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[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals Moving Steven Matz Back Into Rotation

Steven Matz makes his return to the Cardinals’ rotation tomorrow afternoon. The lefty is scheduled for his first start of the season against the Astros. Matz had opened the season in the bullpen because the Cards had off days in each of the first three weeks. They’re now going into their sixth game of a stretch of 13 consecutive game days, so they’ll move to a six-man rotation.

This has been the plan since Opening Day. St. Louis wanted to give Matthew Liberatore another rotation opportunity after he’d spent most of last season in long relief. Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas were rotation locks, while Andre Pallante has maintained his hold on the fourth starter role. Matz temporarily kicked into relief since it didn’t make much sense to use a six-man rotation when they had so many off days.

Matz has found success over his first five appearances. He has tossed 11 2/3 innings, allowing four runs (three earned). His six strikeouts and 9% swinging strike rate haven’t been overpowering, but he’s throwing a lot of strikes and has gotten grounders at a solid 46.2% rate. Matz’s most recent appearance came on Sunday. He threw 46 pitches in 2 1/3 innings against Philadelphia. He’ll be working on three days rest and hasn’t had a full rotation workload, so he’ll be on a tighter pitch limit tomorrow. Daniel Guerrero of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch writes that Matz will be capped around 65 pitches.

The 33-year-old Matz is in the final season of his four-year free agent deal. His Cardinals tenure has mostly been marred by inconsistency and injury, though he did manage a 3.86 ERA in 105 innings two seasons ago. A back injury kept him to 44 1/3 frames over 12 appearances (seven starts) last year. He allowed 5.08 earned runs per nine with a below-average 17.4% strikeout rate. Matz is making $12MM and could net the Cardinals some salary relief and/or a modest return closer to the trade deadline if he has a solid first half.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/cardinals-moving-steven-matz-back-into-rotation.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals Recall Matt Svanson For MLB Debut

The Cardinals announced Wednesday that they’ve recalled right-hander Matt Svanson from Triple-A Memphis. His first appearance will be the first of his big league career. Right-hander Roddery Muñoz was optioned to Memphis in his place.

Svanson, 26, was the Blue Jays’ 13th-round pick in 2021. He joined the Cardinals by way of the 2023 Paul DeJong trade and entered the season ranked 22nd among St. Louis farmhands, per Baseball America. Their scouting report praises Svanson’s mid-90s sinker and above-average slider, both of which have helped the righty pile up grounders throughout his minor league career. Svanson has regularly sat north of 60% in that regard, though he dipped to “only” 52.7% last year in Double-A (still about 10 percentage points north of average).

Svanson opened the 2025 season in Triple-A Memphis — his first experience at that level. He’s started the season by holding opponents to one run on five hits and a pair of walks with four punchouts. Nearly two-thirds of the batted balls against him have been grounders in the season’s first couple weeks.

In parts of five minor league seasons, the 6’5″ righty has pitched to a 2.98 earned run average with a 25% strikeout rate and 7.9% walk rate. Svanson’s strikeout rate dipped to 20.8% last year, but he’s been better than average in terms of strikeout, walk and ground-ball rate in every other season of his young professional career. He’ll hope to cement himself in the bullpen alongside Ryan Helsley, Ryan Fernandez, JoJo Romero and Phil Maton. Svanson was just added to the 40-man roster back in November, so he has a full slate of minor league option years remaining.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/cardinals-recall-matt-svanson-for-mlb-debut.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Poll: Can Willson Contreras Get Back On Track?

When the Cardinals announced over the offseason that they were moving Willson Contreras to first base, it came as something of a surprise given that they we just two years into a five-year deal they gave him to fill the shoes Yadier Molina had stood in for the past 19 years. Signing a bat-first catcher to replace one of the best defenders in baseball history behind the dish was a bold move, and while Contreras hit an excellent .263/.367/.468 (129 wRC+) in his first two seasons as a Cardinal, his tenure behind the plate did not come without controversy. St. Louis moved him off catcher briefly during his first season with the club after complaints about his glove. Last year, he missed time with a broken arm sustained when he was hit by a swing after the organization suggested he move closer to the plate to improve his defense.

If those controversies set the table for the decision to move Contreras away from catching, the departure of incumbent first baseman Paul Goldschmidt for the Bronx this winter and the club’s two up-and-coming catchers Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages making solid cases for more playing time made the possibility that much more realistic. After all, a position change for Contreras would allow the Cardinals to make some progress on their desired youth movement without needing to pull off a trade, and there was at least a possibility that Contreras’s strong bat from his first two seasons with the club could blossom even further if he didn’t need to split his focus between hitting and catching.

Unfortunately, that’s not how things have gone so far. In 24 games this season, Contreras has slashed just .200/.269/.305 this year. That leaves him with a 62 wRC+ that’s not only well below average but also extremely uncharacteristic of him. While questions about Contreras’s defensive abilities have dogged him since the early days of his MLB career with the Cubs, his bat has never been in doubt as he’s posted above-average numbers at the plate by wRC+ in every single year of his career until now. A .258/.353/.461 (121 wRC+) hitter for his career, Contreras had elevated his game to another level since the start of the 2022 season with a .256/.367/.467 (133 wRC+) line across the past three seasons.

Has all of that changed in his age-33 season? It certainly wouldn’t be the first time that a catcher in his early-to-mid 30s suffered a sudden and drastic decline, although moving to first base should at least theoretically help preserve Contreras’s health. The frustrating reality of the veteran’s situation is that, while below-average offense can be acceptable behind the plate, first base is a bat-first position where he’ll need offensive results in order to stick as a regular. That’s even more true with youngsters like Alec Burleson and Luken Baker ready to step in and take their own shots at the first base job if given the opportunity.

As lackluster as Contreras’s work at the dish has been so far this year, it’s not as if all hope is lost. The veteran’s .270 BABIP this year matches his career low, and if it bounces back to something closer to his .309 career level, that would go a long way to lifting his production. Another reason for optimism is that he’s still putting the barrel on the ball fairly often. While his 9.1% barrel rate and 40.9% hard-hit rate this year are the lowest figures he’s posted in either category since 2018, they both remain solid. When combined with his top-of-the-line bat speed, it’s easy to imagine Contreras being able to generate more power than he’s shown so far.

