appearances with the 1958 and 1959 Orioles before doing the same with the 1961 and 1962 Angels. During the latter season, Burke led the International League with 27 home runs.
St. Louis purchased Burke’s contract in the spring of 1963. After he appeared in just 30 games and hit .204 with one long ball, the Cardinals traded him to the Cubs for Barney Schultz. Burke completed his career with Chicago’s Triple-A club in 1965.
October 23, Tom Walker, age 74
The right-hander was Baltimore’s first round draft pick in 1968 and moved to Montreal in the 1971 Rule 5 Draft. Walker pitched for the Expos primarily in relief from 1972-1974 before spending 1975 with Detroit.
The Cardinals acquired Walker from the Tigers for cash before the 1976 season. He spent most of the year in Triple-A, but with St. Louis, he appeared in 10 games, all in relief, with a 4.12 ERA. Walker was released the next spring.
Walker pitched for the Expos (again) and the Angels in 1977 and briefly in Triple-A in 1978 before retiring. His son Neil became a first round selection by the Pirates in 2004.
November 3, Dennis Higgins, age 84
The former right-handed relief pitcher was a native of and life-long resident of Jefferson City, Missouri. Higgins signed with the White Sox in 1958 and reached Chicago in 1966. He was traded to the Senators in 1968 and moved to the Indians two years later. In a time when saves were different from today, Higgins had double-digit save totals in three consecutive years, 1968-1970.
In July 1971, Higgins’ contract was sold to the A’s, who flipped him to the Cardinals a few days later for Gaylen Pitts, a future Cardinals coach. Higgins remained a Cardinal until September 1972, when he moved to the Padres for cash. But he did not return to the majors.
In his two partial seasons with St. Louis, Higgins appeared in 18 games, with a 3.94 ERA.
Vic Davilillo
December 6, Vic Davalillo, age 84
The native of Venezuela was originally signed by the Reds in 1958 as a pitcher before becoming a center fielder and moving to the Indians system in 1961. After Davalillo won the 1962 International League batting title, he was promoted to Cleveland. There, he earned a Gold Glove in 1964 and made the 1965 All-Star team.
After a year with the Angels, Davalillo became a Cardinal in May 1969 and remained through the 1970 season, when he was dealt to Pittsburgh in the Matty Alou trade.
In his 174 games with St. Louis, Davalillo slashed a respectable .295/.341/.409/.750. The slap hitter collected 23 pinch hits in 1970, one short of the National League record.
Davilillo later moved to the A’s and Dodgers to finish his 16 years in the majors, then continued on in Mexico and played winter ball in his homeland until the age of 50. He passed away following emergency surgery due to an intestinal obstruction and renal insufficiency.
December 12, Larry Miggins, age 98
The New York native signed with the Giants in 1944 and became a Cardinal via the 1947 Rule 5 draft. Other than a week with the Cubs in a pair of waiver moves in 1948, Miggins spent the remainder of his career in the Cardinals system.
The outfielder made one appearance for St. Louis in 1948 before returning to the minor leagues. Miggins was back with the 1952 Cardinals, hitting .229 in 42 games, ending the MLB phase of his career. In nine years in the minors, including four years with Houston, he hit 141 home runs through 1954, but his return to the majors was hampered by his below average defensive skills.
After his playing days, Miggins earned a master’s degree and worked in the justice and court system in Houston, Texas for over three decades. He was inducted into the Texas Baseball Hall of Fame in 2003.
December 14, Ken MacKenzie, age 89
The left-handed pitcher from Canada signed with Milwaukee in 1956 and appeared in 14 MLB games in relief in 1960 and 1961. His contract was sold to the expansion Mets, where he became the only pitcher with a winning record on the ill-fated 120-loss 1962 team.
MacKenzie joined the Cardinals in trade late in the 1963 season. He threw in eight games with a 4.00 ERA with St. Louis. Just two months after he became a Cardinal, St. Louis traded him to San Francisco, where he pitched in 1964 before he concluded his career with the Houston Colt .45s of 1965.
MacKenzie was head coach at Yale University, his alma mater, from 1969-1978.
Remembering the Browns
The count of living former St. Louis Browns remained the same during 2023. As 2024 opens, the total holds at three – of the 764 men who once played for the team. The trio of ex-Brownies are Frank Saucier (age 97), Ed Mickelson (age 97) and Billy Hunter (age 95).
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photo: Oliver Marmol (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The Cardinal Nation’s annual review of the top stories affecting the St. Louis Cardinals during the prior calendar year is back for 2023, its 19th 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 with my prediction for the top five Cardinals-related stories of 2024 and audit how well I did in attempting to predict 2023’s biggest news items one year ago.
A link to the top stories of each year from 2005 through 2022 and my start-of-year predictions for 2023 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 2023
Several of the top stories of 2023 are not necessarily positive ones, but that is what comes with the huge fall from a 93-win team in 2022 to a 91-loss club in 2023.
Bench Coach Shuffles
For a franchise that has valued continuity, the position of the right-hand man to the manager of the St. Louis Cardinals has experienced a very high level of turnover recently.
In the last 15 months, the Cardinals have had four bench coaches. Matt Holliday, who took the job following the 2022 season, replacing then-new Miami manager Skip Schumaker, changed his mind in early January.
Hired to take Holliday’s spot was former Cardinal Joe McEwing, most recently let go by the Chicago White Sox after serving as Tony La Russa’s bench coach in 2022.
Just before Thanksgiving, the Cardinals made what felt like a rush announcement before they were ready to name the rest of the 2024 staff. Another popular former Cardinal, Daniel Descalso, is the new bench coach with McEwing assigned to other duties in the organization. Since retiring as a player, Descalso has one year of front office experience with the Arizona Diamondbacks, but will be making his coaching debut at any level.
Once the other 2024 staff announcements were made, it became clear that this was the only substantive change to the group of coaches who served the team in 2023.
