photo: Miles Mikolas and Pedro Pages (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The first full week of the St. Louis Cardinals’ 2025 season resulted in a dismal 1-5 record. The offense is scoring runs, but through nine games, the staff ERA is last in the National League. Our history feature lists notable team firsts during this week in the past and present.

Game recaps

Monday, March 31, 2025 – Cardinals 4, Angels 5 (10 innings)

The St. Louis Cardinals lost to the Angels in extra innings on Monday at Busch Stadium. Starter Miles Mikolas pitched 5 1/3 innings, gave up two runs on two hits, struck out three and walked two.

Chris Roycroft threw 2/3 of scoreless inning of relief. Ryan Fernandez surrendered one run in the seventh.  Phil Maton hurled a scoreless eighth. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth. JoJo Romero allowed two runs in the 10^th and took the loss.

The Cardinals went up in the first inning on a solo home run by Lars Nootbaar. Leading off the second, Brendan Donovan hit his own long ball to make it 2-0.

Lars Nootbaar

The Angels scored one in the third, but the Cardinals increased their lead to 3-1 in the fifth. Nootbaar walked and advanced to second on a balk. Luken Baker walked. Nolan Arenado plated Nootbaar on a single.

Los Angeles scored single runs in the sixth and seventh to tie the game. In the top of the 10^th, the visitors put up two runs to take the lead 5-3.  The Cardinals replied with just one run in the home 10^th. Ghost runner Pedro Pages advanced to third on a single by Alec Burleson and came home on a sac fly by Victor Scott.

The Cardinals scored four runs on 11 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-3 with an RBI and two runs scored. Scott was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Baker and Walker were 2-for-4.

On defense, Scott had an outfield assist at second base.

Tuesday, April 1, 2025 – Cardinals 7, Angels 9 (11 innings)

In their second consecutive extra inning home loss to the Angels, the Cardinals fell 9-7. Starter Matthew Liberatore delivered a quality start, pitching six innings with three runs on six hits and four strikeouts.

Kyle Leahy added two scoreless innings of relief. Ryan Helsley tossed a scoreless ninth to keep the score at 3-3, before the game got away in extra innings.

Ryan Fernandez surrendered three runs, two earned, in the 10^th. Chris Roycroft also allowed three runs, two earned, in the 11^th and took the loss.

The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the second inning. In his last action before going on the injured list, Nolan Gorman doubled and scored on a single by Jordan Walker. The Angels took the lead with three runs in the third.

Jordan Walker

St. Louis made it 3-2 in the fourth on a solo home run by Walker and tied the game in the eighth. Lars Nootbaar singled, advanced to second and third on two ground outs, and came home on a throwing error.

In the top of the 10^th, the Angels took a 6-3 lead. The Cardinals answered with their own three runs to knot the game up again. Victor Scott started on second base. Masyn Winn walked. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Scott and Winn came home on a double by Luken Baker. Michael Siani pinch ran for Baker. Siani went to third on a wild pitch. Brendan Donovan walked. Nolan Arenado plated Siani on a single.

Los Angeles again scored three times in the top of the 11^th to lead 9-6, but the Cardinals got only run back in the home 11^th. Iván Herrera started at second base and scored on a single by Scott.

The offense scored seven runs on 11 hits. Walker was 2-for-5 with two RBI. Scott was 2-for-5 with an RBI. Nootbaar was 2-for-6. Baker had two RBI.

On the bases, Walker stole his first base of the season. Scott swiped his fourth bag.

Wednesday, April 2, 2025 – Cardinals 12, Angels 5

The Cardinals avoided being swept at home by prevailing in the final game of the Angels series by the score of 12-5.  Starter Sonny Gray pitched six innings, gave up five runs on five hits and fanned nine.

Phil Maton relieved and threw a scoreless seventh. Kyle Leahy hurled 2/3 of a scoreless inning and JoJo Romero tossed the final 1 1/3 scoreless frames to earn the win.

The Angels took a 1-0 lead in the first inning before the Cardinals re-tied the game in the fourth on a solo home run by Iván Herrera.

Iván Herrera

St. Louis took the lead in the sixth on a two-run home run by Herrera. The Angels answered with four runs in the top of the seventh to go up 5-3.

In the home seventh, the Cardinals scored twice to tie the game again. Masyn Winn and Lars Nootbaar singled. Willson Contreras plated the two with a double.

The Cardinals posted a seven-run eighth to break open the game. Jordan Walker singled. Victor Scott and Winn followed with bunt singles. Contreras walked and Walker scored. Scott came home on an Alec Burleson walk. Nolan Arenado plated Winn and Contreras on a single. Herrera blasted a three-run home run.

The Cardinals scored 12 runs on 12 hits. Herrera was 3-for-4 with three home runs and six RBI. Arenado was 2-for-3 with two RBI and two runs scored. Nootbaar was 2-for-5. Winn was 2-for-4 with two runs. Contreras had two RBI.

Thursday, April 3, 2025 – Off day

Friday, April 4, 2025 – Cardinals 9 at Red Sox 13

The Cardinals lost to the Red Sox by a 13-9 score in Boston on Friday. Starter Erick Fedde pitched three innings, gave up six runs on five hits, struck out one and walked four. Fedde took the loss.

Steven Matz relieved Fedde and surrendered two runs in three innings of relief. Ryan Fernandez allowed three runs in 2/3 of an inning. John King yielded two runs in one inning. Chris Roycroft secured the final out of the eighth.

The Red Sox took a 5-0 lead in the first inning. The Cardinals put up one run in the top of the third. Victor Scott walked. Masyn Winn singled. Lars Nootbaar plated Scott on a single.

Boston made it 6-1 in the home third before St. Louis responded with three runs in the fourth to shrink the lead to 6-4. Nolan Arenado doubled. Alec Burleson singled. Red hot Iván Herrera hit a three-run home run to right center field.

The Cardinals added a run in the top of the fifth to close the gap to 6-5 on a solo home run by Brendan Donovan. The Red Sox immediately answered with two runs in the home fifth to widen the lead to 8-5.

Brendan Donovan

In the top of the seventh, the Cardinals scored one run. Nootbaar doubled and scored on a single by Donovan. Boston responded with three runs in the bottom of the inning to increase the lead to 11-6. The Red Sox added two runs in the eighth for a 13-6 tally.

The Cardinals battled back in the ninth to make it a closer loss with three runs. Winn singled. Nootbaar reached on a fielder’s choice, and Winn advanced to second on an error. Willson Contreras drove in Winn on a single. Donovan plated Nootbaar on a single. Contreras scored on a fielder’s choice by Arenado.

The offense scored nine runs on 13 hits. Donovan was 3-for-5 with three RBI. Nootbaar was 2-for-5 with an RBI and two runs scored. Alec Burleson was 3-for-4. Winn was 2-for-4. Herrera had three RBI.

On the bases, Jordan Walker stole his second base of the season. On defense, Walker had an outfield assist at second base.

Saturday, April 5, 2025 – Cardinals at Red Sox (postponed)

Saturday afternoon’s game was postponed due to inclement weather. A doubleheader was played on Sunday.

Sunday, April 6, 2025 – Cardinals 4 at Red Sox 5 (10 innings, game one)

The Cardinals lost a heartbreaker to Boston in extra innings in the first game of a twin bill at Fenway Park. Starter Andre Pallante pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up two runs on four hits, fanned six and walked three.

Kyle Leahy threw 1 2/3 scoreless innings of relief. JoJo Romero hurled 1 1/3 scoreless innings. Phil Maton pitched 2/3 of a scoreless inning. Pitching the bottom of the ninth with a two-run lead, Ryan Helsley blew his first save of the season which sent the game into extra innings.  Ryan Fernandez gave up the walk off run in the 10^th.

The Cardinals scored first with in the top of the fourth. Jordan Walker and Victor Scott singled. Masyn Winn plated Walker on a single. The Red Sox immediately tied the game in the home fourth.

Boston took a 2-1 lead in the fifth before St. Louis tied the game in the sixth. Thomas Saggese and Masyn Winn singled. Pedro Pagés’ ground rule double scored Saggese.

St. Louis took a 4-2 lead in the eighth. Scott walked. Winn was hit by a pitch. Pagés doubled to drive in Scott and Winn.

Pedro Pagés

In Game 2, the Cardinals scored four runs on 11 hits. Pagés was 2-for-4 with three RBI. Winn was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Walker was 2-for-4.

To make matters worse, Ivan Herrera had to leave the game with a knee injury that will lead to time on the injured list. His replacement Pagés picked a runner off first base.

Sunday, April 6, 2025 – Cardinals 7 at Red Sox 18 (game two)

In a miserable Sunday night Game 2 loss to the Red Sox, the Cardinals were swept in the three-game series. Starter Miles Mikolas was awful, lasting only 2 2/3 innings while giving up a whopping nine runs, eight earned, on 11 hits, striking out one and walking one to earn the loss.

Gordon Graceffo, called up as the 27^th man for the doubleheader, couldn’t stop the onslaught, surrendering seven runs in three innings of relief. John King yielded two runs, one earned, in 2/3 of an inning. Chris Roycroft pitched the final 1 2/3 innings and was the only Cardinal pitcher to not give up any runs.

The Cardinals took a 1-0 lead in the top of the first inning. Willson Contreras doubled and scored on a double by Brendan Donovan. The Red Sox immediately tied the game in the home first.

Boston piled on five runs in the second and four in the third to lead 10-1. The Cardinals managed a second run in the fourth. Alec Burleson doubled and later scored on a single by Masyn Winn.

The Red Sox added an 11^th run in the fifth, then blew up the score further with five runs in the sixth to lead 16-2.

In the top of the seventh, the Cardinals cut the lead to 16-3. Lars Nootbaar reached on an error and later came home on a sac fly by Thomas Saggese. In the bottom of the seventh, Boston added two runs and it was 18-3.

The Cardinals made it less embarrassing in the ninth, with four runs to bring the final score to 18-7. Masyn Winn singled and Luken Baker reached on an error. Brendan Donovan plated Winn on double. Thomas Saggese then hit a three-run home run to left center field.

Thomas Saggese

The Cardinals scored seven runs on 12 hits. Donovan was 3-for-4 with two RBI. Winn was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Contreras was 2-for-3. Saggese had four RBI.

On the bases, Donovan was picked off and caught stealing in a questionable and botched attempt to steal third base. On defense, Victor Scott made a fielding error. Pedro Pagés had a passed ball.

The Big Picture

After a 3-0 start to the season, the Cardinals went 1-5 in their first full week. It was a miserable week to be sure, with rain outs, doubleheaders, and blowouts. They won 1 of 3 over the Angels at home and were swept in Boston. The final game with the Red Sox was an embarrassing mess.

The team has a record of 4-5 and has dropped to third in the NL Central behind the Cubs and the Brewers. Fortunately, it is very early in the season.

The offense was perfectly fine, better than they have been in two seasons. They had at least 10 hits in nine straight games, which included games they lost.

The top offensive performers by OPS are Thomas Saggese (1.650), Iván Herrera (1.518), Brendan Donovan (1.010) and Luken Baker (.955).

Luken Baker

For the second week, no Cardinals had an OPS below .500 except Michael Siani, who as a defense and baserunning specialist had only one at-bat the entire week.

The issue is most definitely pitching, both the rotation and the bullpen. Even the one win of the week was not a great start by Sonny Gray. The worst start was by Miles Mikolas against the Red Sox, which he lost by the second inning. He was awful, and that is an understatement. In two starts, Mikolas has given up 13 hits and 11 runs.

No starter had an ERA for the week below 4.00. The back end duo of Andre Pallante (4.15) and Matthew Liberatore (4.50) were the best performing starters. No starter won a game. The only winning pitcher this week was reliever JoJo Romero. Romero, Kyle Leahy, and Phil Maton were the only pitchers with an ERA below 4.00 for the week.

JoJo Romero

Former Red Sox Ryan Fernandez had an especially bad time in Boston, allowing four runs in the late innings that contributed to two of the losses. His ERA over five appearances this season is 13.50.

Sonny Gray was the starter for the lone Cardinal win. He gave up five runs and had an ERA for the week of 7.50.

With a team ERA of 6.01, the Cardinals staff is dead last in the National League. The starters at 6.44 are last and the relievers, at 5.54, are 12th of 15.

Needless to say, the pitching must improve, or changes need to be made. What those changes could possibly be this early in the season is a question mark.

The Cardinals are in Pittsburgh to face the last-place Pirates. They will face 2024 NL Rookie of the Year Paul Skenes Tuesday. The team ends the week at home against the Phillies who are a first-place team with a record of 7-2.

NL Central Standings

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

Nolan Gorman

• 4/4 The Cardinals placed 2B Nolan Gorman on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 2. Right hamstring strain.
• 4/4 The Cardinals recalled 2B Thomas Saggese from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 4/6 The Cardinals recalled RHP Gordon Graceffo from the Memphis Redbirds as the 27^th man for Sunday’s doubleheader.

Injury Report

• LHP Zack Thompson (left shoulder strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 24. Thompson was shut down in early March with a Grade 1 lat strain and was scheduled to be out for 3 to 4 weeks. A return date is to be determined.
• 2B Nolan Gorman was placed on the 10-day injured list retroactive to April 2. Right hamstring strain.
• C Iván Herrera left the first game of Sunday’s doubleheader with what was diagnosed as “left knee inflammation”. Scans came back clean, so the injury isn’t serious, but Herrera will likely be put on the 10-day IL for the minimum period of time.

Looking Ahead

The Cardinals are in Pittsburgh for a three-game series against the Pirates that begins on Monday

After a travel day on Thursday, April 10, the Cardinals return to St. Louis to play the Phillies in a weekend series at Busch Stadium. The homestand continues with three against the Astros.

The Cardinals then head to New York to face the Mets in a four-game set. The road trip continues to Atlanta for three with the Braves.

After a travel day on Thursday the 24th, the team returns home to take on the Brewers in a weekend series at Busch Stadium. They end the month of April in Cincinnati for three with the Reds.

Blast from the Past

The first full week of the 2025 season was completed on Sunday night. The previous week, the Cardinals swept the Twins in a three-game series for their first 3-0 start since 2007.

This week’s Blast from the Past will look at some other “firsts” that occurred during the period of March 31 through April 6.

March 31, 1998 – Opening Day 1998 featured the first home run of Mark McGwire’s history-making 70 home run season. It was also the first time in franchise history a player hit a grand slam on Opening Day. So, this counts for two firsts!

March 31, 2017 – Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina was the first player to be issued an intentional walk without a pitch being thrown. This was a result of a new rule implemented for the 2017 season and beyond that allows an intentional walk simply by indicating intent to the umpire.

April 2, 2025 – Catcher Iván Herrera became the first Cardinal catcher to hit three home runs in a single game.

April 3, 2018 – The Cardinals began a game with the Brewers with back-to-back home runs from Dexter Fowler and Tommy Pham.  The game ended with back-to-back home runs by Milwaukee’s Ryan Braun and Christian Yelich. This is the first and only time this has occurred in the history of Major League Baseball.

April 6, 2009 and April 6, 2012 – These two “firsts” are debuts. David Freese of 2011 World Series Fame made his major league debut on April 6, 2009. On April 6, 2012, Mike Matheny made his managerial debut with the Cardinals.

Bonus entry, April 4, 2017 – This event was not necessarily a “first” (it is unknown whether it was or wasn’t) but it was an oddity that deserves to be highlighted. Outfielder Stephen Piscotty took a turn around the bases for the ages. In the fifth inning against the Cubs, he was hit by a pitch and took his place at first base. While advancing to second on a wild pitch, Piscotty was hit on the elbow by a throw from Cubs catcher Willson Contreras. Then, as he came in to score on a misplayed ball to first base, Piscotty was hit in the head by the throw home from second baseman Javier Baez. Piscotty was forced to leave the game with a possible concussion.

Now Available – 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. 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!

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

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Where are The Cardinal Nation’s Top 50 Prospects to Open 2025?

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Victor Scott II (Mark J. Rebilas/USA TODAY Sports)

The St. Louis Cardinals opened their 2025 season with a home sweep over the Minnesota Twins. Victor Scott has three stolen bases in three games. Our history feature lists notable team Opening Day factoids from the past and present.

Spring game recap

Monday, March 24, 2025 – Cardinals 3 at Redbirds 2

The St. Louis Cardinals visited their Triple-A Memphis affiliate for an exhibition game on Monday. The Cardinals won the game 3-2.  Andre Pallante started and pitched four innings. The right hander gave up two runs on six hits, struck out one and walked three.

Pallante was followed on the mound by JoJo Romero, John King, Phil Maton, Chris Roycroft, and Kyle Leahy.

Late arriving fans to AutoZone Park may have been disappointed, as all the game’s runs came in the first inning. In the top of the frame, Nolan Arenado hit a three-run home run off Memphis starter and losing pitcher Ian Bedell.

Nolan Arenado

The Redbirds scored two runs in the home half. Matt Koperniak and Thomas Saggese singled. Jimmy Crooks drove in Koperniak on a single. Saggese came home on a ground out by Michael Helman.

St. Louis posted 12 hits. Lars Nootbaar was 2-for-2 with a run scored. Nathan Church was 2-for-2. Victor Scott was 2-for-3. Arenado had three RBI.

Masyn Winn and Mike Antico each stole a base. Alec Burleson was caught stealing.

Memphis had eight hits with Helman’s double the only one to go for extra bases.

Regular season game recaps

Thursday, March 27, 2025 – Cardinals 5, Twins 3

The Cardinals defeated the Twins on Opening Day in Busch Stadium on Thursday. Sonny Gray started. The right hander pitched five innings, gave up two runs on four hits, fanned six and walked two to earn the win.

Kyle Leahy surrendered one run in 2/3 of an inning of relief. John King followed with 1/3 of a scoreless inning. Chris Roycroft, Phil Maton, and Ryan Helsley each tossed a scoreless frame. Helsley earned his first save.