On the other hand, Contreras is already more than 100 plate appearances into his first season as a first baseman, and he’s currently matching his career-high in strikeout rate (28.6%) and pairing that with a career-low walk rate of 6.7%. Contreras has always been a bit of a streaky hitter, as exemplified by his 2018 season where he carried a 123 wRC+ into the All-Star break before hitting a paltry .193/.282/.280 across his final 50 games, so it stands to reason that he may well be just one hot streak away from getting back to being the bat he’s shown himself to be throughout his career. Even with that in mind, the signs of declining plate discipline and reduced power are concerning. That’s especially true when combined with his age and the years of wear and tear he accumulated behind the plate.

How do MLBTR readers think the rest of the 2025 season will go for Contreras? Will he be able to bounce back and post numbers similar to what he’s offered in each of the last three seasons? Or will his first year as a first baseman be the worst offensive season of his career? Have your say in the poll below:

Take Our Poll

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/poll-can-willson-contreras-get-back-on-track.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Walt Jocketty Passes Away

Former Cardinals and Reds general manager Walt Jocketty has passed away at age 74, as initially reported by USA Today’s Bob Nightengale. Jocketty was a fixture within baseball front offices for more than four decades, and he was the architect of the St. Louis team that won the 2006 World Series.

Jocketty began his career working in the Athletics’ front office in 1980 as their director of minor league operations, and soon moved into another role as the director of baseball administration. During Jocketty’s 14-year run in Oakland, he helped draft and develop the core group of players that led the A’s to three straight AL pennants from 1988-90, as well as the 1989 World Series title. Jocketty moved on from the A’s to work with the Rockies in an assistant GM role for part of the 1994 season, but in October of that year, he received his first GM job when the Cardinals hired him to run their baseball operations department.

Tony La Russa was the Athletics’ manager for much of the team’s successful run in the late 80’s and early 90’s, and Jocketty’s past relationship with the skipper led to La Russa being hired as the Cardinals’ new manager prior to the 1996 season. That year saw the Cards win the NL Central and fall just short of the pennant with a seven-game loss to the Braves in the NLCS. 1996 was also one of only two winning seasons in Jocketty’s first five years with the Cardinals, though the team continued to amass talent — most notably another ex-Oakland staple in Mark McGwire, who launched his then-record 70 home runs in a St. Louis uniform in 1998.

Known for being a canny trader, Jocketty brought McGwire and many other star names to St. Louis during his 13-year run as the Cardinals’ general manager. Franchise icons Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina were also drafted and developed during Jocketty’s tenure, and this combination of both internal and external production again turned the Cardinals into a perennial contender. The Cards reached the playoffs six times in seven years from 2000-06, capturing two NL pennants and winning it all in 2006 for the Cardinals’ first championship since 1982.

Ironically, the 2006 team might have been one of the weaker Cardinals teams Jocketty put together, as the club won only 83 games in the regular season before catching fire in the playoffs. After the Cards posted only a 78-win season in 2007, Jocketty was fired following the season, as Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch noted that there was something of a clash within the front office between Jocketty’s more old-school approach and the more analytical approach of then-Cardinals VP and future Astros general manager Jeff Luhnow.

It took Jocketty only a few months to land with the Reds in an advisory role, and just a few months after being hired, Jocketty was promoted to the GM job barely a month into the 2008 season. The Reds had losing records in every season from 2001-09, but in Jocketty’s third year on the job, Cincinnati got back on track by winning the NL Central crown. That was the first of two division titles and three overall playoff appearances for the Reds from 2010-13, as Jocketty again relied on an experienced veteran manager (Dusty Baker) and a homegrown star first baseman (Joey Votto).

Jocketty’s title changed to president of baseball operations following the 2015 season, as Dick Williams was promoted to the GM job as the first step in the Reds’ succession plan. A year later, Williams became Cincinnati’s PBO and Jocketty moved into an advisory role, and continued in various advisory capacities within the organization through the 2024 season.

We at MLB Trade Rumors extend our condolences to Jocketty’s family, friends, and colleagues.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/walt-jocketty-passes-away.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Phillies, Diamondbacks Interested In Ryan Helsley

The calendar has not yet even flipped to May, leaving more than three months to go until MLB’s trade deadline on July 31. That hasn’t stopped some teams from assessing their needs and even beginning to look into potential targets for the summer, however, and USA Today’s Bob Nightengale writes that the Phillies and Diamondbacks both already have an eye on Cardinals closer Ryan Helsley. There’s no indications that St. Louis is currently listening to offers on their closer, nor that either Philadelphia or Arizona has reached out to Cardinals brass at this point, though Nightengale goes on to suggest that Helsley is “likely” to be dealt prior to the deadline.

It’s easy to see why Helsley would be an attractive candidate for teams looking for a closer. The righty emerged as the Cardinals’ closer in 2022 and has been nothing short of dominant ever since, with a combined 1.83 ERA (225 ERA+), a 34.6% strikeout rate, and and 2.35 FIP to go with 83 saves over the past three years. Those numbers are nothing short of elite: Among all qualified relievers during that stretch, Helsley’s ERA is third (behind Emmanuel Clase and Devin Williams), his FIP is fourth (behind Williams, Matt Brash, and Edwin Diaz), his saves total ranks sixth, and his strikeout rate ranks eighth.

Those sensational numbers made Helsely a prime trade target for clubs in need of relief help over the winter, including Arizona and Toronto. The Cardinals seemingly rebuffed offers on their closer throughout the offseason, however, even as they opted not to discuss an extension with their closer as they shied away from making long-term commitments this winter. St. Louis’s 12-15 record puts them 4.5 games back of the Cubs in the NL Central and three games underwater. It’s still plenty early enough for virtually any team in the majors to go on a run and get themselves into the playoff conversation, but failing a surprise reversal in fortune a Cardinals front office that attempted to soft-launch a retooling over the offseason appears likely to sell rental pieces like Helsley this summer.

Should Helsley be dangled by the Cardinals later this year, they’ll surely find plenty of suitors. Toronto pivoted to sign Jeff Hoffman after they failed to land Helsley, and that decision is going swimmingly so far. The Diamondbacks did not find a closer over the offseason, however, so Nightengale’s report that they have continued interest in Helsley makes plenty of sense. That’s particularly true after A.J. Puk was shelved last week due to elbow inflammation that seems likely to keep him out of action for the foreseeable future, further denting a bullpen that relied primarily on Puk and Justin Martinez to close out games.