Clearing the Bench
Following the disappointing 2023 season, the Cardinals let four veterans go and traded another away. Several were former starters, specifically outfielder Tyler O’Neill, dealt to Boston for a pair of minor leaguers, and nontendered pitcher Dakota Hudson.
Other role players not offered contracts for 2024 were catcher Andrew Knizner, utilityman Juan Yepez and pitcher Jake Woodford. In the process, the team cleared five spots from the back end of their 40-man roster.
All had been with the club multiple seasons. O’Neill and Hudson debuted in 2018, Knizner in 2019, Woodford in 2020 and Yepez in 2022.
Rolen Enters Cooperstown
Each year, former Cardinals third baseman Scott Rolen inched closer to the 75% support needed to be inducted into the National Baseball Hall of Fame. It finally occurred in 2023, with the announcement in January and his induction ceremony in Cooperstown on July 23. Rolen was already a member of the Cardinals team Hall of Fame.
Walker and Winn Arrive
The Cardinals organization’s top two prospects reached the majors during 2023. Drafted as high schoolers in 2020, right-fielder Jordan Walker and shortstop Masyn Winn are expected to be lineup mainstays for years to come.
Walker, 21, made the St. Louis’ Opening Day roster, skipping over Triple-A, though he was sent down for adjustments from late April until the start of June. He finished the year fifth on the team in home runs (16) and RBI (51). Walker posted a .787 OPS and 115 OPS+, 15% above the league average batter.
Winn, 21, spent the majority of the season with Memphis, successfully ramping up his game offensively. Several weeks after the trade of Paul DeJong, Winn made his St. Louis debut and started at shortstop for the remainder of the season. He batted just .172 in his 37 games, but the current top prospect in the organization is penciled in as the starter at the position coming into 2024.
Gambling on Age in 2024
To meet their self-defined need for three new starting pitchers for 2024, the Cardinals struck early in the off-season. In quick succession, the club signed veteran free agents Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Sonny Gray. The latter finished second in the 2023 American League Cy Young Award vote as a member of the Minnesota Twins.
The Cardinals are looking for more innings from their rotation in 2024, which was an area of prior strength for the trio. However, all are in the latter phase of their careers. Lynn and Gibson are both 36 years old, while Gray, who signed a three-year contract, is 34.
(This story will most likely take on much greater importance among 2024’s top stories once talk is replaced by action. In 2023, no results have been generated by these new arms.)
Freese Declines Cardinals Hall
The Most Valuable Player of the 2011 National League Championship Series and the World Series, David Freese, became eligible for the Cardinals Hall of Fame for the first time in 2023. Likely in a landslide, the popular former third baseman and local product was selected by fan vote, but post-announcement by the team, he then declined to be inducted.
David Freese (USA TODAY Sports Images)
While that is his right, it would have been much better for all had Freese made his feelings known prior to the fan voting rather than waiting until afterward. This approach kept another deserving Cardinal out of the Hall for 2023.
While no Modern Era candidates entered the Cardinals Hall in August, two other accomplished inductees did. They are long-time coach and instructor Jose Oquendo and 1940’s pitching star Max Lanier.
Contreras Weathers Bashing
The Cardinals made an early push in the 2022-2023 off-season to acquire a young catcher in trade to replace retired Yadier Molina. When they were unable to secure either of their top two targets, they pivoted to veteran free agent Willson Contreras. The latter was well-known to the Cards as an offense-oriented catcher and World Champion with the Chicago Cubs.
Though Contreras passed on playing for his country of Venezuela in the spring World Baseball Classic to better mesh with the Cardinals staff, trouble soon ensued. There was anonymous grumbling from the pitching ranks about Contreras’ work behind the plate.
What should have been an internal matter was made public with the team taking Contreras out of the starting catching duties for a time and placing him in the designated hitter spot. They also announced that Contreras would play in the outfield but did not discuss it with the player first.
The entire situation was handled very poorly with the organization looking particularly bad.
To his credit, Contreras kept quiet and played hard. When the season was over, he led the entire team in OPS at .826. Local articles in the 2023-2024 off-season included rave reviews of Contreras’ work from his manager as well as pitching staff veterans.
That is good, because unless his no-trade protection is removed, Contreras and the Cardinals still have four more years together.
Wainwright Hangs on for 200
On a high note, 2022 marked the conclusion of the storied careers of Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina. Their long-time teammate Adam Wainwright, however, decided to pitch one more year, his age 41 season. While he received the same adoration, he did not achieve the same level of success in his swan song.
Initially, it seemed Wainwright’s target of five more wins to reach 200 in his career would be attainable relatively quickly. It did not turn out that way, however, as Wainwright slogged through a miserable season. Likely only because of his franchise icon status did he remain in the rotation as his team cemented its last place standing.
For almost three months, from mid-June to mid-September, Wainwright was stuck on 198 wins, dropping 10 of 11 starts plus a no-decision during that stretch. His year-to-date ERA ballooned from 5.56 to 8.19.
Finally on September 18 at Busch Stadium, in his 21st start, Wainwright earned win no. 200. He did not pitch again. Overall, he went 5-11 with a 7.40 ERA that was highest among all MLB pitchers who made at least 14 starts. As a team, the Cardinals went 7-14 in his outings.
2023 didn’t change Wainwright’s considerable legacy, but the end was difficult.
The Big Sell-Off
By the end of July, the Cardinals seemed doomed to endure a losing 2023 season, with the only real question remaining whether they could escape last place. (They did not.)
For the first time in the almost three decades of the DeWitt group’s ownership, the Cardinals waved the white flag and became major sellers leading up to the July 31 deadline. Five impending free agents were dealt away for prospects, with the primary return pitchers at the Double-A and Triple-A levels.
The former Cardinals are shortstop Paul DeJong plus pitchers Jordan Hicks, Jordan Montgomery, Chris Stratton and Jack Flaherty. The hope is that the young arms acquired in the trades, including Tekoah Roby, Sem Robberse, Adam Kloffenstein, Zach Showalter, Drew Rom and Matt Svanson, can help replenish the pitching pipeline soon.