After a lengthy rain delay, the game began with the Cardinals taking a 1-0 lead in the first inning. Lars Nootbaar singled and advanced to second on a balk. He came home on Brendan Donovan’s single.

In the second, St. Louis increased the lead to 3-0. Jordan Walker singled and went to second on an error. Nootbaar thumped a two-run home run to right field.

Lars Nootbaar

The score increased to 4-0 in the third. Donovan and Nolan Arenado singled. Arenado was eliminated on a double play by Alec Burleson, Donovan advanced to second. Iván Herrera singled to plate Donovan.

The Twins got on the board with two runs in the fifth and added a run in the sixth to shrink St. Louis’ lead to 4-3.

In the eighth, the Cardinals made it 5-3 on a solo home run by Arenado.

The offense scored five runs on 10 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-4 with two RBI and two runs scored. Donovan was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Herrera was 2-for-3 with an RBI.

Jordan Walker was caught stealing.

Saturday, March 29, 2025 – Cardinals 5, Twins 1

The Cardinals beat the Twins in the second game of the series on Saturday behind good pitching and some small-ball offense.

Erick Fedde was on the bump for St. Louis. The right hander pitched six innings, gave up one run on two hits and struck out two. Fedde received the win, his first.

Erick Fedde

Ryan Fernandez, JoJo Romero and Phil Maton each tossed a scoreless inning of relief.

The Cardinals went up 1-0 in the first inning. Lars Nootbaar singled and later scored on a single by Nolan Arenado.

The Twins tied the game in the second inning. The score remained knotted until the Cardinals put up three runs in the sixth.  Arenado doubled. Alec Burleson drew a walk.  Arenado scored on a single by Iván Herrera. Jordan Walker drew a walk. Lars Nootbaar singled Burleson and Herrera home.

St. Louis posted the fifth and final run in the eighth. Victor Scott singled and stole second base. Masyn Winn and Nootbaar walked. Brendan Donovan plated Scott on a sac fly.

The Cardinals scored five runs on 10 hits. Nootbaar was 2-for-3 with two RBI. Arenado was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Herrera was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Scott was 2-for-4.

Scott stole two bases. Walker was picked off and caught stealing. On defense, Fedde made a throwing error.

Sunday, March 30, 2025 – Cardinals 9, Twins 2

The Cardinals completed the three-game home sweep of the Twins on Sunday with a 9-2 victory. Andre Pallante started. The right hander threw five innings, gave up two runs on four hits, fanned three and walked two to earn the win.

Steven Matz followed Pallante in long relief after a rain delay. Matz pitched four scoreless innings to earn the save.

Steven Matz

The Twins took the lead with one run in the first. The Cardinals responded with three runs in second. Nolan Gorman singled. Pedro Pagés hit a ground rule double. Victor Scott followed with a three-run home run to right center field.

Victor Scott

St. Louis took control with a five-run third inning. Brendan Donovan singled. Nolan Arenado doubled. Alec Burleson plated Donovan and Arenado on a double. Gorman singled. Pages blasted a three-run home run to left center field.

Pedro Pagés

Minnesota scored their second run in the fourth. The Cardinals added a ninth run in the seventh on a solo home run by Gorman.

St. Louis scored nine runs on 10 hits. Pagés was 3-for-4 with three RBI and two runs scored. Gorman was 3-for-4 with an RBI and three runs scored. Scott had three RBI. Burleson drove in two.

Scott stole his third base in three games.

The Big Picture

The Cardinals began the regular season with a sweep of the Twins to end the short week with a 3-0 record. They finished the spring training schedule at the beginning of the week with a win over the Memphis Redbirds to complete the week with four wins, though only three of them counted.

The Cardinals currently sit in first place in the NL Central, with the Reds sitting two games back in second place. The Brewers were swept over the weekend by the Yankees and are in last place.

Nolan Gorman

The offense over the three-game series performed well. The top performers by OPS are Pedro Pagés (2.500), Nolan Gorman (2.250), Iván Herrera (1.482), Nolan Arenado (1.447), Lars Nootbaar (1.271), and Jordan Walker (1.025).

At the bottom is Michael Siani (.000), Willson Contreras (.000) and Masyn Winn (.182). It is too early to make any judgments of course, though Winn’s offensive struggles began in spring training and continued through the first series of the regular season.

The pitching also performed well. No starter had an ERA above 4.00. The three starter ERAs were Erick Fedde (1.50), Sonny Gray (3.60) and Andre Pallante (3.60).

In the bullpen, only Kyle Leahy had a hiccup (13.50). Steven Matz had his first appearance in long relief and was excellent.

The defense was good and the baserunning was acceptable. Lars Nootbaar had a blunder that was saved by a precipitous balk call. Jordan Walker was caught stealing. Victor Scott has already stolen three bases.

The coming week begins with a series against the Angels. The team then travels to Boston for a weekend series.

NL Central Standings

Team                                        W                                     L                               Pct                                    GB

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade and acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 3/24 The Cardinals placed LHP Zack Thompson on the 15-day injured list. Left shoulder strain.

Injury Report

• LHP Zack Thompson (left shoulder strain) was placed on the 15-day injured list on March 24. Thompson was shut down in early March with a Grade 1 lat strain and was scheduled to be out for 3 to 4 weeks, however, a specific return date is to be determined.

Looking Ahead

Following the Twins series, the team remains in St. Louis to play the Angels in a three-game set beginning Monday, March 31. Miles Mikolas is scheduled to make the Monday start, followed by Matthew Liberatore on Tuesday, and Sonny Gray on Wednesday.

After a Thursday off day, the Cardinals begin their first road trip of the season in Boston. They play the Red Sox in a three-game weekend series. The team follows the Boston series with three against the Pirates in Pittsburgh.

After a travel day on Thursday, April 10, the Cardinals return to St. Louis to play the Phillies in a weekend series at Busch Stadium.

Blast from the Past

The 2025 season has begun, with Opening Day on March 27. It was the earliest Opening Day in St. Louis Cardinals franchise history.  The Cardinals swept the Twins in a three-game series to begin the season. The last time the Cardinals started the season 3-0 was in 2006.

This week’s Blast from the Past focuses on other Opening Day trivia. The franchise marks its beginning in the year 1882. The following is a list of selected facts concerning Opening Day since the franchise began.

1. The very first Opening Day was on May 2, 1882. The Cardinals played the Louisville Eclipse at Sportsman’s Park. The Cardinals won the game 9-7. The starting pitcher was Jumbo McGinnis.
2. Since 1882, the Cardinals have had an Opening Day record of 78 wins, 65 losses, and 1 tie. The tie occurred on April 8, 1891, a 7-7 standoff with the Cincinnati Kelly Killers.
3. The Cardinals have played 69 Opening Day games at their home park.
4. Including the start of Sonny Gray on March 27, 2025, the Cardinals have used 76 different starting pitchers on Opening Day in the history of the franchise.

   

5. The Cardinals pitcher who has pitched the most Opening Days is Bob Gibson, with 10 Opening Day starts.
6. After Gibson, the pitchers with the next most Opening Day starts are Adam Wainwright (6), Chris Carpenter (5) and Dizzy Dean (5).
7. The most runs scored by the Cardinals in an Opening Day game were 14 against the Pittsburgh Pirates on April 11, 1928.
8. The most runs scored by an opponent against the Cardinals in an Opening Day game were also 14, scored by the Chicago Cubs on April 12, 1892.
9. While the March 27, 2025 Opening Day is the earliest in franchise history, the latest Opening Day in franchise history should come as no surprise. It was July 24, 2020, due to the late and shortened season caused by the Covid-19 pandemic.
10. Of the 144 Opening Days, 14 were shutout wins by the Cardinals, and four were shutout losses.
11. The Cardinals played the Chicago Cubs on Opening Day 32 times. They faced the Chicago Colts and the Chicago Orphans two times each. The Colts and the Orphans were the precursor teams to the Cubs.
12. The Cardinals played the Pittsburgh Pirates 35 times on Opening Day. They took on the Pirates precursor team, the Alleghenys, twice.
13. The Cardinals have only faced the following National League teams once on Opening Day: Arizona Diamondbacks, Miami Marlins, and Atlanta Braves. They also only played the Houston Astros once when they were in the National League. They have never taken on the Washington Nationals to open a season.
14. Since the beginning of interleague play in 1997, the Cardinals have played only two American League teams on Opening Day, the Toronto Blue Jays and 2025’s opponent, the Minnesota Twins.

Now Available – 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. 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!

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

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Cardinals Minor League Spring Training Camp Report – March 29, 2025

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Victor Scott (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

With one exhibition game remaining, the 12-15-3 St. Louis Cardinals have set their Opening Day roster. Victor Scott is the starting center fielder. Our history feature revisits notable team events during this week in past years.

Cardinals set Opening Day roster

The St. Louis Cardinals 2025 Opening Day roster was announced on Sunday. The following 26 players will head north, first to Memphis on Monday, then to St. Louis for the first game of the regular season.

Catchers – Pedro Pagés, Iván Herrera.

First Base – Willson Contreras, Alec Burleson and Luken Baker. The three will also see time at designated hitter during the season.

Second Base – Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman. Donovan will also play the outfield and other positions in the infield as needed.

Shortstop – Masyn Winn.

Third Base – Nolan Arenado.

Outfield – Lars Nootbaar, Victor Scott II, Jordan Walker, Michael Siani. Scott will be the starter in center, flanked by Nootbaar and Walker

Starting pitchers – Sonny Gray, Miles Mikolas, Erick Fedde, Andre Pallante, Matthew Liberatore. Steven Matz will start the season in the bullpen at long relief but will join the rotation on April 16. At that time, the Cardinals will have a six-man rotation for an undefined period.

Bullpen – Ryan Helsley, Steven Matz, Phil Maton, JoJo Romero, Ryan Fernandez, John King, Kyle Leahy, Chris Roycroft.

Opening Day is Thursday, March 27 at home against the Minnesota Twins. The series will be four games ending on Monday, March 31. Friday is an off day.

For more information:

Cardinals Set 2025 Opening Day Roster

Spring game recaps

Monday, March 17, 2025 – Cardinals 6 at Nationals 2

The Cardinals defeated the Nationals in West Palm Beach on Monday. Erick Fedde started and pitched five innings, gave up one unearned run on three hits, struck out four and walked one.

John King, Ryan Fernandez, and Kyle Leahy followed Fedde. Fernandez surrendered a run.

The Cardinals scored two runs in the third inning. Jordan Walker doubled, moved to third on a wild pitch, and came home on a sac fly by Iván Herrera. Nolan Gorman walked and crossed the plate on a double by José Fermín.

The Nationals came back with one run in the fifth. The Cardinals answered with four runs in the top of the seventh. Victor Scott II hit a solo home run.  Jordan Walker walked and Jose Suarez pinch ran. Leonardo Bernal singled. Nolan Gorman walked. Fermín hit a bases clearing double.

José Fermín

The Nationals scored their final run in the bottom of the seventh.

Fermín was 2-for-5 with four RBI. Scott was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Ryan Vilade was 2-for-4. Fedde made a throwing error.

Tuesday, March 18, 2025 – Cardinals 4, Marlins 4

The Cardinals and Marlins played to a 4-4 tie on Tuesday. This was the Cardinals’ third tie game of the spring. Miles Mikolas was on the mound for St. Louis. The right-hander pitched six innings, gave up three runs on six hits, struck out four and walked two.

Chris Roycroft, JoJo Romero, Zack Weiss, and Luis Gastelum relieved Mikolas. Weiss gave up a run.

The Marlins scored in the top of the first. The Cardinals tied the game in the home third when Lars Nootbaar walked and later came home on a sac fly by Nolan Arenado.

The Marlins went up 3-1 in the fifth before the Cardinals made it 3-2 in the sixth. Willson Contreras doubled. Brendan Donovan singled. Both runners advanced on a wild pitch. Contreras came home on a ground out by Alec Burleson.

The Cardinals took the lead 4-3 in the seventh on back-to-back home runs by Pedro Pagés and José Fermín. The Marlins tied the game in the ninth against Weiss.

Pedro Pagés

Pagés was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Fermín was 2-for-4 with an RBI. JoJo Romero picked a runner off first base.

Wednesday, March 19, 2025 – Cardinals 7, Nationals 1

The Cardinals beat the Nationals by the score of 7-1 at Roger Dean Stadium on Wednesday. Starter Steven Matz pitched six innings, gave up one run on four hits, struck out two and walked one.

Steven Matz

Matz was followed on the mound by Ryan Helsley, Edwin Nuñez and Andre Granillo.

St. Louis scored in every inning but the sixth and the eighth. They went up 2-0 in the first. Lars Nootbaar singled and Willson Contreras was hit by a pitch. Nolan Arenado drove in Nootbaar on a single. Contreras crossed the plate on a single by Iván Herrera.

In the second, José Fermín singled and later scored on a single by Contreras to make it 3-0. The Nationals cut the lead to 3-1 in the top of the third.

In the home third, the Cards took a 4-1 lead on a solo home run by Alec Burleson. The score bumped up to 5-1 in the fourth on consecutive singles by Nootbaar, Contreras, and Brendan Donovan that brought Nootbaar home.

A run in the fifth put the Cardinals ahead 6-1 on Victor Scott II’s solo long ball to right center field. The final nail came in the seventh on doubles by Herrera and Nolan Gorman.

Contreras was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Herrera was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Nootbaar was 2-for-3 with two runs scored.

Thursday, March 20, 2025 – Off day

Friday, March 21, 2025 – Cardinals 2 at Mets 3 (split squad)

The Cardinals were edged by the Mets in a split squad game at Clover Park on Friday. Michael McGreevy was on the bump. The right hander pitched five scoreless innings with one hit allowed and four punch outs.

Michael McGreevy

McGreevy was followed by Ryan Fernandez, Nick Anderson, John King and Kyle Leahy. Fernandez surrendered all three Mets runs in the sixth, breaking a scoreless tie.

The Cardinals scored their two runs in the eighth on a home run by Leonardo Bernal.

Pedro Pagés, José Barrero, and Nathan Church each stole a base. José Fermín made two errors.

Friday, March 21, 2025 -Cardinals 3, Astros 5 (split squad)

The Cardinals lost to the Astros in the second split squad game at Roger Dean Stadium. Sonny Gray started and pitched 4 2/3 innings, gave up five runs on seven hits, and fanned five.

The relief corps was Andrew Marrero and Quinn Mathews. Mathews threw four innings of scoreless relief with six strikeouts and two walks. Marrero pitched only 1/3 inning when Gray was taken out in the second and then returned in the third.

Quinn Mathews

The Astros went up 4-0 in the second. The Cardinals got on the board in the bottom of the inning on a solo home run by Victor Scott II.

Houston increased the lead to 5-1 in the fifth. The Cardinals answered in the home half of the fifth with a two-run home run by Ryan Vilade to shrink the lead to 5-3.

Saturday, March 22, 2025 – Cardinals 8 at Marlins 2

The Cardinals beat up on the home team Marlins at Roger Dean on Saturday. Matthew Liberatore started. The left hander pitched four innings, gave up one run on two hits, struck out two and walked two.

Matthew Liberatore

Relievers who followed Liberatore were Phil Maton, Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero, Zane Mills and Luis Gastelum. Gastelum allowed one run.

The Cardinals went up 4-0 in the first inning. Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run. Brendan Donovan singled, Alec Burleson doubled, and both scored on a Jordan Walker single.

The Marlins cut the lead to 4-1 in the fourth. St. Louis made it 6-1 in the sixth. José Fermín doubled. Nolan Arenado and Donovan walked. Fermín scored on a Burleson single. Pinch runner Trey Paige came home on a sac fly by Walker.

In the top of the ninth, the Cardinals added two runs. Bryce Madron and Ryan Campos walked. José Barrero drove in Madron on a double. Campos came home on a sac fly by Tre Richardson.

The Marlins put up their final run in the home ninth.

Michael Siani stole his second base. Fermín was caught stealing.

Sunday, March 23, 2025 – Cardinals 1, Nationals 2

In the final Grapefruit League game on Sunday, the Cardinals fell to the Nationals 2-1.  Erick Fedde pitched 4 1/3 innings, gave up one unearned run on five hits, struck out four and walked two.

Ryan Shreve, Max Rajcic and Andrew Marrero relieved Fedde. Rajcic surrendered an unearned run in 3 2/3 frames with five strikeouts.

Max Rajcic

The Cardinals scored their only run in the third. Masyn Winn walked and stole second base. Iván Herrera walked. Winn came home on a fielder’s choice by Brendan Donovan.

The Nationals tied the score in the fifth and went up 2-1 in the ninth. St. Louis’ defense committed three errors, a missed catch by Winn, and throwing errors by Herrera and Campos.

The Big Picture

The Cardinals ended the week with a record of 3-3-1. Their final Grapefruit League record is 12-15-3.  The Cardinals play at the Memphis Redbirds in an exhibition on Monday night and then will prepare for Opening Day on Thursday.

The offense was good over the last seven days. No player had an OPS below .500 for the week. The top performers from the major league roster by OPS were Willson Contreras (1.843), Victor Scott (1.468) and Pedro Pagés (1.194).

Willson Contreras

The pitching for the week was good for the most part. Sonny Gray had another poor start, though it was not as bad as his previous three. He pitched to a 9.64 ERA in his one start. Erick Fedde performed well, as did Steven Matz and Matthew Liberatore. Liberatore is being given a spot in the rotation to start the season over Michael McGreevy, who was optioned to Memphis. Andre Pallante didn’t pitch. Miles Mikolas’ ERA in his one start was 4.50.

The bullpen was fine except for Ryan Fernandez (21.60), who did not have a good spring.