The Phillies, meanwhile, attempted to address the losses of Hoffman and Estevez in free agency by signing non-tendered Jays closer Jordan Romano. The 32-year-old had been one of the league’s top closing pitchers not long ago, with a 2.29 ERA and two All-Star appearances between 2020 and 2023. Things changed last year, however, as Romano battled elbow inflammation and pitched to an ugly 6.59 ERA in the 15 appearances he did make. That led the Jays to non-tender Romano, and the Phillies eventually snapped him up on an $8.5MM guarantee. That deal was signed with the idea that Romano would join lefties Jose Alvarado and Matt Strahm in the late innings for the Phillies this year, but this haven’t gone to plan as he’s allowed a whopping 15 runs (14 earned) in just 9 1/3 innings of work over 11 appearances.

It’s hardly a shock that such an ugly performance has inspired the Phillies to begin surveying closing possibilities on the trade market. The club’s core is continuing to age and with players like Ranger Suarez, Kyle Schwarber, and J.T. Realmuto set to hit free agency this winter the team could look extremely different this time next year. If 2025 proves to be the Phillies’ last opportunity to win with their current core, it would make sense to be aggressive in supplementing it this summer even as they enter play today with a relatively pedestrian 14-13 record. Adding a solid back-end reliever like Helsley, as they did when they dealt for Estevez last year, could go a long way to helping Philadelphia gear up for a playoff run in what looks to be an extremely competitive National League this year.

As sensible as the addition of a player like Helsley may be, Nightengale is quick to note that the Phillies aren’t interested in trading their very best and most impactful prospects. Specifically Nightengale writes that both Andrew Painter and Aidan Miller won’t be included in any trade, and that’s hardly a surprise given that both are well-regarded pieces with high ceilings who are already in the upper levels of the minors. It would be a shock if either of them were traded this summer and it’s almost unfathomable that either could ever be considered in a deal for a rental relief arm, even one as electric as Helsley.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/phillies-diamondbacks-interested-in-ryan-helsley.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals To Select Jose Barrero’s Contract, Option Thomas Saggese

The Cardinals will select Jose Barrero’s contract prior to Monday’s game with the Reds, according to reporter Francys Romero. Infielder Thomas Saggese will be optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding 26-man roster move, and the Cards will need to make another transaction to open up space for Barrero on the 40-man roster.

Though Saggese has hit .341/.364/.512 in 44 plate appearances this season, MLB.com’s John Denton writes that the Cardinals would prefer to have Saggese in everyday action at Triple-A rather than more sporadic playing time on a crowded roster. Injuries to Nolan Gorman and Masyn Winn opened the door for Saggese to get called up in early April, though now that both players are back in action, Saggese’s role would be reduced if he remained in St. Louis.

The situation implies that Barrero will be just a depth piece with the Cards, and his out-of-options status means that he might be facing a relatively quick trip to the waiver wire should St. Louis need to make another roster move. Still, the contract selection puts Barrero on track for what would be his first big-league appearance since the 2023 season. Barrero might even get a chance to face his old team during this upcoming series, as Barrero spent his entire pro career with the Reds before he was claimed off waivers from the Rangers back in March 2024.

A highly-regarded prospect during his time in Cincinnati’s farm system, Barrero has hit only .186/.242/.255 over 447 career PA in the majors from 2020-23. Between this lack of production and the rise of several other Reds infield prospects, Barrero found himself the odd man out. The move to Texas didn’t result in any big-league playing time last year, as Barrero was hampered by injuries and hit .188/.277/.346 in only 188 Triple-A plate appearances.

Barrero chose to become a minor league free agent following the season and quickly signed on with St. Louis on a minors contract. The change of scenery has worked so far, as Barrero’s bat came alive to the tune of a .301/.396/.530 slash line over 96 PA at Triple-A Memphis. Barrero has spent the large majority of his career as a shortstop, but he has a good chunk of experience as a second baseman and center fielder, and a handful of games as a third baseman and in right field.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/cardinals-to-select-jose-barreros-contract.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals Designate Ryan Loutos For Assignment

The Cardinals have designated right-hander Ryan Loutos for assignment, per the team. He’s the corresponding move for the previously reported promotion of infielder/outfielder Jose Barrero. The Cards have formally announced the selection of Barrero’s contract and optioned infielder Thomas Saggese to Triple-A Memphis.

Loutos, 26, made his big league debut with the Cardinals last summer, appearing in three games and tossing 2 1/3 innings of shutout ball. The undrafted free agent originally signed with the Cards after the 2021 draft and has steadily climbed the minor league ranks, posting solid numbers with the exception of a rough 2023 campaign.

In 2024, Loutos pitched 53 innings and tallied 18 saves in Triple-A. He logged a 3.40 ERA in Memphis, punched out 25.8% of his opponents and issued walks at a 10% clip. It wasn’t necessarily a dominant performance, but Loutos sat 94.3 mph with his heater and induced swinging strikes at a roughly average rate. His velocity is up a bit this season, sitting 94.6 mph in Triple-A, and he’s held opponents to three runs on seven hits and a pair of walks with six strikeouts in seven innings. All three of those runs allowed came in his first appearance of the season. He’s since rattled off seven shutout frames.

The Cardinals will have to either trade Loutos or place him on waivers within the next five days. Waivers would be another 48-hour process, meaning the maximum length of his stay in the proverbial DFA limbo will be one week.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/04/cardinals-designate-ryan-loutos-for-assignment.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Dodgers Acquire Ryan Loutos, Claim J.P. Feyereisen

The Dodgers have acquired right-hander Ryan Loutos from the Cardinals in exchange for cash and claimed righty J.P. Feyereisen off waivers from the Diamondbacks, reports Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic. The Loutos trade was previously reported by Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. The Dodgers moved righties Blake Treinen and Michael Kopech to the 60-day injured list to open 40-man roster spots for the two pickups.

Loutos, 26, has had a somewhat unusual trajectory to the big leagues, as explored in this profile from Goold last year. Due to his computer science background, the Cards hired him to develop an app to help minor leaguers use data, and let him pitch as well. “I know what I need to do to improve. I know what I could do,” Loutos said. “But I also know from their shoes what they see: ‘OK, let him play for a while. See what happens. Worst-case scenario, we maybe offer him a job in the front office. Best-case scenario, maybe he’s in the big leagues someday.’”

So far, the playing part has worked out okay. He made his major league debut last year, though it was brief. He tossed 2 1/3 scoreless innings over three appearances. From the start of 2023 to the present, he has logged 134 innings on the farm with a 5.10 earned run average, 24.2% strikeout rate and 10.7% walk rate.