First to Last
The 93-win, first place St. Louis Cardinals of 2022 now seem to have played a long time ago. As everyone reading this already knows, the 2023 edition almost flipped the table, winning just 71 games against 91 losses. St. Louis finished 21 games behind first-place Milwaukee and five games below National League Central Division perennial cellar-dweller Pittsburgh.
The last place finish was the Cardinals’ first in the three DeWitt decades. In fact, St. Louis had not ended a season in last place in the Wild Card Era, with 1990 their prior most recent basement year. 2023 was only the sixth time in franchise history the club dropped 90 games with the most recent occurrence also in 1990.
It did not come on quickly. In fact, St. Louis spent 145 of the 179 calendar days of the MLB schedule in last place. That included the entire months of June, August and September. In the entire NL, only the Colorado Rockies were worse than the 2023 Cardinals.
The major organizational change to try to reverse fortunes in 2024 is the addition of three new members of the starting rotation (see top story no. 6).
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For the second time in a week, the St. Louis Cardinals have dipped into a non-traditional source for minor league reinforcement. The organization signed 27-year-old Canadian infielder-outfielder Matt Lloyd, who played in independent ball in 2023.
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The first ever “Spring Breakout” is a series of 16 exhibition games to be held March 14-17, 2024 between top prospects of all 30 Major League Baseball teams. The seven-inning games, giving minor leaguers greater exposure, will be held in major league spring training stadiums. Twelve of the 16 contests will precede major league spring training games in a doubleheader format.
The teams of players competing in “Spring Breakout” will be made up of 23 to 27 of that organization’s top minor league prospects regardless of level. Any player who has not exhausted MLB rookie qualification is eligible to participate. So, Masyn Winn and others on down could be asked to play. The rosters of players involved will be announced on March 7.
St. Louis Cardinals prospects will play in two exhibitions. First, they will take on Miami Marlins prospects at 2:05 p.m. ET Friday, March 15 at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. The second half of the twin bill will feature the two major league teams that evening at 6:05 p.m.
The second Cardinals “Spring Breakout” game will be held on Sunday, March 17 against Houston Astros prospects, also at Roger Dean. The doubleheader, starting at 10:05 a.m., will conclude with the major leaguers from St. Louis facing Houston at 1:05 p.m.
Because these are both considered doubleheader days, tickets purchased for the MLB game following are also good for the earlier Spring Breakout game.
Because of geography, 32 games rather than 30 are required to include all teams. With MLB teams split 15-15 between Florida and Arizona, both the Cardinals (Grapefruit) and the Cincinnati Reds (Cactus) will appear in two games so that every other team can play once.
Update
Per MLB, here is the full inaugural Spring Breakout schedule including TV plans for the Cardinals’ games:
photo: Dean Kiekhefer and Cooper Hjerpe (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
St. Louis Cardinals release
The St. Louis Cardinals announced today (Monday, December 11) that they have finalized their Major League coaching staff for the upcoming 2024 season, with two new additions announced, along with 10 returning coaches, and Oliver Marmol, who will be entering his third season as the Redbirds manager.
New additions to the staff for 2024 will be former Cardinals pitcher Dean Kiekhefer as Assistant Pitching Coach and Daniel “DC” MacLea as Major League Coordinator of Technology & Systems. The Cardinals announced Daniel Descalso as their new Bench Coach late last month.
Returning to the staff in their same roles next season will be Dusty Blake as Pitching Coach, Turner Ward as Hitting Coach, Brandon Allen as Assistant Hitting Coach, Julio Rangel as Assistant Pitching Coach/Bullpen, Patrick “Packy” Elkins (Game Day Planning Coach), Stubby Clapp (1st Base), Ron “Pop” Warner (3rd Base), Willie McGee (Coach), Jamie Pogue (Assistant Coach/Bullpen Coach) and Kleininger Teran (Bullpen Catcher).
Kiekhefer, 34, was drafted by the Cardinals in 2010 out of the University of Louisville and pitched in 26 games for St. Louis in 2016. The lefty reliever also pitched for the Oakland A’s in 2018. He first joined the Cardinals minor league staff in December of 2019 when he was hired as the Pitching Coach for State College (A) before the pandemic cancelled the 2020 minor league season. Kiekhefer was the Pitching Coach for Palm Beach (A) in 2021, and served as Assistant Pitching Coordinator for Player Development in 2022 and 2023.
MacLea has been a member of the Cardinals organization since 2018. He was the Technology Integration Coordinator for Player Development in 2022 & 2023, and served as a Performance Specialist from 2018 to 2021.
Brian Walton’s take
Continuity is definitely the word of the day.
Coming into 2023, the Cardinals had 12 coaches on the major league staff, 10 of whom are returning for 2024. Bench coach Joe McEwing was reassigned and replaced by Descalso.
Kiekhefer, who also coached in the 2021 Arizona Fall League, becomes the third pitching coach. While the position is new, the team did not fill Dusty Blake’s old job of pitching strategist when he was promoted to pitching coach prior to last season.
The third hitting coach in 2023 was Daniel Nicolaisen, who resigned late in the season. Elkins took over part of his responsibilities. MacLea’s position is new.
photo: Nick Robertson (Ron Chenoy/USA TODAY Sports)
St. Louis Cardinals release
The St. Louis Cardinals announced today (Friday, December 8) that they have acquired right-handed pitchers Nick Robertson and Victor Santos from the Boston Red Sox in exchange for outfielder Tyler O’Neill.
Robertson, 25, will be added to the team’s 40-player Major League roster, while Santos, 23, will be assigned to the minors.
“As we look to add pitching depth, as well as address concerns on potential playing time in the outfield, we felt this deal worked well in addressing both of those issues,” said Cardinals’ President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak. “We are excited to add Nick to our bullpen, and we feel Victor gives us added depth in our minor league system.”