The Opening Day roster is set out above. The only surprise was the absence of José Fermín, who played well and who seemed on track for a roster spot. Apparently, a change of mind took place. Victor Scott II is on the roster and has been named as the Opening Day center fielder. He performed very well in the spring and his inclusion is not a surprise. Michael Siani, who had a poor spring offensively, is to be the fourth outfielder.

Luken Baker earned a spot, his first time on an Opening Day roster. Relievers Kyle Leahy and Chris Roycroft are also on the opening roster for the first time.

News and Notes

In this space will be information on news and events that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals Hall of Fame balloting is underway – The annual fan voting for the Cardinals Hall of Fame is now underway, with four players on the Modern Era ballot. They are Steve Carlton, George Hendrick, Brian Jordan, and Edgar Renteria. Voting ends on April 18.

The ballot can be found here.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

Nick Anderson

• RHP Nick Anderson was assigned to minor league camp last week and he exercised an “Upward Mobility Clause” in his contract as of Sunday, March 23. This clause requires the Cardinals to make Anderson available to any of the 29 other teams. They have 24 hours to pick him up and place him on their 40-man roster. If a team does so, the Cardinals have 72 hours to place him on their 40-man roster or let him go. If none of that occurs, Anderson can decide to report to Triple-A Memphis or return to free agency.

Transactions

• 3/23 The Cardinals optioned 2B José Fermín to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 3/23 The Cardinals optioned RHP Michael McGreevy to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 3/23 The Cardinals reassigned non-roster infielder Jose Barrero to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 3/24 The Cardinals placed LHP Zack Thompson on the 15-day injured list.

Injury Report

• LHP Drew Rom was shut down from throwing after feeling soreness in his left shoulder after a bullpen session in spring camp. Rom had a PRP injection and is recovering in minor league camp. Rom had season ending shoulder surgery in 2024.

Zack Thompson

• LHP Zack Thompson suffered a tear in his left lat muscle and is shut down for 3 to 4 weeks.
• CF Michael Siani was scratched from Monday’s game with an illness but has since returned.
• SS Masyn Winn was scratched from Tuesday’s lineup due to right wrist soreness. Winn returned and was in the lineup for Sunday’s final game.
• 2B Nolan Gorman was out of the lineup due to illness but has returned and was in the lineup for Sunday’s game.

Looking Ahead

The Grapefruit League schedule concluded on Sunday. On Monday, the Cardinals play an evening game at their Triple-A affiliate, the Memphis Redbirds.

After leaving Memphis, the Cardinals have two days of travel to St. Louis and preparation before the beginning of the regular season.

Opening Day is at home against the Twins on Thursday, March 27. The Cardinals will play a four-game series that ends on Monday, March 31. Friday, March 28 is an off day in case there is a rain out on Thursday.

The team remains in St. Louis to face the Angels in a three-game series beginning Monday, March 31.  After a Thursday off day, the Cardinals begin their first road trip of the season in Boston. They play the Red Sox for three weekend games, then go to Pittsburgh for three more.

Blast from the Past

This week’s Blast from the Past will look at notable events that occurred during the period from March 17 through 23 in past seasons for the franchise.

The date of the event is followed with a summary of what occurred and any other details worth noting. This will be the final installment of this series.

March 17, 1969 – The Cardinals traded Orlando Cepeda to the Atlanta Braves for Joe Torre.

March 17, 2005 – Former Cardinal Mark McGwire, along with Jose Canseco, Rafael Palmeiro, and Sammy Sosa testified before Congress about steroid use in Major League Baseball. McGwire took considerable criticism for refusing to “talk about the past”.

March 18, 1901 – Cardinals pitcher Cy Young (yes, that Cy Young) left the Cardinals to play for the Boston Americans after the American League was formed and the new league began raiding players from the National League.

March 20, 1917 – Branch Rickey became the President of the St. Louis Cardinals.

March 21, 1975 – Joe “Ducky” Medwick, former Cardinals outfielder and member of the Cardinals Hall of Fame and the Baseball Hall of Fame, passed away of a heart attack at the age of 63. Medwick is buried at the St. Lucas Cemetery in Sunset Hills, a suburb of St. Louis.

March 23, 2000 – The Cardinals acquired CF Jim Edmonds from the Los Angeles Angels for Adam Kennedy and Kent Bottenfield.

March 23, 1938 – Commissioner Kennesaw Mountain Landis accused the Cardinals of violating working agreements with six minor league teams. As a result, 74 minor league players were released and the owners of the six teams were fined $2,176.  Branch Rickey was the Vice President of the Cardinals at the time and this was seen as a direct attack on him and his practices. The Cardinals were in control of multiple teams in the same league which was also a violation of the rules.

Now Available – 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. 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!

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

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Cardinals Minor League Spring Training Camp Report – March 23, 2025

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

The St. Louis Cardinals had an uninspiring 1-4-2 week with just seven days remaining in Florida. Reliever Phil Maton was signed to bolster the bullpen. Our history feature revisits notable team events during this week in past years.

Cardinals sign free agent reliever Phil Maton

To the surprise of many, the St. Louis Cardinals finally added a free agent before the start of the regular season. On Thursday, the team announced the signing of free agent reliever Phil Maton to a one-year contract, for a reported $2 million.

Maton, 31, is from Chatham, IL and was a Cardinals fan growing up. Over his eight-year major league career, Maton has pitched for the Padres, Guardians, Astros, and most recently the Rays and the Mets in 2024. He has a career record of 19-15 and an ERA of 4.16. In 31 appearances for the Mets last season, he posted a 2.51 ERA in 28 2/3 innings pitched.

Phil Maton

It is expected that Maton will be added to the bullpen as a setup man to replace Andrew Kittredge, whose option the Cardinals declined and who signed with the Orioles for the 2025 season. Kittredge will open the season on the injured list with a knee injury that will keep him out of commission for multiple months.

Maton is said to have jumped at the chance to join the favorite team of his childhood and he has family and friends who are Cardinals fans. Welcome to St. Louis, Phil Maton!

Spring game recaps

Monday, March 10, 2025 – Cardinals 0 at Mets 8

The Cardinals were shut out 8-0 by the Mets in Port St. Lucie on Monday evening. Sonny Gray started and once again did not pitch well. The right hander threw four innings, gave up four runs on six hits, including two home runs. He struck out four and walked one.

Ryan Fernandez, Matthew Liberatore, and Andre Granillo followed Gray on the mound. Fernandez and Liberatore each allowed two runs.

St. Louis’ offense managed only three hits for the game. Jose Barrero had the only extra base hit, a double. Luken Baker and Nolan Gorman singled.

Victor Scott II was picked off first base. Brendan Donovan threw out Jesse Winker at the plate.

Tuesday, March 11, 2025 – Cardinals 5, Marlins 12

The Cardinals were clobbered by the Marlins by a 12-5 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Tuesday. Erick Fedde took the mound and pitched four innings, gave up six runs on seven hits, including three long balls. He walked one and did not strike out a batter.

After Fedde, from the pen came Ryan Helsley, Roddery Muñoz, Gordon Graceffo, Oddanier Mosqueda, and Nick Anderson. Muñoz and Graceffo each allowed two runs. Mosqueda surrendered one run.

The Marlins scored two runs in the second and one in the top of the third to take the lead. The Cardinals answered with a run in the home third on a sac fly by Lars Nootbaar following a walk to Jose Barrero and a Ryan Vilade single.

The Marlins piled on with three in the top of the fourth to lead 6-1. The Cardinals tightened the score in the home fourth on walks by Nolan Arenado and JJ Wetherholt, a wild pitch, and a two-run single by Barrero.

In the fifth, the Marlins added a run and the Cardinals matched them in the bottom of the frame for a 7-4 score. A Nootbaar walk and an RBI double by Iván Herrera delivered the lone run.

The Marlins continued to pump up the score with two runs in each of the sixth and seventh and one more in the top of the eighth. The Cardinals plated their fifth and final run in the bottom of the eighth when César Prieto doubled, Noah Mendlinger drew a walk, and Michael Helman drove in Prieto on a sac fly.

Barrero stole his second base of the spring. Herrera made a throwing error.

Wednesday, March 12, 2025 – Cardinals 0, Mets 2

The Cardinals lost to the Mets for the second time in the week but by a tighter score. Miles Mikolas was on the bump for St. Louis. The right hander pitched five innings, gave up one run on five hits, fanned three and walked one.

Miles Mikolas

The relievers were John King, Tekoah Roby, and Michael Gomez. Gomez allowed a run.

St. Louis’ sputtering offense was held to two hits, a double by Pedro Pagés and a single from Victor Scott II.

Scott stole his fifth base of the spring. Brendan Donovan and Michael Helman each made fielding errors.

Thursday, March 13, 2025 – Cardinals 1 at Astros 1

The Cardinals played the Astros in Palm Beach on Thursday to a 1-1 tie. Steven Matz was the starter. The left hander threw 4 2/3 innings, gave up one run on two hits, struck out three and walked two.

Steven Matz

Matz was followed by Ryan Loutos, JoJo Romero, Chris Roycroft, and Kyle Leahy.

Both teams scored their only run in the third inning. The Cardinals run came on an RBI triple by Lars Nootbaar.

St. Louis offense had only three total hits, but all went for extra bases. Iván Herrera also tripled, and Matt Koperniak popped a double.

Michael Siani stole his first spring base. Brendan Donovan had an outfield assist at third.

Friday, March 14, 2025 – Cardinals 3, Mets 3

The Cardinals played to a tie game for the second day in a row, this time against the Mets on Friday in Jupiter. Michael McGreevy started and pitched four innings, gave up one run on three hits and fanned four.

Michael McGreevy

McGreevy was succeeded by Ryan Fernandez, John King, Riley O’Brien, and Roddery Muñoz. King and Muñoz each surrendered a run.

The Mets scored first with a run in the first inning. The Cardinals got on the board in the third on a two-run home run by minor league catcher Yohel Pozo.

St. Louis added a third run in the top of the sixth. Nolan Gorman doubled. Noah Mendlinger pinch ran for Gorman. Matt Koperniak drove in Mendlinger on a single.

The Mets came back to score their second run in the bottom of the sixth. They tied the game with a run in the eighth.

Victor Scott II was caught stealing for the second time this spring. José Fermín and Chance Sisco each made a throwing error.

Saturday, March 15, 2025 – Cardinals 9, Blue Jays 5

The Cardinals had not won since last Sunday, going 0-3-2 in the interim. The winless streak ended with a victory over the Blue Jays in Jupiter on Saturday.  Starter Andre Pallante pitched five innings, gave up three runs, two earned, on six hits, fanned five and walked two.

Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero, Chris Roycroft, and Nick Anderson followed Pallante. Anderson allowed two runs.

The Cardinals went up 2-0 in the first inning. Masyn Winn singled, Lars Nootbaar walked, and Nolan Arenado singled to plate Winn. Nootbaar came home on a single by Brendan Donovan.

The Blue Jays tied the game in the second. St. Louis added a run in the fourth on a home run by Alec Burleson.

Alec Burleson

Toronto tied the score again in the top of the fifth. The Cardinals regained the lead in the home half of the inning with two runs. Willson Contreras and Arenado singled. Jordan Walker drew a free pass. Alec Burleson plated Contreras and Arenado wth a single.

The Cardinals added two more runs in the sixth. Nootbaar thumped a solo home run. Contreras singled and left the game for pinch runner R.J. Yeager, who later crossed the plate on a single by Donovan.

St. Louis scored their final two runs in the eighth. Nathan Church walked and scored on a double by César Prieto. Prieto later came home on a double by Matt Koperniak.

The Blue Jays put up two runs in the ninth.

Sunday, March 16, 2025 – Cardinals 5 at Marlins 11

The Cardinals had their hats handed to them by the Marlins for the second time this week, as they were bulldozed to an 11-5 loss. Sonny Gray was bad for his third of three starts. The right hander, who is scheduled to pitch on Opening Day, collected just nine outs over five innings, which meant he came in and out of the game three times after leaving the first time in the middle of the second inning.

Over his time on the mound, Gray gave up eight runs on six hits, walked five and struck out five. He has surrendered six home runs in his three starts and has an ERA of 13.97. It’s spring training of course so it doesn’t count, and we all should be grateful for that.

Angel Cuenca, Dionys Rodriguez and Andre Granillo pitched in the parts of those five innings when Gray didn’t. Cuenca and Rodriguez both surrendered a run. Matthew Liberatore finished the game with three innings without having to be taken out and without giving up a run.

As for the offense, they scored five runs on 10 hits. Iván Herrera was 2-for-2 with an RBI. Michael Siani was also 2-for-2.  Luken Baker hit a solo home run. Willson Contreras, Victor Scott and Thomas Saggese doubled.

The Cardinals scored two runs in the fourth. Lars Nootbaar walked, Contreras doubled and Brendan Donovan drove in Nootbaar on a ground out. Contreras cam home on a single by Herrera.

St. Louis added a run in the fifth on a Scott double, a Siani single, and a sac fly by Masyn Winn. The final two runs came late in the game in the eighth and ninth on the Baker home run and on a double by Saggese, who later scored on a wild pitch.

The Marlins put up 11 runs, eight on Gray and three on the bullpen.

Batting for a roster spot and the center field job, Scott and Siani did not look good as they were picked off back-to-back in the third by Marlins starter Cal Quantrill. To be fair, Quantrill has a good pickoff move.

The Big Picture

The Cardinals had a bad week finishing with one win, four losses, and two ties (1-4-2). Two of the losses were blowouts delivered by the Marlins. St. Louis’ record is 9-12-2, 13^th of 15 Grapefruit League teams.

The offense wasn’t as good as last week to say the least. So far, the only players of the likely 26-man roster who have hit halfway decently all spring are Willson Contreras, Iván Herrera, and Lars Nootbaar. Victor Scott II has also hit well, but he is on the bump as far as making the team.

Iván Herrera

For the past week, the top performers by OPS from the likely 26-man roster are Herrera (1.431), Nootbaar (1.127) and Contreras (.872). Scott had an OPS of 1.038.

At the bottom are Masyn Winn (.130), Nolan Gorman (.467), and Alec Burleson (.466). Jordan Walker just returned from injury for the weekend, so his .333 OPS this week is disregarded. The other three have no such excuse.

Now for the pitching. Sonny Gray has been atrocious. All three of his starts were clunkers. He has a spring ERA of 13.97 and has given up six home runs. Andre Pallante has been a little shaky as well but not as bad as Gray and wasn’t particularly bad in his most recent start. Erick Fedde had a bad start this week. Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas were fine.

The relievers not sent to minors camp and are potential 26-man roster candidates have been mostly fine to very good. Ryan Fernandez had some hiccups over the last week. The team signed a new reliever, Phil Maton, who hasn’t pitched yet.

The final full week of spring begins Monday. The Cardinals will play the Nationals three times, the Marlins twice, and the Astros and Mets once each. After that, the team leaves Florida and plays the Memphis Redbirds in Memphis before returning to St. Louis to prepare for Opening Day.

News and Notes for Spring Training

In this space will be information on news and events of spring training that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals Hall of Fame balloting is underway – The annual voting for the Cardinals Hall of Fame is now underway, with four players on the ballot this year. They are Steve Carlton, George Hendrick, Brian Jordan, and Edgar Renteria. Voting ends on April 18.

The ballot can be found here.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

• 3/12 The Cardinals optioned RHP Tekoah Roby to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 3/13 The Cardinals designated LHP Bailey Horn for assignment.
• 3/13 The Cardinals traded LHP Bailey Horn to the Detroit Tigers for cash.
• 3/13 The Cardinals optioned RHP Gordon Graceffo to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 3/13 The Cardinals optioned RHP Ryan Loutos to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 3/13 The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Phil Maton.
• 3/15 The Cardinals optioned RHP Riley O’Brien to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 3/15 The Cardinals optioned RHP Roddery Muñoz to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 3/16 The Cardinals optioned CF Michael Helman to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 3/16 The Cardinals optioned 2B Thomas Saggese to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 3/16 The Cardinals optioned LF Matt Koperniak to the Memphis Redbirds.

Spring Camp is now down to 31 players. Details at The Cardinal Nation’s Roster Matrix.

St. Louis Cardinals Organization Roster Matrix – 2025 Spring Training

Injury Report

• LHP Drew Rom was shut down from throwing after feeling soreness in his left shoulder after a bullpen session in spring camp. He had a PRP injection and is now in minor league camp rehabbing. Rom had season-ending shoulder surgery in 2024.
• LHP Zack Thompson suffered a tear in his left lat muscle. He is shut down for 3 to 4 weeks and will then be re-evaluated. Thompson will begin the season on the injured list.

Looking Ahead

The Grapefruit League begins its final full week on Monday. The Cardinals travel to Palm Beach to face the Nationals for the first game of the week.

St. Louis returns to Jupiter to play the Marlins on Tuesday. They remain in Jupiter to take on the Nationals again on Wednesday. The Cardinals have the day off on Thursday.

The Cardinals play the Astros in Jupiter on Friday to begin the weekend schedule. The Saturday game will be with the Marlins at Roger Dean.

The Cardinals end their Florida schedule on Sunday against the Nationals in Jupiter. On Monday, the Cardinal travel to Memphis to play an evening game with their triple-A affiliate Memphis Redbirds.

The 2025 Spring Training schedule can be found here.

After leaving Memphis, the Cardinals have two days of travel and preparation before the beginning of the regular season.

Opening Day for the Cardinals this year is at home against the Twins on March 27. The Cardinals play a four-game series that ends on Monday, March 31. Friday, March 28 is an off day in case there is a rain out on Thursday.

Blast from the Past

This week’s Blast from the Past will take a look at some notable events that occurred during the period from March 10 through March 16 in past seasons for the franchise.

The date of the event will be followed with a summary of what occurred and other details worth noting.

March 10, 1970 – The Cardinals installed Astroturf in Busch Stadium II.

March 10, 2005 – Cardinals’ former pitcher and top prospect Rick Ankiel makes his position player debut in an intrasquad game. He goes 1-for-2 with a single.