Feyereisen, 32, has a much longer big league track record. In 2021, he tossed 56 innings between the Brewers and Rays with a 2.73 ERA. He managed to top that performance in 2022, tossing 24 1/3 scoreless innings, with a 29.1% strikeout rate and 5.8% walk rate. However, a shoulder injury intervened and stopped him from building on those numbers.

He underwent shoulder surgery and was traded to the Dodgers ahead of the 2023 season. He hasn’t been able to fully re-establish himself in the majors since then. He eventually spent that entire 2023 season on the IL, not making an official appearance anywhere. The Dodgers shuttled him to Triple-A and back in 2024. He only got to pitch 11 big league innings, with an 8.18 ERA in those. His 5.48 ERA in Triple-A wasn’t especially impressive either.

He was outrighted off the roster last year, allowing him to elect free agency and sign a minor league deal with the Diamondbacks coming into 2025. He got called up a couple of weeks ago after posing a 0.96 ERA in Triple-A. He then allowed two earned runs in two innings for the Snakes before getting designated for assignment and put on waivers.

For the Dodgers, they are likely happy to have some fresh arms, one of which they are already familiar with. With Blake Snell and Tyler Glasnow both on the IL due to shoulder inflammation, they are down to a four-man rotation of Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Roki Sasaki, Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May. The club is keeping Sasaki and Yamamoto on the weekly schedule the pitchers are accustomed to from their time in Japan.

That situation, plus plenty of other injuries, have led to a great deal of creativity in cobbling the staff together. Pitchers like Landon Knack, Justin Wrobleski, Bobby Miller and Ben Casparius have made spot starts. Yoendrys Gómez, recently claimed off waivers from the Yankees, is working a long relief role. Both Loutos and Feyereisen have options, so the Dodgers are adding some arms with some roster flexibility. The team is about to start a stretch of playing ten straight games. After one off-day, they will play another nine straight.

To open spots for those two, Kopech and Treinen hit the 60-day IL. Kopech’s move isn’t especially surprising. He’s been on the 15-day IL all year long due to a shoulder impingement and still hasn’t begun a rehab assignment. Even if he were to start one now, he would need a few weeks as a sort of delayed spring training. He could be reinstated from the IL in a couple of weeks but that doesn’t seem to be likely.

The move for Treinen is more notable. He started the season healthy but landed on the 15-day IL April 19th due to right forearm tightness. This transfer to the 60-day IL indicates the Dodgers don’t expect him back before the middle of June. He is 36 years old, turning 37 in June, and has a recent history of arm injuries. He only tossed five innings in 2022 due to shoulder problems and then underwent surgery which wiped out his 2023 campaign.

He got back on track last year with a 1.93 ERA in 46 2/3 innings, plus another 12 1/3 postseason innings with a 2.19 ERA, helping the Dodgers win the World Series. The team believed in that bounceback enough to give him a two-year, $22MM deal in free agency, the largest deal for a reliever going into his age-37 season or older since Mariano Rivera’s deal with the Yankees back in 2010.

Shortly after Treinen landed on the IL last month, manager Dave Roberts described the injury as a “low-grade sprain of the forearm” and downplayed the severity by saying “we’re in the dodged-a-bullet category.” It’s unclear if Roberts was just masking the extent of the injury or if something changed, but Treinen now appears to be slated for an absence of at least a couple of months.

Photo courtesy of John Geliebter, Imagn Images.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/dodgers-acquire-ryan-loutos.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals Moving Steven Matz To Bullpen

The Cardinals are moving southpaw Steven Matz back to the bullpen, as manager Oli Marmol told reporters including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. The move may not be permanent, as Jones notes that Marmol described the move as “for the time being,” and added that Marmol made clear that the plan is for Matz to remain stretched out and able to step back into the rotation as needed in the future. The Cardinals have four days off in May, which makes running out a six-man rotation difficult and was the primary reason that Matz began the season in the bullpen before moving into the rotation just over two weeks ago.

Temporary as the move back into a relief role may prove to be, it still has to be a frustrating turn of events for the soon-to-be 34-year-old veteran. It’s impossible to argue that the role change is performance related, as Matz boasts a tidy 1.50 ERA on the season with a 1.89 FIP overall. His work in the rotation has been even better, as in two starts he’s struck out 11 of the 34 batters he’s faced while allowing just one run and zero walks in a combined nine innings of work. Meanwhile, both Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas have posted below-average numbers by ERA+ across each of their six starts.

With that being said, the move does make some sense. After all, Matz is no stranger to having his role changed in the season. 2025 is the southpaw’s fourth season in St. Louis, and all four of them have seen Matz both start games and pitch in relief. It’s been a tumultuous tenure in St. Louis; while the lefty sports a 4.15 ERA and 3.78 FIP overall that paint him as a fairly typical mid-to-back of the rotation arm, two of his four years with the Cardinals have seen Matz pitch less than 50 innings due to injuries while his ERA ballooned over 5.00. Between Matz’s uneven performances over the years and his experience pitching in relief, it’s hard to deny that there’s logic in moving him to the bullpen rather than a player like Mikolas who last pitched in relief as a major leaguer back in 2013.

Regardless of the role Matz pitches in going forward, he figures to be one of the more coveted arms available at the deadline if the Cardinals can’t turn things around after a 14-19 start and the lefty continues to pitch at anything close to the level he’s performed at this year. Pitching of all sorts is highly desirable on the trade market come the summertime, and contending clubs like the Yankees, Mets, and Rangers already have clear needs that a player like Matz could complement perfectly. The veteran is in his final season under team control, meaning the Cardinals would have little reason to hang onto him if they aren’t in contention come July, and if he can stay stretched out until trade season Matz’s role flexibility could actually make him more valuable on the trade market by keeping teams in need of both rotation help and bullpen help interested in his services.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/cardinals-moving-steven-matz-to-bullpen.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals’ Sem Robberse Undergoes Tommy John Surgery

The Cardinals placed pitching prospect Sem Robberse on the full-season injured list in the minor leagues today. The club announced to reporters, including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat, that the righty has undergone Tommy John surgery. He’ll miss the remainder of this season and part of 2026 as well.

More to come.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/cardinals-sem-robberse-to-undergo-tommy-john-surgery.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

MLBTR Podcast: Devers Drama, Managerial Firings, And Jordan Lawlar

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

• The Red Sox and Rafael Devers seemingly quarreling over the first base situation (1:30)
• The Pirates firing manager Derek Shelton (16:00)
• The Rockies firing manager Bud Black (21:35)
• The Diamondbacks calling up prospect Jordan Lawlar (26:55)

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

• Should the Orioles try to extend Cedric Mullins or Tomoyuki Sugano (35:05)
• How real are the Twins and the Tigers? (39:00)
• What should the Cardinals do in right field if Jordan Walker doesn’t get going? (44:50)
• Why do the Mets seemingly do better with external pitching additions than their homegrown arms? (49:25)

Check out our past episodes!