The 6-6, 265-pound Robertson debuted in 2023 with the Los Angeles Dodgers, the team that selected him in the 2019 MLB Draft (7th round) out of James Madison University. He was traded to the Red Sox on July 25, 2023 in a three-player swap that sent Kiké Hernández to Los Angeles.
Used primarily as a reliever, Robertson has fanned 231 batters over his 184.2 innings pitched as a professional, including 26 in his 22.1 combined innings as a rookie this past season for the Dodgers and Red Sox.
In Triple-A last season, Robertson struck out 58 batters in 42.2 combined innings between Oklahoma City and Worcester.
Santos, a native of Villa Tapia, Dominican Republic was originally signed as an international free agent by Philadelphia in November, 2016. He was traded to Boston in July of 2021 and earned a non-roster invite to the Red Sox Major League spring training camp this past February.
The 6-1, 222-pound Santos missed the 2023 season due to arm discomfort, but has been pitching recently in the Dominican Republic Winter League (LIDOM) for Leones Del Escogido, posting a 3-0 mark with a 2.96 ERA in seven games (5 starts).
Santos combined for 145.0 innings pitched in 2022 between the Portland Sea Dogs (AA) and Worcester Red Sox (AAA), going 10-12 with a 1.27 WHIP in his 29 games (25 starts).
Brian Walton’s take
The Cardinals had made it clear that O’Neill was going to be traded. That left the only questions to be, when, to where and for whom. Now we know.
Robertson reportedly hits 95 mph with his fastball and also relies on a changeup. His third pitch is a slider that is rarely used. Robertson’s MLB ERA is 6.04 and he has two minor league options remaining.
As noted, Santos missed 2023 with an elbow injury, but is currently pitching well in winter ball, a fact which the Cardinals were likely well aware.
St. Louis will achieve net savings of about $5.5 million in 2024. O’Neill is arbitration eligible so his actual salary will be decided via that process. Lars Nootbaar is the likely 2024 starter for the Cardinals in O’Neill’s former left field spot.
The Cardinals’ 40-man roster remains full, with O’Neill coming off and Robertson going on.
Here at The Cardinal Nation, Robertson has been placed on St. Louis’ roster with Santos at Memphis. The Triple-A rotation is already crowded, so it remains to be seen what role Santos plays in 2024.
For more
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.
Since 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. This year’s dates are from Saturday, January 13 through Monday, January 15 with the event being held at Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village.
At the time of the initial announcement, on Wednesday, December 6, 46 individuals from the team’s past and present are scheduled to sign for a fee, 42 of them in person. Autograph tickets go on sale on Monday, December 11.
The groupings below are mine, but the prices come from the Cardinals. The Trend column represents a general comparison to those individuals who had listed prices in 2022 as well.
The top dogs
Top dogs
Autograph
Trend
Willson Contreras
$125
Tommy Edman
$75
Paul Goldschmidt
$75 (pre-signed)
down from $150 (live)
Jordan Walker
$75
up from $30
A year after the team’s three remaining stars were all $150, none of them are currently scheduled to be back in 2024. Adam Wainwright has retired; Paul Goldschmidt will provide pre-signed baseballs only and Nolan Arenado is not listed among the WWU participants.
That leaves second-year Cardinal Willson Contreras at the top priced signature for 2024 at $125. Rising star Jordan Walker shoots up from $30 last year to join Tommy Edman at $75, the same price as Goldschmidt’s pre-signed balls.
Middle of the pack
Middle of the pack
Autograph
Trend
Nolan Gorman
$50
up from $30
Sonny Gray
$50
Lars Nootbaar
$50
up from $40
Ryan Helsley
$45
Brendan Donovan
$40
Oliver Marmol
$40
Tyler O’Neill
$40
down from $50
Masyn Winn
$40
up from $25
Dylan Carlson
$35
down from $50
Two other young faces on the rise, Nolan Gorman and Lars Nootbaar, earned a nice increase to $50, the same price as new starting pitcher Sonny Gray. Outfielders Tyler O’Neill and Dylan Carlson are heading in the opposite direction. (Update: On Friday, December 8, O’Neill was traded to Boston.)
Others among this group at constant prices from last year are closer Ryan Helsley, Brendan Donovan and manager Oliver Marmol. Shortstop Masyn Winn also had a bump from $25 last year to $40.
Mid-tier picks
Mid-tier picks
Autograph
Trend
Alec Burleson
$30
up from $20
Kyle Gibson
$30
Lance Lynn
$30
Steven Matz
$30
down from $40
Matthew Liberatore
$25
down from $30
Luken Baker
$25
Daniel Descalso
$25
last signed in 2014
Richie Palacios
$25
traded on 1/5/24
Andre Pallante
$20
down from $25
Zack Thompson
$20
The common thread among almost all the players here is that they should make major contributions to St. Louis in 2024, but their autograph prices are in the more reasonable $20-$30 range.
This group is pitching-heavy with three members of the projected rotation (Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn and Steven Matz) as well as former prospects Zack Thompson, Matthew Liberatore and Andre Pallante. Hitters include Alec Burleson, Luken Baker and Richie Palacios. New bench coach and former Cardinal player Daniel Descalso rounds out the set. All look to be good bargains.
Value picks
Value picks
Autograph
Trend
Jose Fermin
$15
Ivan Herrera
$15
JoJo Romero
$15
John King
$10
Buddy Kennedy
$10
Packy Naughton
$10
down from $15
James Naile
$10
Michael Siani
$10
As members of the 40-man roster, these players all have some MLB experience but are looking for more. Of them, each of whom will sign for $10 or $15, relievers John King and JoJo Romero along with catcher Ivan Herrera have the best shots of making the opening day roster.
Prospects
Prospects
Autograph
Trend
Gordon Graceffo
$10
back from 2023
Tink Hence
$10
back from 2023
Max Rajcic
$10
Drew Rom
$10
Thomas Saggese
$10
Victor Scott
$10
This group consists of six prospects hoping to make their St. Louis debuts soon. Victor Scott, newcomer Thomas Saggese and Tink Hence lead the way from a group that included Walker and Winn the year before.
