photo: Oliver Marmol and Chaim Bloom (Brian Walton/The Cardinal Nation)
The St. Louis Cardinals are 5-4 in early spring training action. Manager Oliver Marmol received a two-year contract extension. Our history section highlights key events this past week in team annals.
Spring Game recaps
Monday, February 23, 2026 – Cardinals 5, Marlins 4
The St. Louis Cardinals edged the Miami Marlins by a 5-4 score at Roger Dean Stadium on Monday. Michael McGreevy started and pitched two innings. The right hander gave up one run on two hits and struck out two.
Relievers who followed were JoJo Romero, Brycen Mautz, Hancel Rincon, Jose Davila, Michael Watson, and Ian Bedell. Romero, Rincon and Watson each allowed a run.
Jeremy Rivas went 2-for-2 in relief of Masyn Winn at shortstop.
JJ Wetherholt and José Fermín each stole a base. Rivas was caught stealing. Wetherholt made a throwing error.
Tuesday, February 24, 2026 – Cardinals 1 at Nationals 6
The Cardinals were beaten by the Washington Nationals by the score of 6-1 on Tuesday in West Palm Beach. Andre Pallante started and pitched two innings, gave up one run on no hits, walked one and struck out two.
Pallante was followed by Justin Bruihl, Packy Naughton, Tink Hence, Skylar Hales, Austin Love, Mason Molina, Tyler Bradt, and Dominic Picone. Molina relinquished three runs and Bradt allowed two runs.
The Cardinals’ only run scored on a sac bunt by Victor Scott in the third inning. The offense had only three hits in the game.
Matt Koperniak stole a base and Yohel Pozo was caught stealing. Pozo and César Prieto each had a fielding error. Mike Antico had an outfield assist at second base.
Wednesday, February 25, 2026 – Cardinals 6 at Mets 0
The Cardinals blanked the New York Mets, 6-0, on Wednesday in Port St. Lucie. Richard Fitts pitched two scoreless innings to start the game. The right hander allowed two hits and struck out one.
The pitchers who followed were Matt Svanson, Gordon Graceffo, Chris Roycroft, Bruce Zimmerman, Jurrangelo Cijntje, and Luis Gastelum.
Colton Ledbetter went 2-for-2 as a pinch hitter and right fielder in relief of Nelson Velásquez. Chase Davis went 2-for-3 with two RBI. Nolan Gorman hit a three-run home run.
Mike Antico stole a base.
Thursday, February 26, 2026 – Cardinals 9, Astros 4
The Cardinals slugged their way past the Houston Astros in a 9-4 win at Roger Dean Stadium on Thursday. Matthew Liberatore pitched three innings, gave up one run on two hits, fanned three and walked one.
The pitchers in relief were JoJo Romero, Nick Raquet, Scott Blewett, Jared Shuster, and Gerson Moreno. Raquet, Blewett and Shuster each allowed a run.
The balls were flying out of Roger Dean. Yohel Pozo, Alec Burleson, Jimmy Crooks, and Jon Jon Gazdar each hit a long ball. Burleson’s bomb was a three-run shot. Crooks hit a two-run home run.
Gazdar was 2-for-2 in relief of César Prieto at third base. Bryan Torres started at second base and was also 2-for-2.
Ryan Weingartner stole a base. Victor Scott made a fielding error.
Friday, February 27, 2026 – Cardinals 3, Mets 14
The Mets secured revenge for being shut out earlier in the week with a 14-3 pounding of the Cardinals at Roger Dean Stadium. Quinn Mathews made the start and pitched 2 2/3 innings. The left hander gave up one run on one hit, fanned three and walked two.
Mathews was followed by Ian Bedell, Matt Pushard, Justin Bruihl, Jose Davila, Ryan Fernandez, George Soriano, Tink Hence, D.J. Carpenter, Skylar Hales and Austin Love. Bruihl, Hence and Hales each surrendered three runs. Davila relinquished two runs.
JJ Wetherholt hit his first spring training home run. Nathan Church and Chase Davis drove in the other two runs for the Cardinals.
Mathews and Rainiel Rodriguez each made a throwing error. Mathews picked a runner off second base.
Saturday, February 28, 2026 – Cardinals 10 at Marlins 2
The Cardinals soundly beat the Marlins, 10-2, at Roger Dean Stadium. Michael McGreevy made his second start of the week. The right hander pitched 2 1/3 innings, gave up one run on three hits, struck out two and walked one.
