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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
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.
- 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.
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