Former Cardinals
Hall of Famers
Autograph
Whitey Herzog
$50 (pre-signed)
Ted Simmons
$50 (pre-signed)
Ozzie Smith
$50 (pre-signed)
Tony La Russa
$50
Alumni
Autograph
Last
David Freese
$75
2021
Ray King
$40
2018
Steve Kline
$40
2011
Tony Womack
$40
?
David Eckstein
$25
2021
The quartet of Cooperstown Hall of Famers remain a good buy at $50, though the baseballs from Whitey Herzog, Ted Simmons and Ozzie Smith are pre-signed. It is good to see that Tony La Russa will be back and in-person for 2024.
The group of Cardinals alumni includes several who have not been at Winter Warm-Up for some time. The biggest name (and highest signing price at $75) is 2011 World Series hero David Freese, who declined induction into the Cardinals Hall of Fame in 2023.
Update (12/15)
After tickets went on sale, four additional alumni were added to the roster of priced signers. Two, Randy Flores and Bo Hart, moved from the free to fee designation for 2024.
Alumni additions
Autograph
Last
Randy Flores
$20
2023 free
Bo Hart
$20
2023 free
Ryan Ludwick
$10
2023
Xavier Scruggs
$10
2015
Among the missing
40-man missing
2023
Notes
Nolan Arenado
$150
Ryan Fernandez
NA
new Rule 5
Giovanny Gallegos
DNA
Moises Gomez
DNA
Adam Kloffenstein
NA
new 40-man
Miles Mikolas
$40
Riley O’Brien
NA
new 40-man
Pedro Pages
NA
new 40-man
Sem Robberse
NA
new 40-man
Jared Young
NA
new 40-man
Guillermo Zuniga
DNA
Prospects missing
2023
Notes
Michael McGreevy
$10
Connor Thomas
$10
off 40-man
More names may be added to the 46 scheduled to participate, including 42 in person shown above, but 11 members of the current 40-man roster were not among the initial list of signees. Same for two prospects who signed at the event a year ago.
Of course, some or all could still join the 2024 WWU roster later. The two most obvious players missing from 2023 are Arenado and Miles Mikolas.
Moved on
Moved on
2023
Adam Wainwright
$150
Jack Flaherty
$45
Paul DeJong
$30
Jordan Hicks
$30
Dakota Hudson
$25
Andrew Knizner
$20
Jake Woodford
$20
Chris Stratton
$10
Drew VerHagen
$10
Jake Walsh
$10
Jordan Montgomery
DNA
Juan Yepez
DNA
Genesis Cabrera
DNA
Freddy Pacheco
DNA
14 members of the 40-man roster in January 2023 are no longer in the organization. 10 of them signed autographs at WWU last year.
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 in early January.
Update
The following 14 free signees were announced on January 3. Tickets are available.
Alan Benes
Andy Benes
Gary Bennett
Bill DeWitt Jr.
Bill DeWitt III
Bernard Gilkey
Rick Horton
Al Hrabosky
Kyle McClellan
Bengie Molina
John Mozeliak
Kerry Robinson
Jason Simontacchi
Brad Thompson
In conclusion
The 27th annual Winter Warm-Up, a three-day event, will take place on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend; Saturday, Sunday and Monday, January 13-15, 2024. Three-day event passes are already on sale for $50 for adults and $25 for children 4-15 years of age. Single-Day tickets will go on sale the first week of January. Children under 4 are free.
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 full WWU information, including signing schedules and ticket ordering, follow this link.
Related activity
Many of the event participants also appear at the St. Louis Baseball Writers’ Dinner, always held on WWU Sunday night, January 14 this year. Tickets are $300 and $200 each. Details here.
The St. Louis Cardinals selected two pitchers and two infielders during the 2023 Rule 5 Draft. One of the hurlers, Ryan Fernandez, was taken in the Major League phase.
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Brian Walton reviews the St. Louis Cardinals players eligible for selection in the 2023 Rule 5 Draft as well as using the past to help predict how active the team will be this year.
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The St. Louis Cardinals have come to terms with free agent starting pitcher Sonny Gray on a three-year, $75 million contract, reports Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic.
A later report from Derrick Goold of the Post-Dispatch notes the deal includes no trade protection plus an option for 2027 at $30 million or a $5 million buyout. That makes the maximum value $100 million over four years.
The Associated Press provided key details. Gray will make $10 million in 2024, $25 million in 2025 and $35 million in 2026. The 2027 option is a joint one, in that if the Cardinals pick it up, Gray then has the choice to accept or take the buyout instead. The buyout would be paid in $1 million annual increments starting on January 15, 2027.
The 34-year-old Tennessee resident was the 2023 American League Cy Young Award runner up as a member of the Minnesota Twins. This past season, Gray had an 8-8 record and a 2.79 ERA in 184 innings, with 183 strikeouts against 55 walks and just 156 hits allowed.
The first round pick of Oakland from Vanderbilt in 2011, the 5-foot-10, 195-pounder has 11 years of major league experience. Gray began his big league journey with the A’s (2013-2017), then moved to the Yankees (2017-2018), Reds (2019-2021) and Twins (2022-2023). He was an all-star three times, in 2015, 2019 and 2023. In 2015, Gray finished third in the AL Cy Young vote and was seventh in the NL in 2019.
Over and above his salary, Gray’s cost to the Cardinals was considerable. Because the pitcher turned down a qualifying offer from the Twins, the Cardinals will forfeit their second-round pick in the 2024 draft as well as $500,000 of international free agent spending. This was the same penalty they were assessed in 2023 for the signing of Willson Contreras.
Gray moves to the front end of the aged (or very experienced, depending on your level of optimism) 2024 Cardinals rotation that includes two 36-year-old arms signed last week – Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson. Incumbents are Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz, both on the other side of 30, as well.