The relief corps that followed were Darlin Saladin, Michael Watson, Ryne Stanek, Matt Svanson, Gordon Graceffo, Packy Naughton, and Max Rajcic. Svanson gave up the only other run.
JJ Wetherholt went 2-for-2 with three RBI. César Prieto was 2-for-4 with two RBI on a home run. Jimmy Crooks was 2-for-4 with an RBI. Jordan Walker was 2-for-3 with an RBI. Cade McGee had two RBI in relief of Joshua Baez at DH.
Victor Scott and Masyn Winn each stole a base.
Sunday, March 1, 2026 – Cardinals 1, Pirates 6
The Cardinals lost to the visiting Pirates by the score of 6-1 on Sunday. Starter Kyle Leahy struggled through 2 2/3 innings. The right hander gave up four runs on four hits, struck out one and walked three.
Leahy gave way to Ian Bedell, JoJo Romero, Brycen Mautz, and Edwin Nuñez. Romero and Mautz each allowed a run.
St. Louis’ offense was held to one hit, a single by Yohel Pozo in the fifth inning. The lone run scored on a double play off the bat of Chase Davis in the fifth.
Cardinals and Marmol agree to two-year extension
The second full week of spring training games came with an announcement on Sunday morning that the Cardinals and manager Oliver Marmol came to an agreement on a two-year contract extension.
An extension for Marmol had been rumored to be under discussion since spring training began. Marmol is entering the final year of his contract in 2026, and with the team being under new front office management and a rebuild underway, the status of Marmol going forward was a topic of importance to the organization.
The announcement is a two-year extension with a club option for 2029. Marmol’s first season as manager was 2022, following the surprise termination of Mike Shildt at the end of the 2021 season.
Marmol is a former minor league player for the Cardinals and a long-time employee of the organization. The nonplaying segment of his career began as the hitting coach of the rookie league Gulf Coast League Cardinals in 2011. He advanced to manager of the rookie level Johnson City Cardinals the following season.
Marmol’s gradual progression through the system led to a major league position as the Cardinals’ first base coach in 2017. He was promoted to bench coach beginning in the 2019 season under Shildt through the end of the 2021 season when Shildt was terminated.
In his first season as manager, Marmol led the team to an NL Central title with a 93-69 record, and a postseason spot in the NL Wild Card Series against the Philadelphia Phillies. The Cardinals were swept in two games in that series and have not returned to the postseason since.
The underperformance of the team over the last three seasons was ultimately tied to a lack of emerging talent and failed player development. An attempt to plug holes in the major league roster through short term free agent signings proved unsuccessful and the team announced a shift in priorities after the 2024 season to rebuild the player development system. Chaim Bloom was hired to oversee that project with the intent of him taking over the position of President of Baseball Operations when the contract of John Mozeliak expired at the end of the 2025 season.
The decision to extend Marmol for two seasons while the rebuild is underway is a decision hinted at by Bloom over the last few months. Bloom has expressed his confidence in Marmol to guide the team forward during a crucial reconstruction of the organization.
News and Notes for Spring Training
This section contains information and snippets of news that don’t require extensive coverage but are of interest to Cardinal fans.
- The Cardinals are promoting “Coca-Cola Unlimited” tickets for the upcoming season. These tickets are now on sale and are for seating in Big Mac Land, specifically sections 271 and 272. Fans purchasing these tickets get access to food and drink at a designated “unlimited concession stand”. More information on these tickets can be found here .
- Cardinals all-inclusive tickets, Opening Day tickets, Cardinals Theme tickets, and single game tickets are now on sale. Information on purchasing any of these tickets and more can be found here. Spring Training tickets are also available to be purchased here.
- “Banana Ball” will return to Busch Stadium in 2026. The Savannah Bananas popular entertainment baseball team will come to Busch Stadium on Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 as part of their world tour.
More information about the event and how to get tickets can be found here.
The Big Picture
The Cardinals finished their first full week of spring training games and began their second full week of games. The team is 5-4 while showing big offense some days and little to none other times.
The next few weeks, the Cardinals will be without eight players who left camp to play for their respective countries of origin or of parent(s) origin in the World Baseball Classic. Pool play in the WBC begins on March 5. Two players on the major league roster, Gordon Graceffo and Thomas Saggese, will play for Team Italy in the WBC.
On Sunday morning, the Cardinals announced that they had reached agreement with manager Oliver Marmol on a two-year contract extension with an option for 2029. This agreement was not unexpected, as the organization had announced previously that talks for an extension had begun.