March 12, 1973 – Cardinals’ Hall of Famer Frankie Frisch passed away at the age of 75. Frisch played for the Cardinals from 1927-1937 and also managed from 1933-1938. Frisch was inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1947 and was part of the 2014 inaugural class of the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

March 15, 1961 – Red Schoendienst re-signed with the Cardinals to finish his major league playing career as a pinch hitter. The future team Hall of Famer continued to play into the 1963 season, then became a coach for Johnny Keane after the Cardinals fired Solly Hemus.

March 15, 2011 – Former Cardinals’ shortstop and Manager Marty Marion passed away at the age of 93. Marion played for the Cardinals from 1940-1950 and managed the team in 1951. Marion joined the Cardinals Hall of Fame as part of the Inaugural class in 2014. Marion was a resident of St. Louis at the time of his death.

Now Available – 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. 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!

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

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Cardinals Cut 13 as Brian Walton Makes His Roster Predictions

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Zack Thompson (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals went 3-4 for the week and are 3-6 in the Grapefruit League. Zack Thompson has joined Drew Rom on the sidelines due to injury. Our history feature investigates key St. Louis news made during this week in team history.

Spring game recaps

Monday, February 24, 2025 – Cardinals 7, Mets 4

At Roger Dean on Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals defeated the New York Mets by the score of 7-4. Steven Matz started and threw two scoreless innings with no hits and one walk. Matz was followed in order by Ryan Helsley, Gordon Graceffo, Kyle Leahy, Nick Anderson, Zack Thompson and Roddery Muñoz.

Helsley gave up two runs in his inning pitched. Graceffo allowed a run in two innings and Anderson surrendered one run in one inning.

Luken Baker

Luken Baker hit a three-run home run for three of the Cardinals seven scores. He drove in a fourth run on a sac fly. José Barrero hit a solo home run. Jordan Walker was 2-for-3 with an RBI. The seventh run scored on a wild pitch.

Wilson Contreras was 2-for-3. Matt Koperniak was 2-for-3 with a stolen base.

Tuesday, February 25, 2025 – Cardinals 2 at Blue Jays 3

St. Louis fell to the Blue Jays by one run in Dunedin. Quinn Mathews took the mound for the Cardinals on Tuesday. The lefty prospect pitched two scoreless innings with two hits and a walk allowed and three strikeouts.

Pitchers following Mathews were Cooper Hjerpe, Max Rajcic, Ian Bedell, Bailey Horn, and Michael Gomez. Hjerpe, Rajcic, and Bedell gave up the Blue Jays’ three runs.

Victor Scott

Victor Scott II was the star of the day with a 2-for-3 performance with a solo home run and a triple. The center fielder scored both of the Cardinals’ runs. Alec Burleson drove in Scott on a sac fly.

JJ Wetherholt stole a base and Bryan Torres was caught stealing. Catcher Pedro Pagés picked a runner off second base.

Wednesday, February 26, 2025 – Cardinals 0 at Yankees 7

The Cardinals were shut out by the Yankees in Tampa on Wednesday. Starter Michael McGreevy hurled two scoreless innings with no hits and two strikeouts.

Michael McGreevy

The remainder of the day’s pitchers were Tink Hence, Oddanier Mosqueda, Ryan Fernandez, Chris Roycroft, Riley O’Brien, and Ryan Loutos.

Hence gave up six of the Yankees’ seven runs. The final run was allowed by Loutos. Cardinal pitchers hit three batters, twice by Loutos and once by Roycroft. Despite the seven runs allowed, St. Louis’ pitchers issued only one walk. They struck out nine and gave up 10 hits.

The offense was held to three singles, one each by José Fermín, Matt Koperniak, and Michael Siani. The team struck out 12 times in total and no one walked.

Thursday, February 27, 2025 – Cardinals 8, Marlins 4

The Cardinals beat the Marlins 8-4 in Jupiter on Thursday. Andre Pallante made the start and gave up four runs on five hits in one inning pitched.

Zack Weiss replaced Pallante and threw a scoreless inning. Following Weiss were Matthew Liberatore, JoJo Romero, Kyle Leahy, John King, Nick Anderson, and Roddery Muñoz.

The Cardinals scored four runs in the first inning. After the Marlins tied the game in the second, the Cardinals scored one in the bottom frame to retake the lead. A run in the fifth and two more in the seventh made it 8-4.

Nolan Arenado

Nolan Arenado hit a three-run home run in the first inning for the bulk of the first inning runs. He later doubled for a 2-for-2 day. Willson Contreras was also 2-for-2 with an RBI. Lars Nootbaar singled in a first inning run. Pedro Pagés had one RBI and Jeremy Rivas drove in two runs.

Victor Scott II stole two bases. Pagés had a passed ball.

Friday, February 28, 2025 – Cardinals 2 at Astros 3

On Friday, the Cardinals lost a one-run game to the Astros in West Palm Beach. Starter Erick Fedde allowed one run in two innings pitched. He allowed one hit and struck out three.

Following Fedde were Tekoah Roby, Ryan Helsley, Edwin Nuñez, and Bailey Horn. Roby and Nuñez each gave up a run.

The Cardinals offense scored their two runs in the eighth and ninth. Michael Helman drove in Ryan Vilade on a sac fly in the eighth. José Barrero scored in the ninth on a ground out by Bryan Torres. The offense had five hits in total with the only extra base hit a double by César Prieto.

Masyn Winn was caught stealing.

Saturday, March 1, 2025 – Cardinals 3, Nationals 2

On Saturday, the Cardinals edged the Nationals in Jupiter for their third Grapefruit League win.  Miles Mikolas was the starter. The right hander gave up two runs on three hits in 2 2/3 innings pitched. He struck out one.

The remaining pitchers in the game were Curtis Taylor, Gordon Graceffo, Ryan Fernandez, Sem Robberse, and Matt Svanson.

St. Louis fell behind 2-0 in the first inning. The offense tied the game with two runs in the fourth and walked it off in the ninth.

Willson Contreras

Willson Contreras hit a two-run home run in the fourth. With the bases loaded in the ninth, Thomas Saggese’s walk off single ended the game.

Victor Scott stole his third base of spring but was also caught stealing.

Sunday, March 2, 2025 – Cardinals 3 at Marlins 5

As the road team at Jupiter, the Cardinals fell to the Marlins on Sunday by the score of 5-3. Steven Matz started and gave up one run on two hits in three innings. The lefty struck out three and walked two.

JoJo Romero, John King, Andre Granillo, Chris Roycroft, and Cooper Hjerpe followed Matz. King allowed three runs and Hjerpe surrendered one run.

The Cardinals took the initial 1-0 lead in the second inning on a sac fly by Jordan Walker following a Nolan Gorman double and a wild pitch.

The Marlins tied the game in the third, then took the lead 4-1 in the fifth. The Cardinals got back in the game in the seventh on a two-run home run by Luken Baker, his second of the spring.

The offense managed only three hits total. They struck out eight times and drew four walks. The three hits included doubles by Gorman and Lars Nootbaar.

Jeremy Rivas stole his first spring base. Matt Koperniak was picked off and caught stealing. Matz and King each picked a runner off first base.

The Big Picture

The Cardinals are 3-6 in early Grapefruit League action.

After nine games, there are a couple of standouts among the likely 26-man roster group in terms of offense. Victor Scott II and Willson Contreras have hit well (1.775 OPS and 1.635 OPS respectively in four games). Luken Baker, who is on the bubble with respect to making the roster, has a 1.083 OPS in five games. José Barrero has an OPS of .958, though he is not on the 40-man roster.

Victor Scott

Projected 26-man roster players who are not performing well offensively in the early going are Masyn Winn (.063), Brendan Donovan (.220), Michael Siani (.237) Nolan Gorman (.258), Iván Herrera (.333), Jordan Walker (.374), and Pedro Pagés (.422). It is too early to make any judgments from these numbers, however. Another week of play will be more telling.

The remaining 26-man roster players are holding their own, neither excelling nor struggling. These players include Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Arenado, and Alec Burleson.

As for pitching, among the likely starters group, only Andre Pallante struggled in his first start of the spring. Sonny Gray has yet to make a start, though he worked in a simulated game and is scheduled to make his formal debut in the coming week. Miles Mikolas, Stephen Matz, and Erick Fedde have pitched well. Michael McGreevy, who is also a potential starter if one of the others goes down or is traded, pitched very well in his one start.

Ryan Fernandez

In the bullpen category, Ryan Fernandez has not given up a run or a hit in three appearances. Fernandez is the likely setup replacement for Andrew Kittredge if he continues to pitch well. JoJo Romero and Riley O’Brien also pitched well.  Others who are looking good so far include Kyle Leahy, Matthew Liberatore, Roddery Muñoz, and Chris Roycroft. Gordon Graceffo, who is a potential fit for the major league bullpen, has looked good as well.

Ryan Helsley started out with some hiccups, giving up two runs in two innings so far. John King has not looked good. Again, it is too early to make firm judgments.

The second full week of spring games begins Tuesday (Monday is an off day). The Cardinals are set to play the Nationals three times, the Astros twice, and end the week with the second game against the Yankees.

News and Notes for Spring Training

In this space will be information on news and events of spring training that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals’ Season Tickets are now available – Fans can now purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2025 season. Information at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets. A telephone number and chat are available.
• Spring Breakout is back – The second annual Spring Breakout games are two weeks away. This prospect showcase features top prospects from each team playing in a spring training game. Cardinals’ prospects will play Marlins prospects on Friday, March 14 at 12:10 pm at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. The Cardinals team may include prospects Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence, and JJ Wetherholt.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.

Transactions

The Cardinals have cut a total of nine players from camp, including eight on Sunday. They still have 58 in camp.

Cardinals Trim Eight from Spring Roster

Injury Report

Drew Rom

• LHP Drew Rom was shut down from throwing after feeling soreness in his left shoulder after a bullpen session in spring camp last week. Rom had a PRP injection and will rest before resuming throwing. Rom had season-ending shoulder surgery last season.

Zack Thompson

• LHP Zack Thompson has suffered a tear in his left lat muscle according to Derrick Goold of the Post Dispatch. Thompson is shut down for 3 to 4 weeks and will then be re-evaluated. It is almost certain that he will begin the season on the injured list.

Looking Ahead

The Grapefruit League game play begins its second full week. The Cardinals are currently 3-6 for the spring.

On Monday, March 3, the Cardinals have an off day. On Tuesday, the Cardinals play the Nationals at the Cacti Stadium in West Palm Beach. They will return there to play the Astros on Wednesday.

St. Louis returns to Jupiter to face the Nationals at Roger Dean Stadium on Thursday. The weekend schedule begins with a Friday game against the Mets at Clover Park in Port St. Lucie.

On Saturday, the Cardinals return to Cacti Park to play the Nationals. The last game of the week is at Roger Dean Stadium against the Yankees on Sunday.

The 2025 Spring Training schedule can be found here.

Opening Day for the Cardinals this year is at home against the Twins on March 27. The Cardinals play a four-game series that ends on Monday, March 31. Friday, March 28 is an off day in case there is a rain out on Thursday.

Blast from the Past

This week’s Blast from the Past will look at some notable events that occurred during the period from February 24 through March 2 in past seasons for the franchise. This series will extend through spring training.

The date of the event will be followed with a summary of what occurred and any other details worth noting.

February 24, 1943 – The Cardinals’ reduced their farm system from 21 teams to seven due to losing so many players to World War II. The next day they placed an ad in the Sporting News looking for players.

February 25, 1972 – The Cardinals make arguably one of their worst trades in the history of the franchise. Because of a salary impasse, the Cardinals traded LHP Steve Carlton to the Phillies for RHP Rick Wise.  Though Wise pitched decently for the Cardinals for two seasons, Carlton won four Cy Young Awards with the Phillies and went into the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1994 as a Philly.

Carlton supposedly learned of the trade from the Cardinals’ traveling secretary. He is currently among four players up for fan vote for the Cardinals Hall of Fame.

February 28, 1989 – Red Schoendienst was elected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.

March 1, 1949 – The St. Louis Browns moved to evict the Cardinals from Sportsman’s Park to gain a rent increase. The eviction did not succeed and the Cardinals remained in Sportsman’s Park while the Browns relocated to Baltimore in 1953. New Owner Gussie Busch renamed Sportsman’s Park to Busch Stadium.

March 1, 2012 – Cardinals catcher Yadier Molina signed a five-year, $75 million contract to remain with St. Louis. He played through 2022 before retiring.

Now Available – 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. 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!

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

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Cardinals Spring Training Camp Report – February 27-28, 2025

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Erick Fedde (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals are playing baseball again, off to an 0-2 start in the Grapefruit League. Nolan Arenado and Erick Fedde are subjects of continued trade rumors. Our history feature investigates key St. Louis news made during this week in team history.

Spring game recaps

Saturday, February 22, 2025 – Cardinals 6, Marlins 7

The Miami Marlins edged the St. Louis Cardinals by one run in the opening game of their Grapefruit League schedules on Saturday. Erick Fedde started for the Cardinals at home and pitched one scoreless inning with two hits allowed. Fedde was followed on the mound in order by Matthew Liberatore, Ryan Fernandez, Chris Roycroft, Riley O’Brien, Bailey Horn, Rob Kaminsky and Matt Svanson.

The Cardinals put up one run in the fourth inning and five runs in the sixth to take a 6-0 lead. Iván Herrera drove in the first run on a sac fly. Jose Barrero plated two runs in the sixth. Matt Koperniak, Bryan Torres and Nathan Church each had an RBI in the sixth.

Jose Barrero

However, the Marlins came back with their seven runs in the final three innings. Horn, Kaminsky, and Svanson combined to give up all seven.

O’Brien committed a throwing error in his inning pitched. Matt Koperniak had an outfield assist, throwing a runner out at home.

Lars Nootbaar was the first Cardinal to challenge a pitch with the ABS system now in use in 13 parks during spring training. Nootbaar’s challenge was successful.

Sunday, February 23, 2025 – Cardinals 6, Astros 11

The Cardinals lost 11-6 to the Houston Astros in the second Grapefruit League game on Sunday. At Roger Dean, Miles Mikolas started and threw two scoreless innings with two hits and a walk. He was followed on the mound by Tekoah Roby, Sem Robberse, Zack Weiss, Andre Granillo, Oddanier Mosqueda, JoJo Romero, John King, and Ryan Loutos. Robberse gave up nine of the 11 Houston runs and took the loss. Granillo was responsible for the other two runs.

JJ Wetherholt

The offense scored two runs in the fourth on a single by Victor Scott II. The fifth was marked by a three-run opposite field home run by JJ Wetherholt. The final run came home in the ninth on a solo home run by R.J. Yeager.

The Cardinals committed two errors, both throwing miscues, by Robberse and Yeager.

News and Notes for Spring Training

In this space will be information on news and events of spring training that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals’ Season Tickets are available – Fans can purchase season tickets for 2025. Details at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets. A telephone line and a chat feature are also available.
• Spring Breakout is back – The second annual Spring Breakout games will be held in mid-March. This prospect showcase features top prospects from each team playing in a spring training game. Once again, Cardinals’ prospects will play Marlins prospects on March 14 at 12:10 pm at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. The Cardinals team may include prospects such as Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence and JJ Wetherholt.
• Cardinals Spring Training Broadcast schedule announced – FanDuel Sports Network will televise 12 Spring Training contests in 2025. The team’s March 4^th contest versus the New York Mets will be broadcast nationally on ESPN. Four additional Cardinals Spring games are scheduled to be televised by opposing teams and will be streamed on MLB.TV. 15 spring games will also be carried on KMOX and the 156 Cardinals Radio Network affiliate stations. Details here: https://www.mlb.com/news/cardinals-2025-spring-training-broadcast-schedule

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

Nolan Arenado

• MLB.com reported that the Astros re-engaged with the Cardinals about a trade for third baseman Nolan Arenado. However, subsequent reporting by The Athletic indicated that the talk was brief and that there was “no traction” for a trade.

Erick Fedde

• According to Derrick Goold of the Post Dispatch, other teams believe the Cardinals are “open” to trading starting pitcher Erick Fedde, who is in the final year of his contract. The move could be motivated by both a desire to reduce payroll further and to open a rotation spot for Michael McGreevy. There is no indication that such a move is imminent or even at a point where actual talks are taking place.

Transactions

There are no transactions to report.

Injury Report

Drew Rom

• Non-roster invitee LHP Drew Rom was shut down from throwing after feeling soreness in his left shoulder during a bullpen session. Rom had a PRP injection and will rest for a few days before resuming throwing. Rom had shoulder surgery last spring and sat out last season.

Looking Ahead

Grapefruit League game play has begun. The Cardinals lost to the Marlins on Saturday and to the Astros on Sunday.

On Monday, the Cardinals face the Mets at Roger Dean Stadium. The team then travels to Dunedin to play the Blue Jays on Tuesday. They remain on the west coast of Florida on Wednesday against the Yankees.

The Cardinals return to Jupiter on Thursday for another shot at the Marlins. The weekend schedule begins in West Palm Beach with the Astros on Friday. Saturday’s contest will be in Jupiter against the Nationals. The weekend ends with the Marlins again on Sunday.

The 2025 Spring Training schedule can be found here.

Opening Day for the Cardinals will be at home against the Minnesota Twins on Thursday, March 27, starting a four-game series that ends on Monday, March 31. Friday, March 28 is an off day in case there is a rain out on Thursday.

Blast from the Past

This week’s Blast from the Past will look at some notable events that occurred during the period from February 17 through 23 in past seasons for the franchise. This series will extend through spring training during times when events worth noting occurred during a specific week of time.

The date of the event will be followed with a summary of what occurred and any other details worth noting.

February 18, 1998 – Former Cardinals broadcaster Harry Caray passed away at the age of 84 from a heart attack. The longtime broadcaster also called games for the Cubs, Athletics, and White Sox during his long, distinguished career. As fans know, current Cardinals play by play broadcaster Chip Caray is the grandson of Harry.