• Replacing Triston Casas, A Shakeup In Texas, And The Blue Jays’ Rotation – listen here
• Mailbag: Red Sox, Alonso, Tigers, Tanking, And More! – listen here
• Justin Steele, Triston McKenzie, And Tons Of Prospect Promotions – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Ken Blaze, Imagn Images

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...ama-managerial-firings-and-jordan-lawlar.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Pirates Claim Michael Helman

The Pirates have claimed infielder/outfielder Michael Helman off waivers from the Cardinals, according to announcements from both clubs. There was no previous indication that the Cards had removed Helman from their 40-man roster, so their count drops to 39. The Bucs opened a 40-man spot by transferring infielder Enmanuel Valdéz to the 60-day injured list.

Helman, 29 this month, has a tiny amount of big league experience. He got 10 plate appearances with the Twins last year, collecting three hits while also striking out three times. He was traded to the Cardinals in February for cash.

His 2025 season is out to a rough start. In 73 Triple-A plate appearances, he has a .185/.260/.292 batting line and 50 wRC+, indicating he’s been 50% worse than league average. Perhaps the Cardinals felt that those poor numbers would help Helman sneak through waivers, so they quietly put him on the wire.

However, the Bucs have swooped in and grabbed him, presumably overlooking his 2025 numbers and focusing on his other seasons. Over 2023 and 2024, Helman took 480 minor league plate appearances, hitting 21 home runs and slashing .282/.356/.507 for a 121 wRC+. He still has a full slate of options, so the Pirates can keep him in the minors and see if he bounces back. If he does, he could be a versatile utility piece. He has played every position outside the battery in his minor league career.

As for Valdéz, he landed on the 10-day IL a few days ago due to left shoulder inflammation. His status is unclear but the fact that he has been quickly moved to the 60-day IL doesn’t bode well. He’s now ineligible to return until July.

Photo courtesy of Reinhold Matay, Imagn Images

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/pirates-claim-michael-helman.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Matt Carpenter Announces Retirement

Veteran infielder Matt Carpenter announced his retirement on Sports Spectrum’s Get In The Game podcast (h/t to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) this morning. He hangs up his spikes after 14 years in the majors.

“I wanted to take this opportunity on this podcast, here with you, and officially announce my retirement from baseball. I was very fortunate enough to play for some great organizations, and had quite a thrill being able to don the St. Louis Cardinals logo for many years, a brief stint with the New York Yankees, and also the San Diego Padres.” Carpenter told former MLB pitcher Scott Linebrink. Carpenter went on to thank his family, before adding that he’s “excited for what’s next.”

A veteran of 14 MLB seasons, Carpenter was open to continuing his career in 2025 as recently as this past September. That was following a season with the Cardinals where he battled injuries and struck out at a 32.5% clip but still produced a roughly average 95 wRC+ across 157 plate appearances in a part-time role. That sort of production was still enough to make Carpenter a solid bench piece, though with the Cardinals’ attempted pivot towards providing young players more opportunities this year, a reunion between the 39-year-old and his longtime club evidently wasn’t in the cards.

As Carpenter mentioned, he was wearing Cardinal red for most of his career. The Cards selected him in the 13th round of the 2009 draft. He made it to the big leagues in 2011, the year of the club’s most recent World Series win, but he was a footnote in that season. He was selected to the roster in June and optioned back to the minors after a seven-game cup of coffee.

His major league career began in earnest in 2012. As a 26-year-old rookie that year, Carpenter took to hitting in the majors almost right away. He hit an impressive .294/.365/.463 in 114 games while splitting time between first base, second base, third base, and both outfield corners. That show of versatility was enough to earn Carpenter a sixth-place finish in Rookie of the Year voting despite the fact that he had yet to generate the type of power he would later in his career, clubbing just six homers in 340 trips to the plate. He also hit .286/.412/.571 in playoff games, though the Cards were felled by the Giants in the NLCS.

He took a step forward in 2013 and had arguably his best season. He almost doubled his power output, getting to 11 home runs. He walked at a 10% clip and only struck out 13.7% of the time. That led to a .318/.392/.481 slash and 146 wRC+. He was selected to the All-Star team for the first time. FanGraphs credits him with 7.2 wins above replacement for that season, his personal best by a good margin. He finished fourth in National League Most Valuable Player voting. Carpenter didn’t perform especially well in the postseason that year, hitting .217/.263/.290, but the Cards made it as far as the World Series, losing to the Red Sox in six games.

The Cards then locked him up on an extension which would pay him $52MM over the 2014 to 2019 seasons and keep him in St. Louis into his mid-3os. Over the rest of the decade, his production shifted slightly, with a bit more power but a bit less on-base ability. The aggregate was roughly similar though, making him a very useful player as he bounced around the infield. From 2015 to 2018, he hit between 21 and 36 home runs in each season, totalling 108 long balls in that four-year stretch. He slashed a combined .260/.376/.497 for that span, leading to a 135 wRC+.

In April of 2019, as Carpenter was entering the final guaranteed year of his deal, he and the Cards agreed to another extension. This one would pay him $39MM over the 2020 and 2021 seasons. However, that ultimately proved to be a misstep for the club, as Carpenter’s production declined over those next few years. His wRC+ finished at 96 in 2019, then 85 in the shortened 2020 campaign, before going all the way down to 68 in 2021.

The Cards could have retained Carpenter for 2022 via an $18.5MM club option, but with his declining results, the $2MM buyout was the easy call. That sent him to free agency for the first time in his career, ahead of his age-36 season.

Though many had written him off at that point, Carpenter was able to engineer a brief but brilliant renaissance. Thanks to some help from Joey Votto, as reported by Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Carpenter worked to revamp his swing. He signed a minor league deal with the Rangers and clubbed six home runs in 21 games for their Triple-A club. Despite the strong results, the Rangers weren’t willing to give him a spot, so they released him.

The Yankees gave Carpenter a major league deal, which paid off immediately. He amazingly hit 15 home runs in just 47 games for the Yanks, while also walking at a 12.3% pace. Unfortunately, that amazing run was cut short when Carpenter fouled a ball off his foot in August. He suffered a fracture and missed the rest of the regular season. He was activated for the playoffs but struck out in nine of his 12 plate appearances. His regular season line for that year finished at a ridiculous .305/.412/.727, translating to a 216 wRC+.

