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Jnevel, you are spot on with 40 man “subtraction” guys. Couldn’t possibly agree more.
When im hired as the GM or Assistant to POBO I’m keeping Torres actually, and one of Fermin or Prieto and trading the other for a few international draft dollars….
I’m still looking for an ideal fit for a Church and Crooks combo (quality over quantity fit) as well. I have zero negatives on either, they just don’t fit the team moving forward and that value needs cashed in. Before it’s gone (see Gorman, N and Walker, J)
I have zero negatives on either, they just don’t fit the team moving forward
How can an MLB ready-ish outfield prospect with zero negatives not fit the team going forward?
I agree “ATM”. This is this is the type of signing that makes sense. If May works out the Cardinals have options … resign or trade. I am hoping he is serviceable and can the cards can move him at the deadline.
blingboy
Tommy John surgery in 2021 and flexor tendon surgery in 2023. He also had the esophagus surgery.
This past season was his first back on the mound. He seems to have held up physically, but went through two teams and was looking for a job this winter. It could work out well though, or not.
Not exactly. He had right elbow neuritis end his season early this past year.
IF May works out, his signing will take some pressure of our younger guys. There will be little pressure on May as he plays for another team. IMO the upside to bringing in a 28 y.o. pitcher this winter is sadly low. Not very low but indeed low.
This is exactly the kind of a signing a rebuilding team would make. Very low risk with the potential of upside. If he is productive you can trade him at the deadline or bring him back for another year. If he flames out then you cut bait and move on. I don’t think anyone is realistically thinking he suddenly becomes a workhorse but there is nothing wrong with taking a chance on his potential.
May will make 12.5mil next season – Passan. I had him at 8mil w/ bonuses as Lynn / Gibson had. Evidentally Bloom had to guarantee it.
Tweet for the full scoop.
Dustin May's deal with the St. Louis Cardinals is official, sources tell ESPN. He will make $12.5 million this year, and the mutual option for the 2027 season is for $20 million.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 17, 2025
The deal is announced. Koperniak drew the short straw.
May makes $12 million. The mutual option for 2027 is $20 million or a $500K buyout.
So, I guess this is the official proclamation that the Cardinals agree to take on a RHP’er who went 7-11 and hung a 4.96 ERA up on the board last season. He’ll make about the same amount of money as the Cardinals were paying Matz, which sounds about right.
I’m a bit surprised it was Koperniak getting the DFA. I’m not concerned about losing him but I didn’t think he was quite the lowest hanging fruit.
However, Church certainly passed Koperniak in the pecking order and with Torres being added to the 40-man, he becomes the emergency reserve guy. Plus Burleson and Fermin can play outfield even if neither should.
CIF, that could also be the biggest bargain of the offseason in 10 months.
Adding on, not rushing young guys until 2027 is more clear sure helps too. Doyle is a perfect example.
Hope they sign two more just like this…
There are at least 10 starters, and at least 6 left-hand relief pitchers that I see as potential fits, and if they work out, something to flip at the deadline.
In sad news, my top target, LHRP Pomeranz is off the board.
I hope Koperniak gets a chance somewhere else and hits .300 for a few years in a row. And the May signing has about a 10% chance of working out. But the Cards have been in hope and pray mode for several years now. That’s at least partially why I didn’t spend a single cent on anything Cardinals related this past year and probably won’t going forward until they put a real team on the field.
I don’t think I have heard any info or theories about what happened with Koperniak to explain the precipitous drop off from 2024 to 2025.
“Amazing what you can get for $12 million these days.”
“CIF, that could also be the biggest bargain of the offseason in 10 months.”
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Yeah, he could be a bargain. Or a bust. Or nearly anything in between. But let’s think about the most reasonable range of outcomes. Since the past is usually the most reliable predictor of the future, here are the dollar values per year that he’s been worth, according to Fangraphs:
2025 $6.4 million
2024 Zero
2023 $10.1 million
2022 $2.2 million
2021 $4.1 million
2020 $4.0 million
2019 $7.7 millionPretty terrible. I mean, I knew it was going to be *bad* — but not *this* bad. Then again, Chaim Bloom led the Red Sox to three last-place finishes in his four years in charge there. So why should we expect anything smart from him? Because he’s buddies with Andrew Friedman?
So how did the Cards do on the Sonny Gray trade?
Option 1: Pay Sonny Gray $35M & $5M buyout (Total $40M) and get his production on the field in 2026.
Option 2: Pay Sonny Gray $20M and Dustin May $12M (Total $32M) and rely on Dustin May’s on field production in 2026 but no Sonny. Plus adding Richard Fitts and Brandon Clarke.
Considering the orgs desire to trade back for prospects, I give the Gray trade an A, for accomplishing the primary goal. Whether they picked the right player return is TBD.
Of the Gray 20mil added to May’s salary, to get to your 32mil, 15mil is self inflicted backloading of the Gray contract that came due. 5mil and May’s 12mil would be my viewpoint, as you framed it.
The question of which scenario could be more productive in 2026 is a contender question.
A rebuild chases May’s future value (TBD) while developing the prospects from trade returns.
I’m surprised Bill spent 12mil of risk on May. If this is his way of trying to support the rebuild with cash, as he did with Gray, I hope we all cash in.
May does prove wrong the idea Bill won’t spend any money this winter. The question has become how much will he spend.
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