February 18, 2011 – Former Cardinals center fielder Jim Edmonds announced his retirement from baseball. Edmonds had signed a minor league contract with the Cardinals two weeks earlier but decided to call it quits after continuing to suffer symptoms from a torn Achilles tendon from the previous season.

Edmonds became a color analyst for the Cardinals with Fox Sports Midwest two years later and continued in that role through the 2024 season. He did not return for the 2025 season.

February 19, 1982 – The San Diego Padres completed the Ozzie Smith for Garry Templeton trade by sending LHP Al Olmsted to St. Louis as the player to be named later. Olmsted was originally drafted by the Cardinals in 1975 and made his major league debut in September 1980. He was traded to the Padres by the Cardinals on December 8, 1980 along with six other players for Rollie Fingers, Bob Shirley, and Gene Tenace. Olmsted did not pitch for the Cardinals after the Smith trade.

February 20, 1953 –August A. Busch convinced the Board of Directors of the Anheuser-Busch Brewery to purchase the St. Louis Cardinals from current owner Fred Saigh for $3.75 million. Saigh had been convicted of tax evasion and was threatening to sell the team to a group who would move it to Houston. The $3.75 million Busch paid for the team was less than the offer from the Houston group.

Now Available – 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. 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!

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

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Cardinals Spring Training Camp Report – February 22, 2025

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Brendan Donovan, Gary LaRocque, John Mozeliak (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals, including Nolan Arenado, will hold their first full squad workout on Monday. Players went 2-for-3 in arbitration hearings. Spring TV and radio schedules have been announced. Our history feature investigates prior St. Louis trades and free agent signings made during this week.

Arenado reports to spring training

The ongoing offseason Nolan Arenado drama has reached its climax. The St. Louis Cardinals third baseman for the past four seasons has reported to camp in Jupiter, Florida.

As expected, Arenado met with the media, which tossed the expected questions at him. He handled it as well as anyone could in that type of situation and environment.

Nolan Arenado

Arenado made it clear that his expectation is to be a better player in 2025 than he has been for the past two seasons. He expressed no ill feelings about anything that transpired over the offseason or concerning the team’s inability to find an acceptable trading partner. He made it clear that at no time was he demanding to leave the Cardinals.

When questioned about his reasons for having a short list of teams to which he would accept a trade and his unwillingness to expand that list, his rationale was that he had a family and did not want to uproot that family to go just anywhere. He reiterated that they were happy where they were and if he were to leave, it had to be to a place of his choosing, limited in number.

In the end, Arenado is focused on being a better ballplayer and in getting ready for the season and that is all. He said he feels he is in the right place; he feels good, he feels he has a lot to prove, and he is ready to play baseball.

The potential downside is that younger players will receive less playing time as a result of Arenado remaining.

Cardinals players go 2-for-3 in arbitration hearings

The Cardinals had three eligible arbitration players who went to hearings this month. Two players defeated the team in their hearings, and the Cardinals had a successful outcome in the other.

Lars Nootbaar

Lars Nootbaar’s hearing occurred on February 5 and the three-judge panel found in his favor. Nootbaar will be paid $2.95 million for 2025 instead of the $2.45 million the team offered.

Andre Pallante

Pitcher Andre Pallante was also successful in his arbitration bid. His panel awarded him the $2.1 million he requested instead of the $1.925 million the Cardinals proffered.

Nootbaar and Pallante are clients of the Wasserman Agency.

Brendan Donovan

Brendan Donovan was the only one of the three Cardinals to be unsuccessful in his hearing. The utility player had requested a salary of $3.3 million, but the panel went with the $2.85 million offered by the Cardinals.

Donovan made it clear he holds no ill will toward the Cardinals despite the outcome.

All three players were in their first year of arbitration eligibility. Pallante had less than three years of service time but qualified as a Super Two with 2.145 years of service time. He will thus be eligible for arbitration for four years rather than the normal three years. The team controls his services through 2028. Nootbaar and Donovan are only controlled by St. Louis through the 2027 season.

News and Notes for Spring Training

In this space will be information on news and events of spring training that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals announce Spring Training television and radio schedule – Fans will be able to catch all 31 of the club’s spring contests on either FanDuel Sports Network, KMOX 1120 AM/Cardinals Radio Network affiliates or streaming via the MLB app or cardinals.com. The Cardinals Grapefruit League Spring Training schedule consists of 30 games followed by an exhibition matchup against the Memphis Redbirds, club’s Triple-A affiliate, at AutoZone Park. Details here.
• Edmonds not returning for 2025 – Jim Edmonds, who has been a part of the broadcasting crew for the Cardinals since 2013 and a color analyst in the booth since 2016, will not return to Cardinal broadcasting for the 2025 season.
• Cardinals 2025 Spring Training tickets on sale now – The Cardinals continue the sale of 2025 Spring Training tickets. You can access information and purchase tickets at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/spring-training
• Cardinals’ Season Tickets are now available – Fans can purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2025 schedule. Details at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets. A telephone number and a chat feature are available.
• Spring Breakout is back – The second annual Spring Breakout games will be played in March. This prospect showcase features top prospects from each team playing in a spring training game. Cardinals’ prospects will play Marlins prospects on March 14 at 12:10 p.m. at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. The Cardinals team may include such prospects as Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence and JJ Wetherholt.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report. Nolan Arenado has reported to spring training and will remain a Cardinal until he is no longer a Cardinal, whenever that may be.

Transactions

• 2/8 The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Nick Anderson to a minor league contract with an invite to spring training.

Cardinals Sign Veteran Pitcher Nick Anderson to Minors Deal

Injury Report

There are no new injuries to report.

Looking Ahead

Spring Training has begun. The first full squad workout begins on Monday.

All three of the Cardinals remaining arbitration eligible players had their hearings. Outfielder Lars Nootbaar and RHP Andre Pallante won their hearings, but utility player Brendan Donovan lost.

Grapefruit League game play begins for the Cardinals on Saturday, February 22 against the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. The 2025 Spring Training schedule can be found here.

Opening Day for the Cardinals is at home against the Twins on March 27. They will play a four-game series through Monday, March 31. Friday, March 28 is an off day in case there is a rain out on Thursday.

The Cardinals remain in St. Louis and play a two-game series with the Angels on Tuesday and Wednesday. After taking Thursday off, the Cardinals will play their first road series of the season in Boston against the Red Sox. They end the road trip against the Pirates in Pittsburgh in a three-game set.

Blast from the Past

This week’s Blast from the Past is the final installment of the series on past transactions. This week we cover the period of February 10 through 16.

The following list of transactions made by the Cardinals during this period start with date of the transaction, the name or names of the players involved, the teams involved, and the nature of the transaction. Additional relevant details may be included.

February 10, 2012 – The Cardinals signed RHP Scott Linebrink to a minor league deal with a spring training invite. Linebrink did not make the major league roster, and after suffering injuries, he was released on June 8.

February 12, 2021 – The Cardinals acquired C Ali Sanchez from the Mets for cash. Sanchez was called up on April 27 and had four at bats with the Cardinals with two hits. He returned to the minors and was designated for assignment in June 2022.

February 13, 1996 – The Cardinals acquired RHP Dennis Eckersley from the Oakland Athletics for RHP Steve Montgomery. Eckersley was with the Athletics when Tony La Russa was the manager and essentially came with La Russa when he took over as the manager of the Cardinals in 1996.  The future Hall of Famer was the Cardinals’ closer for two seasons.

February 15, 1989 – The Cardinals signed Leon Durham to a free agent contract. Durham began his career with St. Louis. He was their first-round draft pick in 1976 and made his major league debut on May 27, 1980. Durham played one season in St. Louis and then was traded in December 1980 to the Cubs for closer Bruce Sutter. Durham returned in 1989 as a free agent but played in only 29 games. He was suspended for 60 days for a violation of the MLB drug policy and retired after the season.

February 16, 1983 – The Cardinals signed C Jamie Quirk as a free agent, but he played in only 48 games. Quirk had spent the majority of his 18 major league seasons with the Kansas City Royals, and returned there after his major league career was over to coach. He also coached with the Texas Rangers, Colorado Rockies, Houston Astros, and Chicago Cubs.

Head to The Cardinal Nation's free forum to guess which #stlcards player hits the first home run of the spring at Roger Dean and when. The winner will receive a free one-year subscription to The Cardinal Nation. Enter by this Saturday morning, 2/22. https://t.co/Lf2lWlWxJZ pic.twitter.com/ncmMvLLmoq

— Brian Walton (@B_Walton) February 18, 2025

Now Available – 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. 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!

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

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Cardinals Minor League STEP Camp News – February 14, 2025

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Michael Helman (Minda Haas Kuhlman photo)

The St. Louis Cardinals acquired a 28-year-old utilityman to fill their roster. Nolan Arenado trade rumors continue as spring camp is ready to open. Our history feature investigates prior St. Louis trades and free agent signings made during this week.

Cardinals acquire utility player from Twins

The Cardinals filled their last spot on the 40-man roster this past week by acquiring utilityman Michael Helman from the Minnesota Twins for cash considerations.

The Twins needed a roster spot after signing former Cardinal center fielder Harrison Bader to a one-year deal, hence the trade of Helman to St. Louis.

Michael Helman

Helman, 28, made his major league debut with the Twins last season on September 3. He appeared in nine games and went 3-for-10 with a single and two doubles. Primarily a center fielder, Helman can also play second base, shortstop, and third base.

The right-handed Helman slashed .271/.350/.487 with 14 home runs in Triple-A in 2024. He also stole 12 bases in 13 attempts.

Helman has all his minor league options remaining and will likely start the season with the Memphis Redbirds should he not make the Cardinals opening day roster.

News and Notes for the Offseason

In this space will be information on news and events of the offseason that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals broadcaster not returning for 2025 season – Jim Edmonds, who has been a part of the broadcasting crew for the Cardinals since 2013 and a color analyst in the booth since 2016, will not return for the 2025 season.
• Cardinals 2025 Spring Training tickets on sale now – The Cardinals have made 2025 Spring Training tickets available. Details at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/spring-training
• Cardinals’ Season Tickets are now available – Fans can now purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2025 season. Details at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets. A telephone number a chat feature are available.
• Spring Breakout is back – The second annual Spring Breakout games will be held in March. This prospect showcase features top prospects from each team playing in spring training games.

Once again, Cardinals’ prospects will face Marlins prospects on March 14 at 12:10 p.m. at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. The Cardinals team may include prospects such as Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence and JJ Wetherholt.

• Cardinals’ spring workout dates announced – The dates for spring training workouts to begin have been set. The first workout date for pitchers and catchers is February 12. Position players will begin their workouts on February 17.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

The Nolan Arenado news is not really news.  Jon Morosi of MLB Network reported in a tweet that the Cardinals and the Boston Red Sox had “recent communications” about Arenado.

Nolan Arenado

MLB.com’s John Denton reported that the team recently engaged with the Red Sox as well as the New York Yankees and Los Angeles Dodgers about a potential deal for the Cardinals third baseman.

What it means, if anything, remains to be seen.

Transactions

• 2/6 The Cardinals acquire CF Michael Helman from the Minnesota Twins for cash.

Injury Report

There are no new injuries to report.

Looking Ahead

Spring Training begins this week. Pitchers and catchers start workouts on Wednesday. Position players have their first workout on Monday, February 17.

The only offseason event remaining is looming arbitration hearings for three eligible players who did not come to terms with the team on their 2025 salary. They are Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, and Andre Pallante,

January 27 through February 14 is the period during which these hearings will take place.

Grapefruit League game play begins for the Cardinals on Saturday, February 22 against the Marlins at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. The 2025 Spring Training schedule can be found here.

Blast from the Past

Spring Training is around the corner. Pitchers and catchers report this week. Grapefruit League games begin on February 22.

As the offseason winds down and spring training begins, this week’s Blast from the Past continues with its look at past transactions. This week’s period is February 3 through February 9.

The following is a list of transactions made by the Cardinals during this period starting with date, the name or names of the players involved, the teams involved, and the nature of the transaction. Additional relevant details may be included.

February 3, 2024 – The Cardinals signed RHP Keynan Middleton to a one-year free agent contract with an option for 2025. Middleton went down with an injury in spring training and then had season ending surgery in June. Middleton never threw a pitch for the Cardinals in the regular season. The Cardinals declined their 2025 option on his services.

February 4, 2021 – The Cardinals traded OF Dexter Fowler to the Los Angeles Angels for a player to be named later or cash. Fowler had signed a five-year deal with the Cardinals in 2017. The 2021 trade was a salary dump for a contract that did not play out as expected. Fowler played in only seven games for the Angels before suffering a torn ACL in his knee. Fowler signed a minor league contract with the Blue Jays in 2022 but was released in May. Fowler officially retired on January 31, 2023.

February 6, 2014 – The Cardinals signed RHP Pat Neshek to a minor league deal with an invitation to spring training. Neshek made the opening day roster, then pitched well as a setup reliever and was selected to the All-Star Game. He did not pitch as well in the postseason, however. The Cardinals did not re-sign Neshek and he became a free agent after the season.

February 6, 1985 – The Cardinals traded LHP Mickey Mahler (minor leagues) to the Montreal Expos for a player to be named later. That player was Tom Lawless.  Lawless played for the Cardinals through the 1988 season and is best known for his memorable go-ahead home run in Game 4 of the 1987 World Series. It was memorable not only because it was the go-ahead home run but because Lawless up to that point in his career (six major league seasons), had only hit two home runs.

February 9, 1988 – The Cardinals traded Ricky Horton to the Chicago White Sox for RHP José DeLeón. Though Horton is mostly known for his broadcasting career with the Cardinals, the left-handed pitcher played for the Cardinals in two stints, from 1984-87 and 1989-90. DeLeón pitched for St. Louis for five seasons and led the NL in strikeouts (201) in 1989.

Now Available – 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. 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!

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

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

Cardinals Minor League Development Camp – February 7, 2025

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Nolan Arenado via Zoom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Spring training is just days away and the St. Louis Cardinals have not yet traded Nolan Arenado. Nor have they done much of anything else. Our history feature investigates prior trades and free agent signings made during this week.

News and Notes for the Offseason

In this space will be information on news and events of the offseason that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals 2025 Spring Training tickets on sale – The Cardinals continue to sell 2025 Spring Training tickets. The opener will be played on February 22. Details at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/spring-training
• Cardinals’ Season Tickets now available – Fans can purchase season tickets for 2025. Information is at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets. A telephone line and a chat feature are available.
• Spring Breakout is back – The second annual Spring Breakout games begin in March. This prospect showcase features top prospects from each team playing in a slate of spring training games.

Cardinals prospects will play Marlins prospects on March 14 at 12:10 pm at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. The Cardinals team may include prospects from big-league camp such as Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence and JJ Wetherholt.

• Cardinals’ spring workout dates announced – The dates for spring training workouts are set. The first workout for pitchers and catchers will be on February 12. Position players will begin their workouts on February 17.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

• Nolan Arenado is still a Cardinal. The Cardinals have made no offseason moves. The one change from last week involves the team’s major league payroll situation. During his media Q&A session on the last day of Winter Warm-Up on Monday, Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. stated that even if no trade for Arenado materializes before the season begins, no further cost cutting to the major league payroll will be necessary.

If any additions to the major league roster are made, they will be for a reliever and/or a bench bat on a one-year deal. This is necessary according to outgoing POBO John Mozeliak, to leave a “clean slate” for incoming POBO Chaim Bloom. Mozeliak informed reporters at last weekend’s Winter Warm-Up that maximum flexibility on the major league roster is his goal as he ends his contract and his tenure with the organization at the end of the season.

All sessions from WWU can be viewed or watched at The Cardinal Nation.

Cardinals Winter Warm-Up – In Their Words: Monday, 1/20/25

Transactions

There are no transactions to report.

Injury Report

There are no new injuries to report.

Looking Ahead

January is ending soon. The Cardinals have not made any significant offseason moves since the Winter Meetings in early December.

As February approaches and Spring Training is around the corner, the only offseason event remaining is the looming arbitration hearings for three Cardinals who did not come to terms with the team on a 2025 salary. They are Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and Andre Pallante.

These hearings will take place from January 27 through February 14. The sides could continue to negotiate until the hearing begins, but the Cardinals have said they will go to hearing.

Spring Training officially begins when pitchers and catchers report on February 10. Their first workout is on February 12. The position players first workout is on February 17.

Blast from the Past

The offseason continues with the Cardinals still waiting to offload Nolan Arenado and continue their plan to lower payroll. The market for the third baseman is quiet for the moment.

The Cardinals have indicated that at least one addition to, rather than a subtraction from, the roster is being considered. The team is reported to be seeking a relief arm to replace the departed Andrew Kittredge. They may also add a right-handed bat.

This week’s Blast continues with its look at past transactions from the period January 20 through January 26.

The following starts with the date of the transaction, the name or names of the players involved, the teams, and the nature of the transaction. Additional relevant details may be included.

January 21, 2011 – The Cardinals signed utility player Nick Punto to a one-year/$700,000 contract. Punto played in 63 games for the Cardinals in 2011 and had 14 at bats in the 2011 World Series. Punto was nicknamed “The Shredder” for his penchant for ripping uniforms off teammates during celebrations, including a very famous one with teammate David Freese. Punto was recently hired to the major league coaching staff of the San Diego Padres.

January 22, 2007 – The Cardinals signed RHP Ryan Franklin to a one-year/$1 million contract. Franklin was extended to a two-year/$5 million deal in July of 2007. Franklin became the Cardinals primary closer in 2008. Franklin remained with the team until he was released on June 29, 2011. He retired in December 2011. Franklin currently works in the front office of the Cardinals.