The extension was not without controversy among fans, as many blame Marmol for the team’s poor showing over the last three seasons. It is easy to blame a manager for a team’s poor performance as he is the face of the team. However, it is never as simple as that. Managers don’t put players on the roster, and players must perform. The degradation of the Cardinals’ player development system over the last several seasons cannot be blamed on the manager. The resulting lack of emerging young talent from the farm system, especially on the pitching side of the equation, is a key reason as well for the team’s woes.
POBO Chaim Bloom has from the beginning expressed a desire to keep Marmol on during the period of the rebuild. The undertaking of a multi-year reconstruction is not the time for a distraction such as a search for a new manager. Continuity is important.
With Marmol set to continue in his role, the Cardinals are on their way to building a roster for the future that is sustainable and talented enough to contend for years to come, even if the beginning few years may not be what fans want to see.
The remaining time before the season starts is the time to get the current roster ready for the 162-game season. Further player additions to the organization are still possible, though no rumors of potential trades or free agent signings have been forthcoming.
Stay tuned for more happenings as spring training continues.
Trade and Acquisition Rumors
There are no trade or acquisition rumors to report.
Transactions
- 2/26 RHP Zak Kent was claimed off waivers by the Minnesota Twins.
Injury Report
- OF Lars Nootbaar has reported to camp. His rehab will continue at the spring training facility. His availability for opening day remains in doubt.
- RHS Hunter Dobbins is still recovering from a torn ACL in his right knee which occurred in July. Dobbins can pitch but is being held out of agility drills. Dobbins recently underwent testing on his knee, and the results were as expected. The next steps in Dobbins’ rehab are being mapped out.
- LHR Zack Thompson missed the 2025 season with a torn lat muscle and underwent surgery in August to clean up his left shoulder. Thompson is on a throwing program, and he won’t be cleared to pitch until sometime after the regular season starts. He is no longer on the 40-man roster so at the end of camp, he will likely be assigned to Memphis.
- RHR Riley O’Brien (mid-right calf strain) suffered his injury during a bullpen session on February 14. The injury is mild, but he will need a few weeks to recover. O’Brien was set to play in the WBC for Korea but will miss at least the opening round. He could play in the WBC later depending on his health.
Looking Ahead
Spring training begins its second full week as February has concluded.
March begins with a slate of games the first week that includes two with the Pirates, one at home and one on the road, one game each with the Marlins, Orioles, and Mets, and a March 4 contest with the WBC Nicaraguan team in preparation for the WBC, which begins on March 5.
The Cardinals have eight players in the WBC. This number does not include Riley O’Brien who will miss at least the first round due to injury. The list also does not include Iván Herrera, who was set to play in the tournament but had to withdraw due to insurance issues. Also, newcomer Ramon Urias decided not to join Team Mexico after signing late.
All eight players will have a shortened spring training but will be ready to play when their season starts. Only two of the eight players are likely to make the major league roster. They are reliever Gordon Graceffo and Thomas Saggese. The latter is in the mix to serve as the fill-in left fielder until Nootbaar is healthy.
Blast from the Past
This week’s Blast from the Past continues the series highlighting notable events that occurred in the history of the franchise during a relevant period. They include occasions such as awards, retirements, baseball transactions, and other interesting events.
In this installment, we look at events that occurred during the period February 23 through March 1. For each event, its date, individual(s) involved, a description of the event, and any other relevant details are provided.
February 25, 1934 – Former Cardinal player and future Hall of Fame manager John McGraw passed away. McGraw, a player for the Cardinals for one season in 1900, managed the New York Giants for almost 30 years, and holds the record for the most wins as a manager. McGraw died three years before he was selected for the Baseball Hall of Fame in 1937.
February 25, 1972 – The Cardinals make one their worst trades in the history of the franchise. In a salary dispute, left-handed pitcher Steve Carlton, future Hall of Famer and four-time Cy Young Award winner, was traded by the Cardinals to the Phillies for RHP Rick Wise. Wise spent a mostly unremarkable two seasons in St. Louis and then was traded to the Boston Red Sox.
February 27, 1990 – The Cardinals acquired RHP Omar Olivares from the San Diego Padres for CF Alex Cole and LHP Steve Peters. Olivares pitched for the Cardinals for five seasons and was released in 1995.
February 28, 1989 – Former Cardinals’ second baseman and manager Red Schoendienst was selected to the Baseball Hall of Fame by the Veterans Committee.
March 1, 2012 – Yadier Molina signed a five-year/$75 million contract to remain with the Cardinals. This made Molina one of the highest paid catchers in the league at that time.
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