Since 2008, I have tracked St. Louis Cardinals Winter Warm-Up autograph prices. The just-for-fun exercise looks at the comparative fan popularity of the various players, currently and in the past, as gauged by the organization.
January 9 updates
In the four weeks since this initial post on December 12, the Cardinals have added five individuals to the paid autograph group. They are three newly acquired pitchers, Dustin May, Hunter Dobbins and Richard Fitts, plus two alums, Matt Adams and Jeff Suppan. According to my records, this may be Suppan’s first trip back since he was an active player.
(Update to the update: On X, reader Greg Beckman reports that Suppan signed at WWU two years ago. I missed that. Sorry for the oversight.)
At this point, the only autographs sold out are Liam Doyle, JJ Wetherholt and Masyn Winn.
| Team additions | Autograph | |
| Dustin May | $35 | |
| Hunter Dobbins | $25 | |
| Richard Fitts | $25 | |
| Alumni additions | Autograph | Last |
| Matt Adams | $20 | 2025 |
| Jeff Suppan | $30 | ? |
In addition, the free autograph subjects have been announced, with tickets to be made available at noon on Friday, January 9. They are as follows:
| Greg Amsinger | Polo Ascensio | Alan and Andy Benes | Chaim Bloom |
| Chip Caray | Mike Claiborne | John Costello | Bernard Gilkey |
| Ricky Horton | Bengie Molina | Kerry Robinson | John Rooney |
| Todd Worrell |
This count of individuals is consistent with recent years, but with some changes. For the first time since 2016, neither of the DeWitts will be signing for fans. Of course, Chaim Bloom replaces John Mozeliak for the first time.
Another change is that the free autograph group is much less former player-centric and much more team broadcaster centric.
Ideally, all signings will sell out at the highest prices the market will bear. After all, the annual event is a fund-raiser for Cardinals Care, which does so much to help the community, so the needy are the winners.
The Winter Warm-Up fan event is held each January over Martin Luther King weekend. New for 2026 is the event being condensed from three days to two. The 2026 dates are Saturday, January 17 and Sunday, January 18 with the event being held at Busch Stadium and Ballpark Village.
At the time of the initial announcement, on Wednesday, December 10, 34 individuals from the team’s past and present were scheduled to sign for a fee, plus photos of two others will be available for purchase. Signers include 2006 World Series Champions including So Taguchi, David Eckstein, Aaron Miles and Scott Spiezio.
Also available for the first time are photo sessions with Alec Burleson and his 2025 Silver Slugger Award, and Masyn Winn with his Gold Glove Award.
Autograph tickets will go on sale Monday, December 15 at noon CT at cardinals.com/wwu.
The groupings below are mine, but the prices come from the Cardinals. The “Change” column represents a general comparison to those individuals who had listed prices in 2025 or prior as well.
As you will see below, prices have been tightened toward the middle. The high end is lower in price than before but there are also no more $10 or $15 bargains. The sweet spot is a very reasonable $25, with plenty of relatively inexpensive autographs available.
The top dog
| Top dog (1) | Autograph | Change |
| Masyn Winn | $75 or GG photo |
A year after four players’ photos topped the price list at $75, the “group” is down to one – Winn. Jordan Walker’s price dropped for 2026, while neither Lars Nootbaar nor Brendan Donovan are on the initial list to attend.
No one else has ascended to this top price tier.
Mid-tier picks
| Mid-tier picks (6) | Autograph | Change |
| Alec Burleson | $50 or SS photo | up from $40 |
| Jordan Walker | $40 | down from $75 |
| Ivan Herrera | $40 | up from $15 |
| Victor Scott | $40 | up from $20 |
| Matthew Liberatore | $35 | up from $25 |
| Michael McGreevy | $30 | up from $15 |
After Winn, prices for autographs from current Cardinals drop off quickly to Burleson at $50, then to just three players at $40 and one each at $35 and $30.
Year-to-year prices are up for five of the six in this grouping, though given they are younger players, that is not surprising. Only Ivan Herrera ($15 to $40) has a major increase.
Value picks
With 13 individuals – players and coaches – in this group, all at $25, there are plenty of diverse choices.
| Value picks (13) | Autograph | Change |
| Nathan Church | $25 | |
| Jimmy Crooks | $25 | up from $10 |
| Daniel Descalso | $25 | |
| Jose Fermin | $25 | up from $15 |
| Gordon Graceffo | $25 | up from $10 in 2024 |
| Andre Granillo | $25 | |
| Jon Jay | $25 | |
| Kyle Leahy | $25 | up from $15 |
| Oliver Marmol | $25 | down from $30 |
| Riley O’Brien | $25 | up from $15 |
| Andre Pallante | $25 | up from $20 |
| Yohel Pozo | $25 | |
| Thomas Saggese | $25 | up from $20 |
As members of the 40-man roster (except coaches Daniel Descalso, Jon Jay and Oliver Marmol), these players all have some MLB experience and are looking for more.