January 23, 1985 – The Cardinals signed C Mike LaValliere to a free agent deal. LaValliere spent two years with the Cardinals and played in the 1985 World Series. He was traded in February 1987 along with Andy Van Slyke to the Pirates for catcher Tony Peña.

January 26, 2010 – The Cardinals signed LHP Rich Hill to a minor league contract. He had just recovered from labrum surgery and was touted as a possible fifth starter. Hill struggled in spring training and was beaten out for the starter job by Jaime Garcia. He made four starts in Triple-A and opted out of his contract on June 30. Hill went on to play 14 more years in the majors and hopes to continue in 2025 at age 45.

Now Available – 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. 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

21 New Invitees to 2025 Cardinals Camp

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: John Mozeliak (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

The St. Louis Cardinals’ hot stove remains cold as a Nolan Arenado trade seems their only offseason priority. Our history feature investigates prior trades and free agent signings made during this week.

Cardinals Annual Winter Warm-Up

The annual St. Louis Cardinals fan event called Winter Warm-Up began at Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village on Saturday and concludes on Monday. This unofficial kickoff to the season provides fans an opportunity to meet and get autographs from their favorite current and former players, hear from Cardinals ownership and front office personnel, and take part in other festivities.

On Saturday, POBO John Mozeliak held a meet and greet where he answered questions from assembled media. The focus this year was unsurprisingly on the stalled trade talks surrounding third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Current players answered questions in the media room including Sonny Gray, Brendan Donovan, Erick Fedde, Steven Matz, and Ryan Helsley. Cardinals prospects Tink Hence, Sem Robberse and Victor Scott II also appeared for questions.

On Sunday, other players appeared for Q&A. This group included Alec Burleson, Andre Pallante, Jordan Walker, Masyn Winn and others. Prospects appearing included Quinn Mathews, Michael McGreevy, and Matt Koperniak.

The event concludes on Monday with more players signing autographs and answering questions. The annual St. Louis BBWAA Dinner was also held on Sunday evening, with the following awards given out.

Congratulations to all award winners at the 2024 @StLouisBBWAA Writers' Dinner tonight! pic.twitter.com/tKjyGRmvUx

— St. Louis Cardinals (@Cardinals) January 20, 2025

For more in depth coverage of the event, see Brian Walton’s reporting here and here at TCN.

News and Notes for the Offseason

In this space will be information on news and events of the offseason that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals 2025 Spring Training tickets on sale now – The Cardinals have opened up the sale for 2025 Spring Training tickets. Purchase tickets at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/spring-training
• Cardinals’ Season Tickets are now available – Fans can now purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2025 season at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets. A telephone line and a chat feature are also available.
• Spring Breakout is back – The second annual Spring Breakout games begin in March. This prospect showcase features top prospects from each team. A team of Cardinals prospects will play Marlins prospects on March 14 at 12:10 p.m. ET at Roger Dean Stadium in Jupiter. The Cardinals team may include Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence and JJ Wetherholt.

• Cardinals’ spring workout dates announced – The dates for spring training workouts to begin have been set. The first workout date for pitchers and catchers is February 12. Position players will begin their workouts on February 17.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

Nothing has changed since this time last week on the Nolan Arenado front. John Mozeliak spoke at the Cardinals Winter Warm-Up over the weekend and told the assembled crowd that trading Arenado is “priority one, two and three” for the organization’s offseason plans.

Nolan Arenado

Yet less than a month away from the beginning of spring training, Arenado is still a Cardinal. There appears to be no plans to move anyone else, despite rumors that either or both pitchers Erick Fedde and Steven Matz might have been on the trade block. Mozeliak indicated that taking away from the team’s starting pitching depth is not something he wants to do.

Furthermore, it appears the team may not have to reduce payroll as much as originally thought. According to Katie Woo of the Athletic, chairman Bill DeWitt informed Mozeliak that the payroll situation is not as tight as originally anticipated and he is prepared to give Mozeliak a “little more flexibility”.

So should an Arenado deal not materialize, there is a substantial chance that the Cardinals will make no moves before pitchers and catchers report on February 10 and Arenado will report to Jupiter to get ready for the season.

Mozeliak also mentioned a desire to sign a reliever and a right-handed hitting outfielder, but it is unclear what contingencies are attached.

Transactions

• 1/16 The Cardinals invited the following 26 non-roster players to spring training: RHPs Max Rajcic, Ian Bedell, Michael Gomez, Edwin Nuñez and Andre Granillo; LHPs Quinn Mathews, Oddanier Mosqueda, Drew Rom, Cooper Hjerpe and Alex Cornwell; Catchers Jimmy Crooks, Leonardo Bernal, Chance Sisco, Bryan Torres, Sammy Hernandez, Carlos Linarez, Wade Stauss, and Gavin Collins, OFs Nathan Church, Ryan Vilade and Chase Davis; 2B César Prieto, Jose Barrero and Jeremy Rivas, 1B R.J. Yeager; and SS JJ Wetherholt.

Injury Report

There are no new injuries to report.

Looking Ahead

It is now about four weeks until pitchers and catchers report on February 10. The Cardinals have still not made any significant offseason moves.

The arbitration filing deadline has passed. The Cardinals came to an agreement with three of their six arbitration eligible players, Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero and John King.

The three remaining eligible players, Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan and Andre Pallante have exchanged salary figures with the team with hearings to be scheduled soon.

Other key dates in January include:

• January 21, 2025 – The 2025 Hall of Fame voting by the BBWAA that took place in December will be announced live on MLB Network at 5 pm CT. Two members of the class, Dick Allen and Dave Parker, were chosen by the Classic Era Baseball Committee and announced in December.
• January 27 and continuing through February 14 – Arbitration hearings for those players who failed to come to contract terms with their teams will be held.

Blast from the Past

The offseason continues into January with the Cardinals still waiting to offload Nolan Arenado and continue their plan to lower payroll. The market for the third baseman is quiet for the moment.

The Cardinals have indicated that at least one addition to, rather than a subtraction from, the roster is being considered. The team is reported to be seeking a relief arm to replace Andrew Kittredge, who departed as a free agent.

This week’s Blast continues its look at past Cardinal transactions, from the period January 13 through January 19.

The following transactions start with the date, the name or names of the players involved, the teams involved, and the nature of the transaction. Additional relevant details may be included.

January 14, 2005 – The Cardinals signed infielder Donovan Solano as an international free agent. Solano spent seven seasons in the Cardinals minor league system and became a minor league free agent in 2011. Since that time Solano has played in the major leagues with seven teams, beginning with the Miami Marlins. Solano played for the San Diego Padres in 2024 and recently signed a one-year major league contract with the Seattle Mariners. The 37-year-old is entering his 21^st season in professional baseball.

January 14, 2011 – The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Miguel Batista to a minor league deal. Batista made the opening day roster. Batista, who was normally a reliever, made an unexpected start on April 22, 2011 in a game against the Cincinnati Reds. With rain in the forecast, Cardinals manager Tony La Russa made a last-minute switch, taking out scheduled starter Kyle McClellan and substituting Batista.  The game began two hours after the scheduled start, causing Reds manager Dusty Baker to lose his planned starter. Baker was none too pleased with La Russa’s maneuver.

Batista was released on June 22, 2011.

January 19, 2018 – The Cardinals traded outfielder Randal Grichuk to the Toronto Blue Jays for pitchers Connor Greene and Dominic Leone. Greene never made it to the major leagues with the Cardinals, but Leone pitched out of the bullpen for the team for two seasons. Later, Grichuk moved on to the Rockies and the Diamondbacks and is currently a free agent.

January 19, 2024 – The Cardinals signed free agent infielder Matt Carpenter to a one-year contract. This was a return stint for Carpenter, who was drafted by and played for the Cardinals from 2011-2021. Carpenter spent the interim years with the Yankees and the Padres before returning to St. Louis in 2024.

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

Insight on Cardinals’ 2025 Player Development and Performance Assignments

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Ryan Helsley (Jeff Curry/USA TODAY Sports)

Three St. Louis Cardinals players head to arbitration hearings as three came to terms. Nolan Arenado remains with the team. Key off-season dates ahead are provided. Our history feature investigates prior trades and free agent signings made during this week.

Cardinals reach arbitration agreements with three

The filing deadline for arbitration eligible players passed on Thursday. The St. Louis Cardinals have six arbitration eligible players for 2025. They are pitchers Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero and John King, as well as outfielder Lars Nootbaar, utility player Brendan Donovan and pitcher Andre Pallante.

The team and players came to an agreement on 2025 salaries for Helsley, Romero, and King. Salary will be $8.2 million with Helsley, a $4.4 million raise from 2024. Romero will make $2.26 million, and King agreed to $1.605 million.

The Cardinals failed to come to terms with first year eligibles Nootbaar, Donovan and Pallante. MLB.com’s John Denton reported that the team had been working on multi-year contracts with both Nootbaar and Donovan, but those efforts did not come to fruition before the filing deadline.

The amounts submitted by the players and the offers made by the Cardinals in each case with Nootbaar, Donovan, and Pallante are as follows:

• Nootbaar: filed at $2.95 million; Cardinals filed at $2.45 million.
• Donovan: filed at $3.3 million; Cardinals filed at $2.85 million.
• Pallante:  filed at $2.1 million; Cardinals filed at $1.925 million.

The Cardinals have traditionally been a “file and trial” team, meaning they will take the player to hearing, unless an agreement on a multi-year contract is reached. Both sides may continue to negotiate until the hearing date, and agreements “on the courthouse steps” are possible. Otherwise, following the hearing, the arbitrator will decide on one filing amount or the other.

Recently, hearings took place with Tyler O’Neill in 2022 and Helsley in 2023. The Cardinals won both hearings with the player required to accept the team’s filed offer for a one-year contract.

Hearings will be scheduled from late January to mid-February.

News and Notes for the Offseason

In this space will be information on news and events of the offseason that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Former Cardinal takes out ad – Departed first baseman Paul Goldschmidt, recently signed to the Yankees roster, took out a full-page ad in the St. Louis Post-Dispatch to thank Cardinals fans for his time in St. Louis. For those who can’t access the ad itself, the text of the ad was reported by Cardinals writer Jeff Jones in a tweet on X, and in a post on Bluesky.
• Cardinals 2025 Spring Training tickets on sale now – The Cardinals have opened the sale of 2025 Spring Training tickets. Purchase tickets at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/spring-training
• Cardinals 2025 Winter Warm-Up –Winter Warm-Up will be held this coming weekend at Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village. Access information about the event at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/fans/winter-warm-up
• Winter Warm-Up autograph prices revealed – Here at TCN, Brian Walton has published his annual look at Winter Warm-Up autograph prices. The article reveals the top prices this year (hint they are all young up and coming players) and how this year’s prices compare to previous years. Recent additions to the event are included. This article can be found at https://thecardinalnation.com/st-louis-cardinals-winter-warm-up-autograph-prices-2025/
• Cardinals’ Season Tickets are now available – Fans can now purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2025 schedule. Access information about season tickets at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets. A telephone number and chat feature are available.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

There continues to be no movement in the trade market for Nolan Arenado. The likelihood of Arenado coming to spring training in Jupiter in February is increasing.

At this point it appears that the Boston Red Sox are the most promising trade partner remaining, though the Red Sox appear to still be also in the hunt for free agent third baseman Alex Bregman. Unless and until Bregman lands somewhere other than Boston, it appears likely that Arenado’s market will remain stalled.

Nolan Arenado

The main hang-up according to Katie Woo of the Athletic, is that the Cardinals are not interested in paying a sizable chunk of Arenado’s remaining contract in order to facilitate a trade.

Should Arenado not be traded, the Cardinals will have to seek payroll relief elsewhere, most probably by seeking a trade partner for one or both of pitchers Erick Fedde and Steven Matz if possible.

Transactions

• 1/9 The Cardinals claimed LHP Bailey Horn off waivers from the Detroit Tigers.

Cardinals Claim Lefty Bailey Horn off Waivers

Injury Report

There are no new injuries to report.

Looking Ahead

It is now January 13 and in only about five weeks, pitchers and catchers report. The Cardinals have not made any significant offseason moves.

The arbitration filing deadline has passed. The Cardinals came to an agreement with three of their six arbitration eligible players. They are Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero and John King.

The three remaining players, Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, and Andre Pallante have exchanged salary figures with the team. Arbitration hearings will be scheduled.

Other key dates in January include:

• January 15 – International signing period opens.
• January 21 – The 2025 Hall of Fame Class announced. The results of the voting by the BBWAA that took place in December will be announced live on MLB Network at 5 pm CT. Two members of the class, Dick Allen and Dave Parker, were chosen by the Classic Era Baseball Committee and announced in December.
• January 27 through February 14– Arbitration hearings for eligible players who failed to come to contract terms with their teams will be held during this period.

Blast from the Past

The offseason continues with the Cardinals still waiting to offload Nolan Arenado’s contract and continue their plan to lower payroll. The market for the third baseman is quiet for the moment.

The Cardinals have indicated that two additions to the roster are being considered. The team is reported to be seeking a relief arm to replace departed Andrew Kittredge and a right-handed hitting outfielder.

As the offseason percolates, this week’s Blast continues with a look at past transactions from the period January 6 through January 12.

The following list starts with date of the transaction, the name or names of the players involved in the transaction, the teams involved, and the nature of the transaction. Additional relevant details may be included.

January 7, 2000 – The Cardinals signed RHP Andy Benes to a free agent contract.  This was a return contract for Benes, who had pitched for the Cardinals for two seasons in 1996 and 1997. He finished his career in St. Louis in 2002. His brother Alan Benes was also a pitcher for the Cardinals from 1995-2001.

January 8, 1998 – The Cardinals signed RHP Kent Bottenfield to a free agent contract. Bottenfield pitched for the team for two seasons. His best season was 1999 when he posted a record of 18-7 with an ERA of 3.97. Bottenfield was traded in 2000 along with Adam Kennedy to the Angels for outfielder Jim Edmonds.

January 9, 1991 – The Cardinals signed LHP Jamie Moyer to a free agent contract. Moyer, age 28 at the time of the signing, pitched in only eight games for the Cardinals before being sent down to the minor leagues and was then released at the end of the season.

Moyer went on to pitch for 21 more years with five other teams, spending the longest time with the Seattle Mariners. At the time Moyer pitched his last major league game, he was the oldest player in the major leagues at the age of 49.

January 10, 2007 – The Cardinals signed Rick Ankiel to a minor league contract with a Spring Training invite. As Cardinals fans know, Ankiel was drafted by the Cardinals in 1997 as a pitcher.

After Ankiel was unable to continue as a pitcher after the 2004 season, he switched to the outfield and played in the Cardinals minor league system.

Ankiel was granted free agency in 2006 and then signed the minor league contract in 2007. He played in the outfield until he became a free agent again in 2009 and signed with the Royals. He continued his career with the Nationals, Astros and the Mets until he retired in 2013.

January 11, 2016 – The Cardinals signed Korean pitcher Seung-hwan Oh to a one-year contract with a club option for a second season.

Oh pitched out of the bullpen and appeared in 76 games in 2016. The right-hander posted a record of 6-3 with an ERA of 1.92. Oh finished sixth in the Rookie of the Year voting.

Oh’s option was triggered for the 2017 season, and he made 62 relief appearances with a record of 1-6 and an ERA of 4.10. He pitched for Toronto and Colorado in 2018 and 2019. Oh then returned to Korea and was still active in 2024 at the age of 41.

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospects – The Newbies

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Nolan Arenado via Zoom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Other than a few trade rumors, the quiet winter for the St. Louis Cardinals continued into the New Year. Key off-season dates ahead are provided. Our history feature investigates prior trades and free agent signings made during this week.

Offseason News and Notes

In this space will be information on news and events of the offseason that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals 2025 Spring Training tickets on sale now – The Cardinals have opened the sale for 2025 Spring Training tickets. Purchase tickets at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/spring-training
• Cardinals 2025 Winter Warm-Up – Winter Warm-Up will be held on January 18-20. Information at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/fans/winter-warm-up
• Winter Warm-Up autograph prices revealed – Here at TCN, we document Winter Warm-Up autographs prices. The article reveals the top prices this year (hint they are all young up and coming players) and how this year’s prices compare to previous years. It has been updated with recent additions, including Willson Contreras. https://thecardinalnation.com/st-louis-cardinals-winter-warm-up-autograph-prices-2025/
• Cardinals’ Season Tickets now available – Fans can purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2025 schedule. A telephone line and chat feature are available for fans. https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

• Derrick Goold of the Post Dispatch writes that the Cardinals are in the market for a setup reliever to replace the services of free agent Andrew Kittredge.

Nolan Arenado

• The “market” for third baseman Nolan Arenado appears to have stalled. Since the trade to the Astros was quashed by Arenado invoking his no-trade protection in December, there has been little to no movement occurring. Perhaps teams are waiting for free agent third baseman Alex Bregman to settle on a team before setting their sights on the Arenado alternative.
• There are recent rumors out of Boston that the Red Sox may be at or near the top of Arenado’s preferred destinations, but it is unclear how serious the AL East team may be in acquiring him.

Transactions

There are no transactions to report.

Injury Report

There are no new injuries to report.

Looking Ahead

It is now January and about 5-6 weeks until pitchers and catchers report. The Cardinals have not made any significant offseason moves since the Winter Meetings in early December.

Some key dates in January include:

• January 9 – Arbitration filing deadline. The Cardinals have six arbitration eligible players. They are Ryan Helsley (3^rd year), JoJo Romero (2^nd), John King (2^nd), Lars Nootbaar (1^st), Brendan Donovan (1^st) and Andre Pallante (Super Two, 1st).
• January 15 – International signing period opens.
• January 21 – The 2025 Hall of Fame Class will be announced. The results of the voting by the BBWAA that took place in December will be discloed live on MLB Network at 5 pm CT. Two members of the class, Dick Allen and Dave Parker, were chosen by the Classic Era Baseball Committee and announced in December.
• January 27 and continuing through February 14 – Arbitration hearings for eligible players who failed to come to contract terms with their teams will be held.