With the team having recently committed approximately $48 million additional in 2024 alone for the three new starting pitchers, one is left to wonder if they are now done adding to their rotation. An upgrade of the Matz spot is still possible but would likely require considerable salary relief. Bullpen depth, which has not yet been addressed directly, may be added via free agency or trade.
Gray is the only one of the three new additions committed beyond 2024, meaning the Cardinals will have to re-enter the starting pitching market in 12 months or multiple internal prospects must emerge this coming season.
(To clarify, the Cardinals also hold team options for the services of Lynn and Gibson in 2025. If one or both perform well in 2024, they might be kept a second year, though 2025 would be their age 37 season.)
The deal with Gray has not yet been announced by the team, with it not likely becoming official until after a physical exam is conducted. With his signing, the Cardinals’ 40-man roster will be at 39 players.
Update
The Cardinals confirmed the signing via a Monday afternoon press conference at Busch Stadium.
Sonny Gray (St. Louis Cardinals)
For more
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.
The Cardinal Nation 2023 Prospect Guide is back for its sixth year. It includes a record 292 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of new scouting reports and much more.
The St. Louis Cardinals and veteran right-handed pitcher Kyle Gibson have come to terms on a one-year contract for $12 million with a 2025 option, guaranteeing him at least $13 million. First to report the deal was Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY.
Several days later, the Associated Press shared the contract details. Gibson can receive $500,000 annually in bonus if he reaches 175 innings pitched. His salary is $12 million both years, with a $1 million club buyout if they do not want to exercise year two. Gibson will also receive $1 million if traded.
Gibson is the second 36-year-old innings-eater from Indiana picked up by the Cardinals in the last two days, joining former but returning Cardinal Lance Lynn. As a product of the University of Missouri, Gibson should also have special appeal to a segment of ticket buyers.
Gibson reached the majors in 2013 with Minnesota and pitched for the Twins for seven years. He then moved on to Texas, Philadelphia and Baltimore. His 2023 club was the Orioles, for whom he made 33 starts totaling 192 innings with a 4.73 ERA. That is slightly above his 4.54 career ERA. Last season, Gibson posted a low 7.4 per nine innings strikeout rate, with a walk rate of 2.6 per nine. His 198 hits allowed led the American League in 2023.
Gibson’s durability has to be appealing to the Cardinals. Excluding the COVID-shortened 2020, he made at least 25 starts in nine of the last 10 seasons. On the other hand, as is the case with Lynn, there seems little upside at this late stage of Gibson’s career.
The net of the Cardinals rotation changes to date is that Jordan Montgomery, Jack Flaherty and Adam Wainwright from 2023 have been replaced by Gibson, Lynn and a pitcher to be determined for 2024.
It remains to be seen what kind of pitcher the Cardinals add as the third outsider they had planned to bring in this offseason. At this point, a major gap at the top of the rotation remains.
Among the club’s tentative 2024 starters, Gibson is expected to join Lynn, Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas, all of whom have questions of their own. Lynn led MLB in home runs allowed last season (44), Matz was moved to the bullpen for part of 2023 due to ineffectiveness and Mikolas was MLB’s hits allowed leader last season (226).
Once Gibson’s signing is official, the Cardinals’ 40-man roster will be at 38 players.
The club announced it has signed right-handed relief pitcher Wilking Rodriguez to a minor league contract with a spring training camp invitation. The 33-year-old, a Rule 5 selection from the Yankees last December, cleared waivers and became a free agent eight days ago.
For more
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.
The Cardinal Nation 2023 Prospect Guide is back for its sixth year. It includes a record 292 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of new scouting reports and much more.
photo: Daniel Descalso (Rick Scuteri/USA TODAY Sports)
St. Louis Cardinals release
The St. Louis Cardinals announced today that they have named former Cardinals infielder and 2011 World Series Champion Daniel Descalso to the team’s Major League coaching staff where he will serve as Bench Coach in 2024. Joe McEwing, who was the team’s Bench Coach in 2023, has been named a Special Assistant to President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak.
Daniel Descalso
The team also announced that it still intends to make further additions to its Major League coaching staff for 2024.
Descalso, 37, was a member of the Cardinals from 2010 to 2014, and enjoyed a 10-year playing career that also included stops with Colorado (2015-16), Arizona (2017-18) and the Chicago Cubs (2019). He played in World Series in both 2011 and 2103 with the Cardinals, and will long be remembered by Cardinals fans for his role in the team’s 2011 World Series Game 6 rally, and the decisive Game 5 comeback against Washington in the 2012 National League Division Series.
A Northern California native, who was drafted (3rd round) by the Cardinals in 2007, Descalso served as a Special Assistant to Baseball Operations for the National League Champion Arizona Diamondbacks in 2023.
Brian Walton’s take
This news was first shared on Monday morning by The Athletic’s Katie Woo, though she did not know Descalso’s role at that time. Perhaps the attention primed the team to make this announcement now, even though other changes to the staff for 2024 are not yet complete.
With just one year of front office experience following his playing career, Descalso becomes the Cardinals’ fourth bench coach in the last 13 months. He is 37 years old, the same age as manager Oliver Marmol.
After Skip Schumaker resigned following the 2022 season to become the manager of the Miami Marlins, another former Cardinal, Matt Holliday, agreed to take the job. Several weeks later, however, Holliday changed his mind.
Then deep into the off-season, the Cardinals moved to hire yet another ex-Redbird and then most recently Tony La Russa’s bench coach with the White Sox, Joe McEwing.
Clearly, if former catcher Yadier Molina rejoins the Cardinals organization in 2024, as has been discussed, it will not be as bench coach.
The Cardinal Nation 2023 Prospect Guide is back for its sixth year. It includes a record 292 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of new scouting reports and much more.
In their quest to add innings to a thin rotation, the St. Louis Cardinals have signed journeyman starting pitcher Lance Lynn, according to ESPN’s Jeff Passan.