Though it was cut short by injury, the Padres bought into Carpenter’s return to form. They signed him to a two-year, $12MM deal going into 2023, but that bet didn’t pay off. Carpenter slashed .176/.322/.319 for the Friars that year. He was traded to Atlanta ahead of the 2024 season in what was clearly a salary dump deal, as Atlanta released him shortly thereafter. He returned to the Cardinals and, as mentioned, had a serviceable season as a role player. That will now go down as his final big league season.

All told, Carpenter got into 1,511 games and stepped to the plate 5,773 times. He had 1,257 hits, including 179 home runs. He scored 813 runs and drove in 659. He walked in 13.4% of his plate appearances, helping him slash .259/.366/.449 for a 125 wRC+. He produced 31.5 fWAR and 28.7bWAR, making three All-Star teams along the way. Baseball Reference pegs his career earnings at just over the $100MM mark.

We at MLB Trade Rumors salute Carpenter on his fine career and wish him the best with whatever comes next.

Photos courtesy of Jeff Curry, Imagn Images

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/matt-carpenter-announces-retirement.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Poll: National League Playoff Outlook

We’re now a little over a quarter of the way through the 2025 regular season. With Memorial Day fast approaching, it’s hard for struggling teams to continue arguing that it’s still early. That isn’t to say playoff positions are set in stone, of course; on this day last year, the Cubs were firmly in playoff position while the Mets club that eventually made it all the way to the NLCS was still three games under .500. If the season ended today, the Dodgers, Cubs, Mets, Padres, Phillies, and Giants would be your playoff teams in the National League this year.

With four-and-a-half months left in the baseball calendar, which team currently outside of that group has the best chance of breaking their way into the mix? Yesterday’s poll covering the American League was won by the Red Sox (25%), who narrowly bested both the Rangers (20%) and Astros (20%) in a tight contest. Here’s a look at a few of NL’s the options, listed in order of record entering play today:

St. Louis Cardinals (24-20)

The Cardinals essentially left their roster untouched outside of the departure of veterans like Paul Goldschmidt and Kyle Gibson over the offseason. Right-hander Phil Maton was the club’s only major league free agent signing. Running back last year’s 83-win team without its former MVP first baseman didn’t do much for the Cardinals’ projections, but a recent nine-game win streak has allowed St. Louis to change the narrative. Willson Contreras has started hitting again, Masyn Winn could be breaking out, and Matthew Liberatore is making the decision to move him to the rotation look wise. If the Cards can keep playing anything close to this well, thoughts of selling Ryan Helsley at the deadline are likely to vanish before the calendar flips to July.

Arizona Diamondbacks (23-21)

The fourth team in a crowded four-team NL West race, the Diamondbacks have held their own this year despite injuries plaguing superstar Ketel Marte and the loss of A.J. Puk from an already-leaky bullpen. Corbin Burnes has delivered a sub-3.00 ERA despite shaky peripherals, Merrill Kelly and Brandon Pfaadt look like solid mid-rotation pieces, and Corbin Carroll is a superstar. If Zac Gallen (4.59 ERA) and Eduardo Rodriguez (7.07 ERA) can even pitch close to their respective 3.91 FIP and 4.30 FIP marks, Arizona should be a real threat to reach the postseason.

Atlanta Braves (22-22)

That Atlanta finds itself even in this conversation after going 0-7 to start the year is an impressive feat. The tandem of Sean Murphy and Drake Baldwin behind the plate has been a sensational one, and AJ Smith-Shawver is turning into a potential front-of-the-rotation surprise alongside Chris Sale and Spencer Schwellenbach. With a .500 record despite getting just one start from Spencer Strider and zero plate appearances from Ronald Acuna Jr. so far, it’s not hard to imagine the Braves fighting their way into the playoffs by season’s end. For that to happen, players like Matt Olson and Ozzie Albies will need to start hitting while closer Raisel Iglesias (5.71 ERA) will need to turn things around or be replaced by someone who can more consistently nail down save opportunities.

Milwaukee Brewers (21-23)

Disappointing performances from Christian Yelich, William Contreras, and Jackson Chourio to this point in the year have limited the Brewers’ performance so far. (Contreras is playing through a broken middle finger, which can’t help.) Thankfully, players like Rhys Hoskins and Brice Turang have both looked excellent so far and the Brewers have proved they can win mostly on the strength of their pitching before. Freddy Peralta and rookie Chad Patrick have been excellent, Brandon Woodruff is nearing a return, and top prospect Jacob Misiorowski is throwing 103 mph with dazzling results at Triple-A. If the star hitters can perform at a higher level going forward, perhaps that would be enough to get them back into the mix.

Cincinnati Reds (21-24)

It’s been a frustrating season for the Reds so far. The rotation, led by Hunter Greene and Andrew Abbott, has been strong, but those contributions have been dampened by a frustrating lineup that has failed to get consistent quality production out of anyone but Jose Trevino and Gavin Lux. Even Elly De La Cruz has been a roughly average hitter overall, while key pieces like Matt McLain and Spencer Steer have been bitterly disappointing. Fortunately, Noelvi Marte seems to be coming around after a disastrous 2024. There’s still enough time that if the club’s young lineup can go on a heater, it’s easy to imagine a strong pitching staff carrying them back into the postseason conversation.

The Rest Of The Field

The five teams mentioned above are all within five games of a Wild Card spot. The rest of the league would have a lot more work to do. The Nationals have an exciting young core featuring James Wood, CJ Abrams and MacKenzie Gore but lack the pitching depth to capitalize on it. The Marlins have gotten a big performance from Kyle Stowers, but a disappointing pitching staff that includes an 8.10 ERA from Sandy Alcantara is keeping the playoffs out of reach. The inverse is true in Pittsburgh, where Paul Skenes leads an impressive rotation but Bryan Reynolds has a wRC+ of just 55. Meanwhile, the Rockies are the team that can be most decisively counted out of the playoff picture in a season where they’re poised to contend for the modern loss record.

_____________________________________

Which of the teams outside of the NL playoff picture entering play today do MLBTR readers think stands the best chance of making it into the postseason? Have your say in the poll below:

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Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/poll-national-league-playoff-outlook.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Kolten Wong Announces Retirement

Veteran infielder Kolten Wong announced his retirement from professional baseball earlier today at his alma mater, University of Hawaii, as relayed by Brian McInnis of Spectrum News. Wong was in town to throw out the first pitch at a game against UC San Diego.