Blast from the Past

The offseason continues into January with the Cardinals still waiting to offload Nolan Arenado and continue their plan to lower payroll. The market for the third baseman is quiet for the moment.

The Cardinals have indicated that one addition to, rather than a subtraction from, the roster is being considered. The team is reported to be seeking a relief arm to replace free agent Andrew Kittredge.

As the slow offseason continues, this week’s Blast continues with its look at past transactions. This week we cover prior transactions from the period December 30 through January 5.

The following list starts with the date of the transaction, the name or names of the players involved, the teams involved, and the nature of the transaction. Additional relevant details may be included.

January 2, 2002 – The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Jason Simontacchi. He made 24 starts for St. Louis in 2002 and 16 starts in 2003 but suffered a shoulder injury in 2004 and was released. After his playing career ended, he was hired by the Cardinals in 2013 as a minor league pitching coach. He is currently a pitching coordinator for the Kansas City Royals.

January 4, 1988 – The Cardinals signed former Braves third baseman Brad Horner as a free agent. Horner was the Rookie of the Year in 1978 and an All Star with the Braves. He came to the Cardinals at the end of his career and played in 60 games in St. Louis and then injured his shoulder.

January 5, 2024 – The Cardinals traded outfielder Richie Palacios to the Tampa Bay Rays for RHP Andrew Kittredge. Kittredge pitched well as a setup reliever for the Cardinals but he is currently a free agent.

January 5, 2010 – The Cardinals signed OF Matt Holliday as a free agent. Holliday came to the Cardinals mid-season of 2009 in a trade with the Oakland Athletics but tested free agency that winter before returning.  The Cardinals signed Holliday to a 7 year/$120 MM contract on this date. Holliday played out the contract and became a free agent after the 2016 season. He signed a one-year contract with the New York Yankees for 2017 and finished his playing career in 2018 with his first team, the Colorado Rockies.

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

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

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Nolan Arenado (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)

Other than continued trade rumors, the quiet winter for the St. Louis Cardinals rolls into the Holidays. Key off-season dates ahead are provided. Our history feature investigates prior trades and free agent signings made during this week.

News and Notes for the Offseason

In this space will be information on news and events of the offseason that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals 2025 Spring Training tickets on sale now – The Cardinals have opened up the sale for 2025 Spring Training tickets. Purchase tickets at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/spring-training
• Cardinals 2025 Winter Warm-Up – The plans for the 2025 Winter Warm-Up have been announced. Access information about the January 18-20 event at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/fans/winter-warm-up
• Winter Warm-Up autograph prices revealed – Here at TCN, Brian Walton has posted his annual look at Winter Warm-Up autograph prices. The article reveals the top prices this year (hint they are all young up and coming players) and how this year’s prices compare to previous years.

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

• Cardinals’ Season Tickets are now available – Fans can now purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2025 schedule. https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets. A telephone number to call and a chat feature is available.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

• The latest in the chronicles of the pursuit of a trade of Nolan Arenado are that one proposal was agreed to and then quashed by the player and one offer was reportedly refused by the Cardinals.

Nolan Arenado

It was reported during the past week that the Cardinals had come to an agreement with the Houston Astros on a trade for Arenado (return players were not revealed) but that the third baseman invoked his no-trade protection to put the brakes on. As the story goes, the trade was a no go not necessarily because Arenado did not want to go the Astros, but that he does not want to commit so soon in the offseason. He wants to see how the third base market develops after Alex Bregman and others sign.

So, the talks are said to be continuing with Houston and any other interested team. One of the interested teams was disclosed to be the Yankees, who reportedly proposed earlier this offseason to trade pitcher Marcus Stroman for Arenado, but the Cardinals refused, according to multiple sources.

Other rumors swirling about are that Arenado is hoping for the Dodgers to make an offer, but Los Angeles appears set on keeping Max Muncy at the hot corner in 2025.

Ironically, a trade to the Yankees may have been appealing to Arenado, as the Yankees have recently set a one-year deal with Arenado’s buddy and former Cardinal Paul Goldschmidt.

Paul Goldschmidt

• As to another once rumored trade target, Cardinals’ closer Ryan Helsley is garnering considerable interest from several teams, despite the Cardinals’ announced desire to keep Helsley on the roster for 2025.

Ryan Helsley

MLB’s Mark Feinsand, as well as John Denton, MLB reporter for the Cardinals, and Yankees’ MLB writer Bryan Hoch wrote in that same article regarding the Yankees trade proposal for Arenado, that the Toronto Blue Jays and the Arizona Diamondbacks have expressed interest in Helsley. A subsequent tweet from John Gambadoro, reporter for the Diamondbacks, confirmed Arizona’s interest.

Erick Fedde

Steven Matz

• Additionally, the MLB.com article linked above disclosed that two teams, the Cleveland Guardians and the Detroit Tigers, are interested in trading for two of the Cardinals’ starting pitchers, Erick Fedde and Steven Matz. Rumors of the Cardinals’ interest in seeking a trade partner for Matz has previously been reported. Fedde, who came to the Cardinals in a trade at the deadline in 2024 from the White Sox, is set to become a free agent at the end of the 2025 season and Matz is also entering the final year of his four-year contract with St. Louis.

Transactions

There are no transactions to report.

Injury Report

There are no new injuries to report.

Looking Ahead

2024 is almost over. The Winter Meetings, the Rule 5 Draft and the Draft Lottery are complete. There are no remaining key dates in the month of December.

Key dates in January include:

• January 9 – Arbitration filing deadline. The Cardinals have six arbitration eligible players. They are Ryan Helsley (third yr), JoJo Romero (second yr), John King (second yr), Lars Nootbaar (first yr), Brendan Donovan (first yr), and Andre Pallante (Super Two, first yr).
• January 15 – International signing period opens.
• January 21 – The 2025 Hall of Fame Class announced. The results of the voting by the BBWAA that took place in December will be announced live on MLB Network at 5 pm CT. Two members of the class, Dick Allen and Dave Parker, were chosen by the Classic Era Baseball Committee earlier this month.
• January 27 through February 14 – Arbitration hearings for eligible players who failed to come to contract terms with their teams will be held.

Blast from the Past

With the offseason well underway, this is the time when teams begin to make deals to add to, or in the Cardinals’ case, subtract from, their major league rosters. Whether it is free agent signings, trades, or other kinds of transactions, teams prepare for the next season.

This week’s Blast from the Past recalls Cardinals transactions that occurred in the past during the period December 16 through 22.

The following is a list of transactions made by the Cardinals during this period starting with date of the transaction, the name or names of the players involved in the transaction, the teams involved, and the nature of the transaction. Additional relevant details may be included.

December 16, 1988 – The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Bob Tewksbury. Tewksbury remained with the Cardinals through 1994.

December 17, 2019 – The Cardinals signed Korean LHP Kwang-Hyun Kim to a two-year/$11 MM contract. Kim became a free agent after the 2021 season and returned to Korea.

December 18, 2004 – The Cardinals traded Daric Barton, Kiko Calero, and Dan Haren to the Oakland Athletics for LHP Mark Mulder. Mulder stayed in St. Louis for four injury-riddled and mostly ineffective seasons. The Cardinals declined their option for a fifth-year and he retired from baseball.  Haren, on the other hand, went on to pitch successfully for many years with various other teams.

December 20, 1926 – The Cardinals traded Rogers Hornsby to the New York Giants for Frankie Frisch and Jimmy Ring. Both Hornsby and Frisch were inducted into the Baseball Hall of Fame. Hornsby was traded by owner Sam Breadon reportedly because of a contract dispute and Hornsby’s refusal to give up gambling on horses.

December 21, 2018 – The Cardinals signed free agent LHP Andrew Miller to a two-year/$25 MM contract with a third-year vesting option. Miller played out his contract, including the vesting option. Miller then retired from baseball and currently works for the MLB Players Association.

December 22, 2015 – The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Mike Leake to a five-year/$80 MM contract. Leake did not finish his contract in St. Louis. The Cardinals traded him in August 2017 to the Seattle Mariners for Rayder Ascanio. It was widely viewed as a salary dump. Ascanio remained in the Cardinals minor league system through the 2021 system and was then released.

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

TCN 2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #9 – Michael McGreevy

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

In our weekly St. Louis Cardinals news recap… From the Winter Meetings, the Cardinals made out well in the Draft Lottery and were busy in the Rule 5 Draft. Our history feature investigates prior trades and free agent signings made during this week.

Cardinals to pick fifth in 2025 Draft

The annual MLB Draft Lottery took place on Tuesday night, December 10. The lottery came from the last Collective Bargaining Agreement to curb anti-competitive behavior by teams such as the practice of “tanking”.

The lottery allows eligible non-playoff teams to participate in a drawing for a top six placement in the next season’s draft, regardless of their end of season ranking. Last season, the Cardinals participated, but did not get a top six pick. They went seventh due to their fifth worst record overall.

Tuesday’s result was an improvement for St. Louis, as they finished in second place in the Division but were awarded the fifth pick in the draft. 2025 is the second year in a row they received a top 10 selection and fifth is their highest placement since 1998.

The Cardinals had just the 13^th best odds overall. Drafting fifth is a lucky break for a team that is focusing on rebuilding their farm system in 2025 and beyond.

Pitcher Connor Thomas taken by Milwaukee in Rule 5

The annual Rule 5 Draft took place on Wednesday, December 11. This year’s Rule 5 draft had a smaller pool of new entrants than usual because of the shortened 2020 draft. That draft consisted of only five rounds instead of the usual 20 rounds due to the Covid-19 pandemic.

The Rule 5 Draft consists of a major league phase and a minor league phase. The major league phase is primarily picks from players at the higher levels of the minor league system who are not on a team’s 40-man roster. The minor league phase is primarily sourced from the lower levels (Double-A and lower).

Connor Thomas

The Cardinals did not make a choice in the major league phase. They did, however, lose a player. Connor Thomas, a left-handed pitcher for the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds, was chosen by the Milwaukee Brewers.

In the major league phase, players chosen must by placed on the team’s 40-man and active rosters and must remain active for a full season (unless injured). If the player is taken off the active roster, he must be placed on waivers. If not claimed, that player must be returned to the original team unless that team declines.

In the minor league phase, a player chosen may be retained by the new team at any level without having to return the player.

The Cardinals lost six players in the minor league phase. They are RHP Trent Baker (Springfield), RHP Henry Gomez (Palm Beach), C Aaron McKeithan (Springfield), RHP Brandon Komar (Springfield), SS Lizandro Espinoza (Palm Beach), and RHP Augusto Calderon (Palm Beach).

The Cardinals chose four players in the minor league phase. They are LHP Oddanier Mosqueda (Yankees Double-A), RHP Angel Gonzalez (Cubs High-A), RHP Jawilme Rodriguez (Mets High-A), and OF Miguel Ugueto (Red Sox High-A).

News and Notes for the Offseason

In this space will be information on news and events of the offseason that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals 2025 Spring Training tickets on sale now – The Cardinals have opened the sale of 2025 Spring Training tickets. For information and to purchase tickets: https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/spring-training .
• Cardinals 2025 Winter Warm-Up –2025 Winter Warm-Up will be held in St. Louis from January 18-20. For information about the event: https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/fans/winter-warm-up .
• Cardinals’ Season Tickets are now available – Fans can now purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2025 season. For information about season tickets: https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets. A telephone number and a chat feature are also available.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

The ongoing saga of the trade rumors swirling around third baseman Nolan Arenado continues with the list of teams narrowed to six. One other team has become a “serious suitor”.

Nolan Arenado

According to multiple sources, Arenado’s list of six teams for whom he will accept a trade is the Dodgers, Angels, Padres, Phillies, Mets and Red Sox. It appears that except for the Angels, all are on the list primarily because they meet the definition of a contending team. As has been reported in the past, Arenado’s primary goal is to play in the postseason and hopefully win a World Series before his career comes to an end.

The inclusion of the Angels is odd given that their recent history does not fit the contending team definition. In fact, they have not reached the postseason since 2014. One can only surmise that their placement in the list is a matter of location, given that Arenado is a native of Southern California and makes his offseason home there.

Interestingly, the rumor of a “serious suitor” for the third baseman concerns the Houston Astros. While they meet the definition of a contending team, they are not on the reported list of acceptable trade targets.

The Astros are notably in extension talks with their star third baseman, free agent Alex Bregman. While those talks are rumored to have cooled of late, they may not be off entirely. The Astros recently traded a prized outfielder, Kyle Tucker, to the Cubs in return for several players, including Isaac Paredes, a third baseman. This has raised question about whether the return of Bregman to Houston is less likely. Nevertheless, the interest in Arenado only makes sense if the Astros intend to move Paredes off the hot corner or they intend to put Arenado at first base.

Whether Arenado would consider a trade to Houston is unknown, but the conventional wisdom is that Arenado will be traded somewhere. At the Winter Meetings this past week, POBO John Mozeliak was quoted as saying he believed a trade will be made sometime in the month of December, probably before Christmas.

Transactions

• 12/11 RHP Connor Thomas taken in the Rule 5 Draft by Milwaukee Brewers.
• 12/11 Cardinals acquire four minor leaguers in the Rule 5 Draft – RHP Angel Gonzalez from the Chicago Cubs, RHP Jawilme Ramirez from the New York Mets, OF Miguel Ugueto from the Boston Red Sox and LHP Oddanier Mosqueda from the Yankees.
• 12/11 Six minor leaguers leave the Cardinals in the Rule 5 Draft – RHP Trent Baker (Springfield), RHP Henry Gomez (Palm Beach), C Aaron McKeithan (Springfield), RHP Brandon Komar (Springfield), SS Lizandro Espinoza (Palm Beach), and RHP Augusto Calderon (Palm Beach).

Injury Report

There are no new injuries to report.

Looking Ahead

December is half over. The Winter Meetings, the Rule 5 Draft and the Draft Lottery are complete. There are no key dates remaining in the month of December.

Some key dates in January include:

• January 9 – Arbitration filing deadline. The Cardinals have six arbitration eligible players. They are Ryan Helsley (third year), JoJo Romero and John King (second), Lars Nootbaar and Brendan Donovan (first), and Andre Pallante (Super Two, first year).
• January 15 – International signing period opens.
• January 21 – The 2025 Hall of Fame Class will be announced. The results of December voting by the BBWAA will be disclosed live on MLB Network at 5 pm CT. Two members of the class, Dick Allen and Dave Parker, were chosen by the Classic Era Baseball Committee and announced last week.
• January 27 and continuing through February 14 – Arbitration hearings for eligible players who failed to come to contract terms with their teams will be held.

Blast from the Past

The hot stove season is the time when teams begin to make deals to add, or in the Cardinals’ case, subtract from their major league rosters. Whether free agent signings, trades, or other kinds of transactions, teams prepare for the next season.

This week’s Blast from the Past recalls Cardinals transactions that occurred in the past during the period December 9 through December 15.

The following lists the date of the transaction, the name or names of the players involved, the teams, and the nature of the transaction. Additional relevant details may be included.

Willson Contreras

December 9, 2022 – The Cardinals signed free agent C Willson Contreras to a five-year/$87.5 MM contract to replace retiring Yadier Molina. After the past two seasons as the primary catcher, Contreras will be moving to first base for 2025.

December 9, 2016 – The Cardinals signed free agent OF Dexter Fowler to a five-year/$82.5 MM contract. Fowler remained with the Cardinals through the 2020 season before being traded in 2021 to the Los Angeles Angels.

December 9, 1980 – The Cardinals acquired RHP Bruce Sutter in trade from the Chicago Cubs for Leon Durham and Ken Reitz.

December 11, 2001 – The Cardinals signed free agent RHP Jason Isringhausen to a four year/$27 MM contract. Later, he agreed to a three-year extension in 2005.

December 12, 2010 – The Cardinals traded SS Brendan Ryan to the Seattle Mariners for RHP Maikel Cleto. The Cardinals placed Cleto on waivers in June 2013. He pitched very briefly for the Chicago White Sox, then on minor league deals with the Braves and the Cubs. He played in the Mexican League until 2021.

Adam Wainwright

December 13, 2003 – The Cardinals traded J.D. Drew and Eli Marrero to the Atlanta Braves for Ray King, Jason Marquis and Adam Wainwright. The rest is history.

December 13, 2002 – The Cardinals signed RHP Chris Carpenter as a free agent to a one-year/$500,000 contract. As above, the rest is history.

Stephen Piscotty

December 14, 2017 – The Cardinals traded OF Stephen Piscotty to the Oakland Athletics for IFs Yairo Munoz and Max Schrock. Piscotty’s mother had recently been diagnosed with ALS and it was widely believed this trade was made to facilitate a return of Piscotty to his family’s Bay Area home.

December 14, 2007 – The Cardinals trade OF Jim Edmonds to the San Diego Padres for 3B David Freese. Freese eventually became the hero of the 2011 postseason and a Cardinals icon for that reason.

December 15, 1999 – The Cardinals signed C Mike Matheny to a one-year/$750,000 contract. Matheny was supplanted by Yadier Molina after the 2004 season and Matheny moved on to the San Francisco Giants. Matheny eventually returned to the Cardinals in a different role, a fact many would like to forget.

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

TCN 2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #16 – Zack Showalter

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Steven Matz (Rhona Wise/USA TODAY Sports)

In our weekly St. Louis Cardinals news recap… A new Director of Pitching is joining as trade rumors continue to swirl around multiple players. Our history feature investigates prior trades and free agent signings made during this week.

Cardinals select Director of Pitching

An addition to the St. Louis Cardinals’ player development staff was disclosed this past week, as former Mariners minor league pitching coordinator Matt Pierpont announced his move to the Cardinals as their Director of Pitching. The team has not yet confirmed the hiring.