Right-hander Lance Lynn and the St. Louis Cardinals are in agreement on a one-year contract with a club option that guarantees around $10 million, sources familiar with the deal tell ESPN. Lynn, 36, was drafted by Cardinals and returns, pending physical, as they rebuild rotation.
The one-year contract reportedly has a base of $10 million plus $3 million in incentives and a $12 million club option or $1 million buyout for 2025, per various unconfirmed reports. That makes the minimum guaranteed $11 million for one year. The maximum could be $25 million for two years.
Lynn, 36, was a first (compensation) round pick by the Cardinals in the 2008 draft and reached St. Louis in 2011. He was a part of the 2011 World Series champions and received the first of two career All-Star berths in 2012. However, when Lynn attained free agency for the first time, after the 2017 season, the Cardinals did not try to resign him.
In the six years since then, Lynn has pitched for five teams – the Twins, Yankees, Rangers, White Sox and Dodgers. His greatest success was in Chicago, as he finished among the top six in the American League Cy Young Award balloting in 2019, 2020 and 2021.
Prior to Lynn reaching free agency, the Pale Hose sent him to the Dodgers at the 2023 trade deadline. Between the two stops in his difficult age 35-36 season, the durable right-hander served up an MLB-high 44 long balls on the way to a 5.73 ERA. Lynn fanned 191 and walked 67 in 183 2/3 innings.
What is next?
Looking to the days and weeks ahead, the question remains whether the Cardinals will compete for and win the services of any true front-line starting pitchers, as Lynn no longer fits that bill. Still, they may have plans to add just one other starter.
Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak was quoted recently as saying his club intends to acquire two starters and a swingman this offseason, an apparent step back from his earlier comment that three new starters were desired. Lynn appears to be one of the pair of new starters.
In the club’s tentative 2024 rotation, Lynn is expected to join Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas, two incumbents with questions of their own. The former was moved to the bullpen for part of 2023 due to ineffectiveness and the latter was MLB’s hits allowed leader last season (226).
Once Lynn’s signing is official, the Cardinals’ 40-man roster will be at 37 players.
For more
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.
The Cardinal Nation 2023 Prospect Guide is back for its sixth year. It includes a record 292 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of new scouting reports and much more.
Springfield pitching coach Eric Peterson discusses the St. Louis Cardinals organization’s pitchers who were assigned to the Arizona Fall League’s Scottsdale Scorpions.
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From the Arizona Fall League, pitching coach Eric Peterson outlines his background as well as his view of a number of his pitchers (as well as the catcher) from the 2023 Double-A Springfield Cardinals playoff club.
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The St. Louis Cardinals have declined to offer 2024 contracts to arbitration eligible players Dakota Hudson, Jake Woodford and Andrew Knizner plus Juan Yepez. All four are now free agents.
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The St. Louis Cardinals announced today (Friday, November 17) their 2023 Minor League Player and Pitcher of the Year selections, honoring catcher Iván Herrera(pronounced ee-VAHN) and right-handed starting pitcher Max Rajcic(pronounced like “magic”) for their accomplishments on the field.
“We are proud to recognize Max Rajcic and Iván Herrera as our organizational minor league Pitcher and Player of the Year,” said John Mozeliak, Cardinals President of Baseball Operations. “Iván was a standout at the plate in 2023, making the majority of his starts at a premium defensive position, while Max quickly made his presence on the mound known in his first professional season. We are pleased with how each player competed and developed this season and congratulate them on their numerous accomplishments.”
Herrera, 23, had a breakout season slashing .297/.451/.500 with 27 doubles, 10 home runs, 60 RBI, 66 runs, 11 stolen bases and a .951 OPS across 83 games at Memphis (AAA). The Panama native ranked among the Cardinals minor league leaders in average (5th), on-base percentage (1st), slugging (4th), OPS (2nd), walks (75, 4th), and doubles (5th) (minimum 135 plate appearances). Herrera was the only MiLB player this season to register a .450 OBP and .500 SLG while making at least 375 plate appearances, and the first Cardinals minor leaguer to accomplish that feat since Triple-A outfielder Gene Roofin 1981. He reached base safely in an astonishing 91.6% (76) of his minor league games played this year.
Herrera becomes only the second catcher to win the organization’s Player of the Year award, joining Carson Kellyin 2017. He was also named the Cardinals Minor League Player of the Month for May, the first monthly honor of his career. Following the season, Iván was recognized as an International League Post-Season All-Star and selected as a Triple-A All-Star by Baseball America and a Cardinals organizational All-Star by MiLB.com.
Herrera is the seventh Latin-born Cardinals minor leaguer, and third consecutive, to win Player of the Year honors, joining OF Moisés Gómez (2022), 1B/OF Juan Yepez (2021), OF Magneuris Sierra (2014), OF Oscar Taveras (2012), 3B Albert Pujols (2000) and SS Pablo Ozuna (1998). He was signed as an international free agent in July 2016 and has appeared in 24 games for St. Louis at the Major League level over the past two seasons. Herrera retains his rookie status heading into 2024 and will enter next season as the team’s sixth ranked prospect by Baseball America.
Rajcic, 22, finished his first professional season with a 9-6 record and a 2.48 ERA with 123 strikeouts and a 1.01 WHIP across 23 starts (123.1 IP) split between Peoria (High-A) and Palm Beach (Single-A). The 6’0” right-hander ranked among all Cardinals minor league pitchers in wins (4th), strikeouts (T2nd), ERA (2nd), WHIP (2nd), games started (T3rd), innings (7th), strikeout-to-walk ratio (4.56, 4th) and opponents average (.217, 10th) (minimum 25.0 innings pitched).
After posting a 1.89 ERA with 68 strikeouts to just nine walks in 62.0 innings across 12 starts at Palm Beach to begin the season, Max was promoted to Peoria on June 26. He allowed one-run-or-fewer in eight of those 12 starts, including four scoreless starts of at least 5.0+ innings. At the time of his promotion, Rajcic ranked among all Single-A pitching leaders in wins (6, T1st), WHIP (0.81, 1st), and ERA (2nd) (minimum 50.0 innings pitched).