“Pretty much right now, I’m done,” Wong said, as relayed by McInnis. “I’ve kind of come to the conclusion that I’m probably going to be hanging them up. It’s just one of those things where, the game how it’s going now, there’s no sense of chasing (it). … I’m a dad now, yes, I’m enjoying that. I’m trying to be the best big league dad that I can be. So I’m going to stick to that.”

A veteran of 11 MLB seasons, the 34-year-old Wong was drafted 22nd overall by the Cardinals back in 2011. He made his way to the majors for a brief cup of coffee just two years later, but his big league career began in earnest during the 2014 season. That year, Wong appeared in 113 games for the Cardinals and finished third in NL Rookie of the Year voting behind Jacob deGrom and Billy Hamilton after slashing .249/.292/.388 in 433 trips to the plate while playing second base exclusively for St. Louis. Wong would go on as a roughly average regular with the Cards for a few years, getting a brief look in the outfield during the 2016 season to accommodate occasional reps at the position for Matt Carpenter and Jedd Gyorko but otherwise remaining locked in as the club’s everyday second baseman thanks to nearly average offense (92 wRC+) and fantastic defense at the keystone.

Wong enjoyed something of a breakout during his age-26 season with the Cardinals in 2017, as he slashed .285/.376/.412 with a 108 wRC+. It was his best offensive season to that point in his career, and while injuries limited him to just 108 games that year he would turn in above average results overall at the plate from the start of that season onward. That was a fortuitous step forward for the Cardinals, seeing as it came in just the second year of a five-year, $25.5MM extension the sides agreed to prior to the 2016 season. Wong hit a combined .273/.356/.398 (104 wRC+) while playing stellar defense over the course of his final four years in St. Louis, even earning Gold Glove awards for his work at second base during the 2019 and 2020 seasons.

Aside from that solid regular season production, Wong departed St. Louis with a solid postseason resume, having slashed .206/.243/.464 with five homers, four stolen bases, eight doubles, and a triple in 104 postseason plate appearances for the Cards. The Cardinals ultimately declined Wong’s 2021 club option and allowed him to test free agency in order to create an everyday spot in the lineup for utility man Tommy Edman. Wong eventually signed with the Brewers on a two-year, $18MM guarantee that came with a club option for the 2023 season. Wong’s defensive numbers took a step back during his time in Milwaukee as he entered his age-30 season, but his offense was better than ever as he hit a strong .262/.337/.439 (113 wRC+) across his two campaigns with the club.

Unlike the Cardinals before them, the Brewers did pick up his third year club option. With that being said, he still found himself in another uniform prior to the 2023 campaign as he was traded to the Mariners in a deal that brought Jesse Winker and Abraham Toro to Milwaukee. It’s a deal that didn’t work out for anyone, as none of those players were particularly effective for their new clubs. Wong struggled mightily during his time in Seattle, hitting just .165/.241/.227 across 67 games before he was released in early August.

Wong signed with the Dodgers on a minor league deal shortly thereafter, however, and managed to end his big league career on a high note as he slashed an impressive .300/.353/.500 (129 wRC+) over 20 games in Los Angeles before participating in the NLDS with the club. Headed into 2024, Wong signed briefly with both the Orioles and the Diamondbacks on minor league deals. He hit .271/.339/.383 in 121 trips to the plate for Arizona’s Triple-A affiliate in Reno before being granted his release just under a year ago. He’s not played in affiliated ball since, and after going unsigned this offseason Wong has evidently decided to put his playing career behind him.

In all, Wong wraps his MLB career with a .256/.330/.390 career slash line, good for a roughly league average 97 wRC+. That triple slash comes across 1189 games and encapsulates a career that saw him collect 973 hits, 303 extra-base hits, 511 runs scored and 405 runs batted in. In addition to his aforementioned two Gold Glove awards and status as a Rookie of the Year finalist, Wong also received down-ballot consideration for the NL MVP award during the 2019 season. MLB Trade Rumors congratulates Wong on a fine career, and wishes him all the best in whatever comes next.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/kolten-wong-announces-retirement.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Poll: Can The Cardinals Keep This Up?

Today is Memorial Day, and the conventional wisdom in baseball suggests that means the current standings now have more signal than noise moving forward. Perhaps that means it’s time to take the Cardinals, who have been white-hot in recent weeks, more seriously despite the narratives surrounding their quiet offseason and slow start to the year last month. A nine-game win streak earlier this month has helped propel them to a 16-4 record over their past 20 games and a 30-23 record overall. That’s put them in a statistical tie with the Padres for the final NL Wild Card spot as things stand and just two games back of the Cubs in the NL Central.

When looking at the eight teams that have won 30+ games entering Memorial Day, it’s hard to deny that the Cardinals are the most surprising. As previously mentioned, they made virtually no additions this winter as they signed Phil Maton late in the offseason but otherwise stood pat while players like Paul Goldschmidt and Kyle Gibson departed the organization. Perhaps even more surprising is the fact that players who appeared likely to be a big part of any success the Cardinals may have had this year, like youngsters Jordan Walker and Nolan Gorman, are struggling badly. Willson Contreras was a standout at the plate last year but has been merely league average this season and is currently day-to-day with a back injury, while Nolan Arenado is hitting at a below-average clip after the Cards failed to trade him this winter. Even on-paper ace Sonny Gray has a middling 4.06 ERA through 11 starts, and closer Ryan Helsley’s 3.50 ERA is his weakest since 2021.

Instead of the usual suspects, the Cardinals’ successes have come from unlikely places. The best hitter on the team is Brendan Donovan, who has long been a steady piece for St. Louis but now appears to be in the midst of a breakout season in his age-28 campaign with a 140 wRC+ and 2.0 fWAR across 51 games. The ace of the rotation is Matthew Liberatore, who has a 2.73 ERA in ten starts so far despite having never posted an ERA below 4.40 in the big leagues before and not even being assured of a rotation role entering camp this year. Behind Liberatore, Miles Mikolas has turned back the clock in his age-36 season to post a solid 3.51 ERA in his first ten starts and fellow veteran Steven Matz has been brilliant in a swing role with a 1.99 ERA in 31 2/3 innings of work.