Pierpont, 33, was a pitcher in the minor leagues for seven seasons before landing a job with the Mariners as a coach and eventually to minor league pitching coordinator for the last two seasons.

Pierpont has worked with some of the top pitchers in the Mariners organization, including Bryce Miller, Bryan Woo, and Emerson Hancock. These pitchers were a part of a Seattle rotation that led the majors in ERA and BB/9 and was fourth in WAR in 2024.

Pierpont will be taxed with helping build a pipeline that led to a Cardinals rotation that was 20^th in ERA and 14^th in WAR in 2024. That pitching has been somewhat of a liability for St. Louis over the last several seasons is undeniable, requiring them to spend considerable amounts on veterans in free agency.

Pierpont’s experience in helping to advance what was arguably the best pitching staff in the majors last season could be called somewhat of a coup for the Cardinals if it works out.

For more:

Matt Pierpont Joins Cardinals as Director of Pitching

News and Notes for the Offseason

In this space will be information on news and events of the offseason that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

Brandon Crawford

• Former Cardinal announces retirement – Brandon Crawford, longtime shortstop for the San Francisco Giants who concluded his career with five months with the Cardinals in 2024, has announced his retirement from baseball.

Crawford disclosed the news in a post on Instagram this past week. He thanked both of his former teams for allowing him to play the game and that it was time to move on to other endeavors.

Crawford’s former Giants’ teammate Buster Posey, who retired in 2021, is now the President of Baseball Operations for the Giants.  Perhaps a future of another kind in baseball is on the horizon for Crawford as well.

• Cardinals 2025 Spring Training tickets on sale now – The Cardinals have opened sale of 2025 Spring Training tickets. You can purchase tickets at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/spring-training.
• Cardinals 2025 Winter Warm-Up – The plans for the 2025 Winter Warm-Up have been announced. You can access information about the event at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/fans/winter-warm-up.
• Cardinals’ Season Tickets are now available – Fans can now purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2025 season. Details about season tickets at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets. A telephone number to call and a chat feature are available.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

Steven Matz

• According to Derrick Goold of the Post Dispatch, the Cardinals are expected to “field interest” to trade starting pitcher Steven Matz.

Matz, 33, is entering the final season of his four-year contract with the Cardinals that will pay him $12.5 million in 2025. The left-hander has suffered through a considerable period of the contract with injuries, and his effectiveness as a starter has been lacking. Matz has pitched better in his brief periods out of the bullpen, and this may be where his greatest value lies, if any team were to be interested in acquiring him.

Nolan Arenado

• In an addendum to last week’s coverage of the trade potential for Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, a report from Katie Woo of the Athletic said that Arenado has publicly expressed a willingness to move to first base. It is believed this decision was made with the idea that a move to a different position would expand the number of teams who may be interested in acquiring Arenado, but do not have an opening at third base, such as the Padres, for example.

Transactions

There are no transactions to report.

Injury Report

There are no new injuries to report.

Looking Ahead

Key dates for December are:

• December 1 – Competitive balance draft picks are assigned. These picks are given out to teams that reside in the bottom 10 in revenue and/or market size. The Cardinals are not one of these 10 teams.
• December 8 – Results of the voting for the nominees for the Hall of Fame from the Classic Era Committee are announced. One former Cardinal, Ken Boyer, is a nominee.
• December 8-11 – The Winter Meetings will take place in Dallas, TX. The Winter Meetings are typically when the Hot Stove heats up and transactions are made.
• December 10 – The 2025 draft lottery takes place. This lottery determines the top six draft picks for the annual draft. All 18 non-playoff teams from 2024 have a chance to get the No. 1 pick in the draft, including St. Louis. Last season the Cardinals did not receive one of the first six picks and ended with the seventh pick, despite finishing the season tied with the Nationals for the fifth-worst record.
• December 11 – The Rule 5 Draft takes place on the last day of the Winter Meetings. In 2023, the Cardinals picked up RHP Ryan Fernandez from the Boston Red Sox. Currently, St. Louis has two 40-man roster openings.

Blast from the Past

With the offseason well underway, and the Winter Meetings on the horizon, this is the time when teams begin to make deals to add to, or in the Cardinals’ case, subtract from, their major league rosters. Whether free agent signings, trades, or other kinds of transactions, teams get prepared for the next season.

This week’s Blast from the Past recalls past Cardinals transactions that occurred during the period of November 25 through December 1.

The following list starts with the date of the transaction, the name or names of the players acquired and how and from what team they were acquired. Additional relevant details may be included.

Sonny Gray

November 27, 2023 –The Cardinals signed Sonny Gray as a free agent to a three-year/$75 million contract with no-trade protection. After Gray pitched one year for the Cardinals, it was rumored that the team would look to trade him to free up salary, but it appears Gray will remain.

November 28, 2006 – The Cardinals signed Adam Kennedy to a three-year/$10 million contract. Kennedy was drafted by the Cardinals in the 20^th round in 1997. He made his debut in August 1999 and was traded to the Angels in March 2000.

After six years with the Angels, Kennedy became a free agent and returned to the Cardinals. He did not finish his contract, as he requested a trade at the end of the 2008 season. Instead, the Cardinals released Kennedy in February 2009. From there, he became a journeyman, playing for four different teams over his final four MLB seasons.

November 29, 2021 – The Cardinals signed LHP Steven Matz to a four-year/$44 million contract. This transaction is particularly relevant this week because of current rumors that the Cardinals are shopping Matz in trade. Matz has been oft injured and not particularly effective as a starting pitcher for his three seasons with St. Louis.

November 30, 2010 – The Cardinals signed LHP Brian Tallet to a one-year/$750,000 contract. Tallet pitched in 18 games for the Cardinals in 2011 before being sent to the Blue Jays on July 27, 2011 as part of the three-team Colby Rasmus trade.

November 30, 2010 – On the same day as the Rasmus trade, the Cardinals dealt RHP Blake Hawksworth to the Dodgers for infielder Ryan Theriot. Theriot was with the Cardinals for only one season, which culminated in the 2011 World Series Championship. Theriot signed with the Giants and won another World Series with them in 2012.

December 1, 2016 – The Cardinals traded left-handed pitcher Jaime Garcia to the Atlanta Braves for John Gant, Chris Ellis and Luke Dykstra. Gant pitched for the Cardinals for parts of five seasons. Ellis and Dykstra did not play for the major league team.

December 1, 2006 – The Cardinals signed free agent Ryan Ludwick. The outfielder played for the Cardinals from 2007 through mid-season 2010. Ludwick was traded at the deadline in 2010 to the Padres in a three-team deal that brought starting pitcher Jake Westbrook to St. Louis.

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

TCN 2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #31 – Luis Gastelum

Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.

Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF copy today. Printed books are sold out.

Order TCN’s 2024 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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

photo: Adam Kloffenstein (Memphis Redbirds)

In our weekly Cardinals news recap… The 40-man roster was adjusted prior to the Rule 5 Draft and most players were kept for 2025. Prior Cardinals Manager of the Year and Most Valuable Player Award winners are remembered.

Cardinals finalize 40-man roster for Rule 5 draft

Two deadlines came and went this past week that affect the St. Louis Cardinals’ roster for the offseason and beyond. On November 19, all 30 teams were required to add any non-roster players who they wished to protect from the upcoming Rule 5 draft onto their 40-man rosters.

The Cardinals added four players. They are right-handed pitchers Tink Hence, Matt Svanson, and Tekoah Roby as well as outfielder Matt Koperniak. All but Koperniak ended their 2024 season on the roster of the Double-A Springfield Cardinals. Koperniak was with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds.

Drew Rom

The organization also outrighted pitcher Drew Rom, removing him from the 40-man roster. Rom cleared waivers and remains in the organization with Memphis.

Cardinals Add Quartet to 40-Man Roster Pre-Rule 5

The Rule 5 draft, which will take place on December 11, is an annual event that gives teams a chance to “draft” eligible players from the minor league rosters of the other 29 teams. Those eligible players are ones who have been on a minor league roster for either four or five years, depending on their age when they were drafted or first signed.

In addition, all teams had until November 22 to tender (offer) contracts to any arbitration eligible players or pre-arb players they wished to retain for the upcoming season. The Cardinals tendered contracts to all their players except one, RHP Adam Kloffenstein.

Adam Kloffenstein

Kloffenstein, 24, was acquired by the Cardinals in a 2023 deadline deal with the Toronto Blue Jays. The trade sent Kloffenstein and pitcher Sem Robberse to the Cardinals for reliever Jordan Hicks. Hicks finished the 2023 season with Toronto and then signed as a free agent with the San Francisco Giants. Robberse remains in the Cardinals minor league system with the Memphis Redbirds.

Kloffenstein was added to the 40-man roster on November 14, 2023. He was called up to St. Louis on June 20 for the Rickwood Field game against the Giants. He threw a perfect inning and was optioned back to Memphis the next day. He was not called up again before suffering a season-ending shoulder injury in July.

Kloffenstein started 17 games for Memphis and posted a record of 4-5 with an ERA of 4.74.

Cardinals Non-Tender Pitcher Adam Kloffenstein

The Cardinals tendered contracts to all six of their arbitration eligible players. They are Ryan Helsley, Lars Nootbaar, Brendan Donovan, Andre Pallante (Super Two), JoJo Romero and John King.

News and Notes for the Offseason

In this space will be information on news and events of the offseason that do not require extensive coverage. Check back each week to learn what is happening.

• Cardinals 2025 Spring Training tickets on sale now – The Cardinals have opened up the sale for 2025 Spring Training tickets for individual games. You can access information and purchase tickets at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/spring-training
• Cardinals 2025 Winter Warm-Up – The plans for the 2025 Winter Warm-Up have been announced and covered in last week’s report. As a reminder you can access information about the January event at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/fans/winter-warm-up
• Cardinals 2025 Season Tickets now available – Fans can now purchase season tickets for the upcoming 2025 season. You can access information about season tickets at https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/tickets/season-tickets. A telephone number to call and a chat feature is available for fans to use.

Trade and Acquisition Rumors

In last week’s notebook, we discussed the potential for a trade of closer Ryan Helsley based on recent reports by several Cardinals writers and some general supposition. This week we do the same with Cardinals’ third baseman Nolan Arenado.

Nolan Arenado

No concrete rumors of a trade in the works for Arenado are available. At this time, it all is just guess work. POBO John Mozeliak has hinted about the possibility of an Arenado trade if the right fit is found, despite the reports that Arenado has not definitively asked to be traded (as he did in 2021 when the Cardinals got him from the Rockies).

The speculation comes on the heels of accounts that Arenado, unlike teammates Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray, has not told the Cardinals organization that he wants to remain in St. Louis through their period of “reset”. This opened the floodgates of trade hypothesizing based mostly on squishy words uttered by Mozeliak (a trademark of the POBO, by the way).

In any event, the most recent of the conjecture is based on a story (subscription required) by a reporter who covers the Boston Red Sox, named Sean McAdam. Mr. McAdam wrote a piece ostensibly to discuss among other things that the Red Sox are considering the idea of moving their third baseman, Rafael Devers, to first base (despite Devers’ agent disputing that Devers is willing to move). A summary of all this can be read at MLB Trade Rumors.

You can see what comes next. If the position change does occur, that leaves the third base position open, and who might be available to fill that position? Nolan Arenado of course, along with free agent Alex Bregman perhaps if the Astros don’t re-sign him.

There is more trade talk out there if you are so inclined to find it, just Google “Nolan Arenado” and there it is, including this article involving the Blue Jays.

Transactions

• 11/19 The Cardinals selected the contract of LF Matt Koperniak from the Memphis Redbirds.
• 11/19 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Tink Hence from the Springfield Cardinals.
• 11/19 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Matt Svanson from the Springfield Cardinals.
• 11/19 The Cardinals selected the contract of RHP Tekoah Roby from the Springfield Cardinals.
• 11/19 The Cardinals sent LHP Drew Rom outright to the Memphis Redbirds.
• 11/22 The Cardinals non-tendered RHP Adam Kloffenstein, who elected free agency.

Injury Report

There are no new injuries to report.

Looking Ahead

The month of November is when free agency begins and rosters are adjusted for the upcoming season. It is also the month for the annual MLB awards.

All November awards have been announced. The Cardinals had three finalists for Gold Gloves, Masyn Winn, Nolan Arenado and Brendan Donovan, but none of the three were winners. The Cardinals had no finalists (or winners) for any of the other awards.

St. Louis manager Oli Marmol received one third place vote for Manager of the Year, which came from Keith Law of the Athletic. Ryan Helsley, the NL Reliever of the Year, received one fourth place and two fifth place votes for the Cy Young Award. Shortstop Masyn Winn did not receive any votes for Rookie of the Year. No Cardinal received any MVP votes.

Ryan Helsley

The deadline to add players to the roster for the upcoming season has passed. The Cardinals added four players to the 40-man roster – RHPs Tink Hence, Matt Svanson, and Tekoah Roby, and LF Matt Koperniak. In addition, the Cardinals outrighted LHP Drew Rom to the Memphis Redbirds.

The deadline to tender contracts to pre-arbitration and arb eligible players has passed. The Cardinals did not tender a contract to RHP Adam Kloffenstein and he elected free agency.

The 40-man roster now stands at 38 players.

The month of December is fast approaching. Key dates for December to pay attention to are:

• December 1 – Competitive balance draft picks are assigned. These picks are given out to teams that fall in the bottom 10 in revenue and/or market size. The Cardinals are not one of these 10 teams.
• December 8 – Results of the voting for the nominees for the Hall of Fame from the Classic Era Committee area announced. One former Cardinal, Ken Boyer, is a nominee.
• December 8-11 – The Winter Meetings will take place in Dallas, TX. The Winter Meetings are typically when the Hot Stove heats up and transactions are made.
• December 10 – The 2025 draft lottery takes place. This lottery determines the top six draft picks for the annual draft in 2025. All 18 non-playoff teams from 2024 have a chance to get the first pick in the draft. Last season, the Cardinals did not receive one of the first six picks and was assigned the seventh pick, despite finishing the season tied with the Nationals for the fifth worst record.
• December 11 – The Rule 5 Draft takes place on the last day of the Winter Meetings. In 2023, the Cardinals picked up RHP Ryan Fernandez in the Rule 5 draft from the Boston Red Sox. The Cardinals currently have two 40-man roster spots they could fill in this draft.

Blast from the Past

November is when the winners of the major awards for the prior season are announced.

This week’s Blast from the Past continues a series that showcase the offseason awards, specifically the history of Cardinals players or managers that have won the various awards over their history.

This final installment will cover two awards, the Manager of the Year and the Most Valuable Player. We begin with a brief history of both awards and end with the list of Cardinals players and managers who have won them.

The Manager of the Year award has been given out annually since 1983 to one manager in each league. The award is voted on by the BBWAA (two members from each league city, 30 members in total vote). They pick a manager for first, second and third place. The manager with the highest score wins the award.

The following is a list of Cardinals managers who have won the award and in what year.

Whitey Herzog – Herzog, who managed the Cardinals from 1980-1990, was selected in 1985. He is one of 12 managers to win the award in a year in which their team won 100+ games. The 1985 Cardinals had 101 wins.

Tony La Russa – La Russa managed the Cardinals from 1996-2011 and won the award in 2002. It was the fourth Manager of the Year award for La Russa who also was selected in 1983 with the White Sox, and 1988 and 1992 with the Athletics.

Mike Shildt – Shildt, who managed the Cardinals from mid-2018 through 2021, received the honor in 2019. It was his first full season as the Cardinals manager, after replacing the fired Mike Matheny on July 14, 2018. In the 2024 vote, Shildt, now with San Diego, came in second.

The Most Valuable Player Award (MVP) has been in existence since 1931. It has been voted on by members of the BBWAA since its inception. It began by polling three BBWAA writers in each MLB city in 1938 and was reduced to two writers per city in 1961. In 1944, the award was named after the first MLB Commissioner, Kennesaw Mountain Landis. His name was taken off the MVP Plaque in 2020 due to complaints from players about Landis’ role in resisting the integration of baseball.

The Cardinals have had 18 MVP winners since 1931, second only to the Yankees with 22.

The following is a list of Cardinals players who have received the MVP award beginning with those won it more than once and in what year(s).

Stan Musial – Stan “The Man” Musial was the MVP three times, in 1943, 1946 and 1948.

Albert Pujols – Pujols received the MVP award three times, in 2005, 2008 and 2009.

Frankie Frisch – Frisch won the MVP in 1931.

Dizzy Dean – Dean took the MVP in 1934, the first Cardinal pitcher to win the award.

Joe “Ducky” Medwick – Medwick was the MVP in 1937.

Mort Cooper – Cooper was named the MVP in 1942.

Marty Marian – Marian received the MVP in 1944.

Ken Boyer – Boyer won the vote in 1964.

Orlando Cepeda – Cepeda received the MVP in 1967.

Bob Gibson – Gibson was the MVP in 1968.

Joe Torre – Torre won the MVP in 1971.

Keith Hernandez – Hernandez tied for the MVP in 1979 with Willie Stargell.

Willie McGee – McGee received the MVP in 1985.

Paul Goldschmidt – Goldschmidt was first in the MVP voting in 2022.

Exclusively for members of The Cardinal Nation

TCN 2025 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect #38 – Yairo Padilla

Now Available – 2024 Cardinals Prospect Guide

The Cardinal Nation Prospect Guide is back for its seventh year. It includes 282 pages of in-depth commentary about more than five dozen of the best St. Louis Cardinals minor leaguers, including in-depth scouting reports, 2023 recap, extensive draft and international histories and more.

Special half-price off deal for paid subscribers. Order your PDF copy today. (Spiral bound books are sold out.)

Order TCN’s 2024 St. Louis Cardinals Prospect Guide

Not yet a member?

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

Follow Marilyn Green on Bluesky @mrlyn59.bsky.social.

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