In his High-A debut with Peoria on June 30, he took a no-hit bid through six innings vs. Cedar Rapids. He built on his strong first half with a 3.08 ERA over 11 starts with the Chiefs, allowing two-runs-or-less in nine of those starts.
Rajcic was named the Cardinals Minor League co-Pitcher of the Month for June, becoming the first Cardinals minor leaguer to take home Pitcher of the Month honors in his first professional season since 2011. He won the award again in August after posting a 1.55 ERA across five starts, becoming only the second Cardinals minor leaguer ever to take home Pitcher of the Month honors twice in his first professional season, joining left-hander Rick Ankielin 1998.
The Orange, California native was recognized as a Florida State League Post-Season All-Star and as the FSL Pitcher of the Year in September. He was also selected as a Low Class A All-Star by Baseball America and a Cardinals organizational All-Star by MiLB.com.
Selected by the Cardinals in the 6th round (187th overall) of the 2022 MLB Draft out of UCLA, Rajcic ended the season ranked as the organization’s 18th ranked prospect according to Baseball America and becomes the third Cardinals minor leaguer to be named Pitcher of the Year in his first professional season, joining Ankiel (1998) and Anthony Reyes (2004).
Brian Walton’s take
Congratulations to the winners of these important annual organizational honors.
Here at The Cardinal Nation, we evaluate the results of all the players in the system side by side and use them to select our own winners. Announced last month, our choices are Rajcic and Herrera’s Memphis teammate Luken Baker.
Those who are paying members can read the article, but the net is that Baker simply had a better 2023 by almost every offensive measure. In many cases (BA, SLG, OPS, HR, RBI), the differences are huge. The only key exceptions in Herrera’s favor are doubles, walk rate and OBP (very slightly – see below).
The last paragraph in the section about Herrera in the release above may offer a clue. Herrera is three years younger and is a more highly ranked prospect than Baker. He also plays at a position of strength for the Cardinals and receiving this award can only make him more attractive in trade.
Also, refer to this statement from above. While it is true, it is cherry picking.
“Herrera was the only MiLB player this season to register a .450 OBP and .500 SLG while making at least 375 plate appearances”.
Baker registered “just” a .440 OBP coupled with an amazing .720 SLG in five more plate appearances than Herrera. Would you rather have the 1.159 OPS guy or the .951 OPS guy as your winner?
Members can read how Rajcic stacks up against others here:
The Cardinal Nation 2023 Prospect Guide is back for its sixth year. It includes 292 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of all-new player scouting reports. Order your PDF copy today! (The printed books are sold out.)
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In an exclusive interview, Cooper Hjerpe discusses his first season pitching in the St. Louis Cardinals system, taking him from the Midwest League to the injured list to the Arizona Fall League. The lefty prospect talks about the ups and downs of 2023, his areas of focus as well as his expected role and plans for 2024.
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In an exclusive interview, shortstop prospect Jeremy Rivas discusses his journey since signing with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2019 that led him to the 2023 Arizona Fall League.
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With Tuesday’s deadline to add eligible players to the roster to protect them from the Rule 5 Draft, the St. Louis Cardinals selected three players. Of course, three others had to give up their spots in return.
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photo: Victor Scott (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
Speedy center fielder Victor Scott is just the second St. Louis Cardinals prospect to ever be recognized as one of the best nine defenders in Minor League Baseball.
Peoria Chiefs release
Former 2023 Chiefs outfielder Victor Scott was recognized by Minor League Baseball and Rawlings International on Tuesday, being named a 2023 Rawlings Gold Glove winner.
Scott, a decorated Cardinals prospect, suited up in 66 games for the Chiefs in 2023 and was an everyday presence in center field. The 22-year-old was promoted to Double-A Springfield on June 27 and finished the year with a .992 fielding percentage over 132 total games. Scott committed just three errors on the season and at one point went 81 consecutive contests without committing an error. The speedster also added on five outfield assists between the two levels.
Nine prospects were awarded with a Rawlings Gold Glove in 2023. Scott was only one of three Midwest League players to be represented. He will receive his Rawlings Gold Glove Award during the 2024 season.
Brian Walton’s take
Scott is only the second Cardinal to receive a minor league Gold Glove, after catcher Carson Kelly in 2015. (They began in 2011.)
Our no. 11 ranked Cardinals prospect continued his strong play in the 2023 Arizona Fall League, where he ranked tied for second in the prospect showcase in stolen bases while leading off and playing center field for the Scottsdale Scorpions.
Among the other recognition recently received by Scott was from Baseball America. The 22-year-old was named the Cardinals organization’s Best Defensive Outfielder, Best Athlete and Fastest Baserunner.
Scott, drafted from West Virginia in the fifth round in 2021, should be making his first appearances on national Top 100 lists this winter.
The Cardinal Nation 2023 Prospect Guide is back for its sixth year. It includes a record 292 pages of in-depth commentary about the very best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including dozens of new scouting reports and much more.
In an exclusive interview from the Arizona Fall League, relief pitching prospect Andre Granillo discusses his turnaround after a rough April to lead the St. Louis Cardinals system in appearances, games finished and saves in 2023.
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From the nine top 50 St. Louis Cardinals prospects eligible for December’s Rule 5 Draft, Brian Walton explains which two are most likely to be added to the 40-man roster for protection first.
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St. Louis Cardinals catching prospect Jimmy Crooks discusses his progress since 2022, results with Peoria in 2023, current assignment in the Arizona Fall League, some of the pitchers he has worked with and much more in this exclusive interview.
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From the Arizona Fall League, St. Louis Cardinals pitching prospect Tekoah Roby discusses his trade from Texas, injury history, system debut with Springfield, current assignment in the AFL and much more in this exclusive interview.
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Remembering the Browns
Cardinals Sign Minor League Infielder-Outfielder Matt Lloyd
In conclusion
Now available – 2023 Cardinals Prospect Guide 