All of this surprising performances beg the question: how sustainable can this be? Mikolas, Andre Pallante, and Erick Fedde are all pitching well above their peripherals so far this year. Impressive as he’s been, Ivan Herrera won’t finish the year with a wRC+ above 200. Even Donovan’s .360 BABIP must be looked at with at least some skepticism, as should the league average performance the Cards have gotten out of Victor Scott II and his .368 BABIP. On the other hand, many of the club’s more established players should be expected to improve. Gray and Contreras have both performed to their usual All-Star caliber levels when looking at the underlying metrics, Arenado’s .245 BABIP would be the lowest of his career in a full season, and Lars Nootbaar’s solid 112 wRC+ may be just the tip of the iceberg with his discipline and power potential. There’s also some players, such as Liberatore and Donovan, whose breakouts are fairly convincing even if they aren’t locks to stay quite as good as they have been so far.

Where does that leave the Cardinals? If you look at the playoff odds over at Fangraphs, the answer is likely outside of the final playoff picture. The club is projected by the site for an 84-win season with a 39.1% chance of making the playoffs. If you gave fans in St. Louis those odds at the start of the 2025 season, the vast majority would’ve surely taken that happily. As it stands, however, winning a touch under half their games for the rest of the season would surely be a disappointing outcome after this exciting start to the season. At the same time, it’s not hard to see why projection systems might doubt the Cardinals. The NL Wild Card race has been extremely competitive so far, even with strong teams like the Diamondbacks and Braves struggling to find their footing so far. That could make St. Louis’s best path to the postseason through the NL Central, where the Cubs are projected to win 90 games and have the NL’s easiest schedule the rest of the way.

Where do MLBTR readers believe the Cardinals will end up? Is postseason baseball returning to St. Louis this October, or will this team wind up at home like they did the past two seasons? Have your say in the poll below:

Take Our Poll

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/poll-can-the-cardinals-keep-this-up.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

MLBTR Podcast: Bregman Injured, Marcelo Mayer Called Up, And Pirates Talk

The latest episode of the MLB Trade Rumors Podcast is now live on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and wherever you get your podcasts! Make sure you subscribe as well! You can also use the player at this link to listen, if you don’t use Spotify or Apple for podcasts.

This week, host Darragh McDonald is joined by Anthony Franco of MLB Trade Rumors to discuss…

• The Red Sox calling up Marcelo Mayer with Alex Bregman landing on the injured list (0:55)
• The Pirates losing Jared Jones to surgery and not considering a trade of Paul Skenes (11:30)

Plus, we answer your questions, including…

• Should the Orioles trade Félix Bautista at the deadline? (29:35)
• What are the chances the Giants could sign Kyle Tucker this offseason? (35:10)
• Are the Cardinals for real? (40:35)
• Does Kevin Alcántara of the Cubs get traded this summer? (48:10)
• The Dodgers have 14 pitchers on the injured list. Does this reflect poorly on the club’s training and conditioning? (51:15)

Check out our past episodes!

• The Disappointing Orioles, Dalton Rushing, And The Phillies’ Bullpen – listen here
• Devers Drama, Managerial Firings, And Jordan Lawlar – listen here
• Replacing Triston Casas, A Shakeup In Texas, And The Blue Jays’ Rotation – listen here

The podcast intro and outro song “So Long” is provided courtesy of the band Showoff. Check out their Facebook page here!

Photo courtesy of Bob DeChiara, Imagn Images

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...marcelo-mayer-called-up-and-pirates-talk.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals Place Jordan Walker On 10-Day IL, Select Ryan Vilade

The Cardinals announced that outfielder Jordan Walker has been placed on the team’s 10-day injured list (retroactive to May 29) due to left wrist inflammation. Right-hander Gordon Graceffo has also been optioned to Triple-A, while coming up from Triple-A are right-hander Roddery Munoz and utilityman Ryan Vilade. In Vilade’s case, his minor league contract was selected to the Cards’ active roster.

The IL trip comes at a particularly inopportune time for Walker, as he was starting to heat up after an extended slump. After posting just a .502 OPS over his first 138 plate appearances of the season, Walker had hit .333/.353/.545 over his last 34 trips to the dish. These ups and downs have come over the first true extended stint of everyday playing time Walker has had in his three MLB seasons, as he has been the Cardinals’ starting right fielder for the majority of the 2025 season.

St. Louis came into the year committed to finding playing time for some of its younger players, and Walker has remained a lineup regular despite his struggles. With Walker now sidelined, Alec Burleson or Brendan Donovan could see more time in the outfield, and Donovan moving more into the outfield mix could open up second base for Nolan Gorman.

Vilade’s multi-positional ability should also net him some looks as the 26-year-old is on the verge of his first big league action of 2025. The Cardinals signed Vilade to a minor league deal during the offseason, and he has thus far played all three outfield positions as well as first, second, and third base over 48 games with Triple-A Memphis. Beyond his contributions to the depth chart, Vilade has also drawn attention with his bat, as he is hitting .280/.375/.476 over 192 PA with Memphis.

Vilade’s MLB resume consists of 20 career games — three with the Rockies in 2021 and 17 with the Tigers last season, with 56 PA and a .416 OPS to show for that small taste of the Show. His minor league numbers are naturally much more solid, with Vilade producing consistently better offense over parts of four seasons now of Triple-A ball.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...n-walker-on-10-day-il-select-ryan-vilade.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Rockies, Nick Anderson Agree To Minor League Deal

Reliever Nick Anderson has a minor league deal with the Rockies, reports Ari Alexander of KPRC 2. Anderson, a client of Gaeta Sports Management, had been on a minor league contract with the Cardinals. He triggered an opt-out and quickly found another landing spot.

Anderson had been pitching for the Cards’ top farm team in Memphis. He made 17 appearances, allowing a 6.20 ERA over 20 1/3 innings. His respective strikeout (21.5%) and walk (8.6%) rates weren’t terrible, but he gave up a fair amount of hard contact and had a tough time stranding runners. St. Louis unsurprisingly decided not to call him up when he triggered the out clause.

The 34-year-old Anderson appeared in the majors with the Royals in the first half of last season. He tossed 35 2/3 frames of 4.04 ERA ball with a modest 19% strikeout rate. Anderson subsequently spent time in Triple-A with the Dodgers and Orioles but didn’t get a major league opportunity with either club.

Anderson has been a journeyman middle relief type since his brilliant 2019-20 run between Miami and Tampa Bay. He provided the Braves 35 1/3 innings of 3.06 ERA ball a couple seasons back and still sits in the 94-95 MPH range with his fastball. Colorado’s bullpen has managed a serviceable 4.29 ERA overall, but they’re last in MLB with an 18.9% strikeout rate.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/05/rockies-nick-anderson-agree-to-minor-league-deal.html