Top prospects
| Top prospects (7) | Autograph | Change/note |
| Leonardo Bernal | $30 | 40-man roster |
| Liam Doyle | $30 | |
| JJ Wetherholt | $30 | |
| Joshua Baez | $20 | 40-man roster |
| Blaze Jordan | $20 | |
| Quinn Mathews | $20 | up from $10 |
| Brycen Mautz | $20 | 40-man roster |
Three in this group of seven yet to make their MLB debuts have secured a 40-man roster spot and you can bet the other four want the same thing.
Signatures from several, including the Cardinals’ last two first-round draft picks, JJ Wetherholt and Liam Doyle, cost $30, which is more than the manager and all the other value picks above. Wetherholt and lefty Brycen Mautz are the organization’s Player and Pitcher of the Year for 2025.
Former Cardinals
| Hall of Famers (1) | Autograph | Last |
| Ozzie Smith | $50 photo | 2025 |
| Alumni (8) | Autograph | Last |
| So Taguchi | $75 | ? |
| David Eckstein | $60 | 2024 |
| David Freese | $60 | 2024 |
| Aaron Miles | $30 | 2008 |
| Scott Spiezio | $30 | 2008 |
| Randy Flores | $25, free sign prior | 2024 |
| Al Hrabosky | $25 photo, free sign prior | 2025 |
| Brad Thompson | $25, free sign prior | 2025 |
As of now, no MLB Hall of Famers will attend, though Ozzie Smith signed photographs will be on sale.
As noted above, several of the 2006 Cardinals returning spice up this list. Scott Spiezio and Aaron Miles may not have been back since 2008 and I have no records of a So Taguchi sighting since I started tracking these prices. Apparently, scarcity let to his $75 price, tied for Winn for the highest at the 2026 event.
Among the missing
| 40-man missing (20) | 2025 | Note |
| Nolan Arenado | $150 in 2023 | missed 2024/5 |
| Willson Contreras | $75 | |
| Brendan Donovan | $75 | |
| Lars Nootbaar | $75 | rehab? |
| Nolan Gorman | $50 in 2024 | missed 2025 |
| Pedro Pages | $25 | |
| JoJo Romero | $15 in 2024 | missed 2025 |
| Ryan Fernandez | $15 | |
| Tink Hence | $15 | |
| Matt Koperniak | $15 | |
| Chris Roycroft | $15 | |
| Cesar Prieto | winter ball? | |
| Nick Raquet | ||
| Matt Svanson | missed 2025 | |
| Bryan Torres | winter ball? | |
| Tekoah Roby | rehab? | |
| Cooper Hjerpe | rehab? | |
| Richard Fitts | new acquisition | |
| Zak Kent | new acquisition | |
| Matt Pushard | new acquisition |
I think this may be the first time ever that half of the Cardinals’ 40-man roster are not planning to attend, at least at this time. Some of the names are new additions to the team, so their names not being listed is understandable.
On the other hand, a half-dozen of the team’s most prominent players are among the missing. Not coincidentally, in an offseason during which significant roster changes are expected, trade rumors swirl around many of them. Whether all this is resolved by January 17 is anyone’s guess.
Some or all could still join the 2026 WWU roster later. The most obvious players missing are Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and Nolan Gorman.
Moved on
Nine members of the 40-man roster in January 2025 who signed autographs at WWU last year are no longer in the organization.
| Moved on (9) | 2025 |
| Ryan Helsley | $50 |
| Sonny Gray | $40 |
| Eric Fedde | $30 |
| Miles Mikolas | $30 |
| Luken Baker | $25 |
| Steven Matz | $20 |
| Michael Siani | $20 |
| Ryan Loutos | $15 |
| Drew Rom | $15 |
In addition, the quantity of Cardinals alumni signing for a fee has dropped, with seven names absent from 2025.
| StL HOFers (1) | 2025 |
| Tony La Russa | $50 |
| Alumni not back (6) | 2025 |
| Jason Isringhausen | $35 photo |
| Ray Lankford | $35 photo |
| Vince Coleman | $20 photo |
| Matt Adams | $20 |
| Trevor Rosenthal | $20 |
| Todd Stottlemyre | $20 |
Freebies
Typically, up to two dozen former players and notables sign for free during WWU. When those names are announced, this article will be updated with that information. These tickets will be made available after the New Year.
In conclusion
The 29th annual Winter Warm-Up, now a two-day event, will take place on Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. weekend; Saturday and Sunday, January 17-18, 2026. Two-day event passes are already on sale for $52.
Each individual typically signs for just one or two hours on one of the two days only, so check the detailed event schedule and any restrictions and limits carefully before buying your tickets.
Those who purchase Winter Warm-Up tickets may also receive a tour of the Cardinals Clubhouse and admission to the Cardinals Hall of Fame and Museum, plus many other perks.
For full WWU information, including signing schedules and ticket ordering, follow this link.
Related event
Many of the event participants also appear at the 66th annual St. Louis Baseball Writers’ Dinner, traditionally held on WWU Sunday night, which is January 18 this year. Tickets are $300 and $200. Details here.
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