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[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals Have Given Permission To 1 Veteran To Seek A Trade

(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals missed the postseason for the second straight year after finishing with a record of 83-79.

It was the team’s first time missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons since the 2017 and 2018 seasons.

While the Cardinals organization has had plenty of success over the recent years, it has been reported that the team will take a step back next season and focus on developing their young players.

This news has created trade rumors involving some of the Cardinals’ star players, and the team has now permitted their star third basemen to seek a trade.

According to USA Today’s Bob Nightengale via B/R Walk-Off on ‘X,’ the Cardinals have given Nolan Arenado’s agent permission to talk to teams about a potential trade.

The Cardinals have given Nolan Arenado's agent permission to talk to teams for a potential trade, per @BNightengale pic.twitter.com/HPbn64S35o

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) December 10, 2024

Arenado is a 12-year veteran of the MLB who came into the league in 2013 with the Colorado Rockies where he played eight seasons before coming to the Cardinals for the last four.

The eight-time all-star could potentially switch teams again before the 2025 season now that the Cardinals permitted him to seek a trade.

In 2024, Arenado played 152 games for the Cardinals where he batted .272 with 16 home runs, 71 RBIs, and a .719 OPS.

Arenado is well known for his offense, but he also is a stellar third baseman as shown by his 10 Gold Glove Awards.

The Cardinals could part ways with multiple of their veteran players, but Arenado likely doesn’t want to be a part of a rebuild at this stage of his career.

Arenado will be another name to keep an eye on as the MLB offseason continues.

The post Cardinals Have Given Permission To 1 Veteran To Seek A Trade appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/cardinals-have-given-permission-to-1-veteran-to-seek-a-trade/

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals President Has Honest Admission About The Team’s Direction

(Photo by Dilip Vishwanat/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals missed the postseason for the second straight season in 2024 after finishing with a record of 83-79.

Since winning the World Series in 2011, the Cardinals have made the playoffs eight out of 13 seasons.

In an organization that has 11 World Series titles and is used to a winning culture, missing the postseason can seem like a catastrophe.

The Cardinals will reportedly take a step back next season and focus more on the development of their players to reset their organization.

Cardinals President John Mozeliak revealed his thoughts on the team’s direction.

“Reality is we have to change the direction of what we’re doing,” Mozeliak said via MLB Network on ‘X.’

"Reality is we have to change the direction of what we're doing…"

Cardinals' President of Baseball Ops John Mozeliak joins #MLBTonight to talk about the team's outlook and more.@SageUSAmerica pic.twitter.com/r9tIjUaNCx

— MLB Network (@MLBNetwork) December 9, 2024

Mozeliak talks about how the team is heading in the wrong direction and how the decision to part ways with key components of their roster possibly might be their best option.

There have been talks of trading one of their star players Nolan Arenado and taking the next few seasons to focus on drafting and developing their young talent.

Cardinals fans are likely not thrilled with the idea of resetting the roster over the next few years, but Mozeliak believes that could be the best move in the long run.

It will be interesting to see what the team decides to do this offseason and to see what their roster looks like at the start of the 2025 season.

The Cardinals haven’t advanced past the wild-card round in the playoffs since 2019, and they could struggle to just make the postseason in the coming seasons.

The post Cardinals President Has Honest Admission About The Team’s Direction appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/cardinals-president-has-honest-admission-about-the-teams-direction/

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

MLB Insider Says 1 Cardinals Player Is Likely To Be Traded This Offseason

(Photo by Brian Bahr/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals and their fans are used to a winning culture with 11 World Series titles in franchise history.

However, things haven’t been going the Cardinals’ way lately, as they missed the postseason for a second straight year in 2024.

It has been reported that the Cardinals are cleaning house before the 2025 season and preparing to focus on developing their young talent in the farm system.

Because of that approach, one big-name Cardinals player reportedly is likely to be traded this offseason.

“Nolan Arenado is more likely to be traded than to stay with the Cardinals in 2025,” according to Katie Woo of The Athletic, via B/R Walk-Off.

Nolan Arenado is more likely to be traded than to stay with the Cardinals in 2025, per @katiejwoo pic.twitter.com/1LJ5whFjL4

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) December 3, 2024

Arenado is a 33-year-old third baseman who came into the league in 2013 with the Colorado Rockies and played eight seasons for them before playing the past four with the Cardinals.

The eight-time All-Star had another productive season in 2024, playing 152 games and batting .272 with 16 home runs, 71 RBIs and a .719 OPS.

Arenado will likely draw interest from plenty of teams who need a third baseman, especially if they have a young team that would benefit from a veteran presence in the clubhouse.

The Cardinals appear to be hitting the reset button ahead of the 2025 season, and it will be interesting to see how their fans react to this decision.

With many trade candidates and a free agent class full of talent, this offseason should remain exciting for the foreseeable future.

The post MLB Insider Says 1 Cardinals Player Is Likely To Be Traded This Offseason appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/mlb-ins...player-is-likely-to-be-traded-this-offseason/

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals Expected To Field Interest In 1 Starting Pitcher

(Photo by Mitchell Leff/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals, who have been one of Major League Baseball’s most consistent teams in recent history, have had a rough couple of seasons.

After missing the postseason for a second consecutive year in 2024 with a record of 83-79, the Cardinals are expected to hit the reset button in 2025.

They are expected to look to trade most of their big-name players and shift their focus to younger players to develop.

One veteran starting pitcher is the newest name to pop up in rumors of players the Cardinals could trade.

“Cardinals expect to field interest in Steven Matz this offseason,” MLB Trade Rumors wrote on X.

Cardinals Expect To Field Interest In Steven Matz This Offseason https://t.co/Ep1g2JvUDR pic.twitter.com/3yVHuF3brt

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) November 29, 2024

The veteran starting pitcher came into the league in 2015 with the New York Mets.

After playing six seasons for the Mets, the left-hander played one season for the Toronto Blue Jays before joining the Cardinals in 2022.

Last season, Matz appeared in 12 games, starting seven, and posted a record of 1-2 with a 5.08 ERA and 33 strikeouts in 44.1 innings pitched.

He could be an intriguing option for a team that desires a veteran presence in its rotation.

Matz’s best season came with the Blue Jays in 2021, when he started 29 games and had a record of 14-7 with a 3.82 ERA and 144 strikeouts in 150.2 innings pitched.

Although Matz had a down season in 2024, his 3.86 ERA from 2023 is respectable and could boost interest from some MLB teams this offseason.

It will be interesting to see how the Cardinals handle their current situation as their fans will likely be unhappy if the team underperforms for multiple years to come.

The post Cardinals Expected To Field Interest In 1 Starting Pitcher appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/cardinals-expected-to-field-interest-in-1-starting-pitcher/

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Nolan Arenado Is Reportedly Open To A Position Change

(Photo by Joe Puetz/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals have 11 World Series titles and have been known as one of MLB’s best teams in recent history.

Since winning the World Series in 2011, the Cardinals have made the postseason in eight of 13 seasons but have missed the past two.

With rumors swirling of the Cardinals having a reset year in 2025, Nolan Arenado has become a likely trade candidate.

If traded, the 10-time Gold Glove third baseman reportedly would be willing to switch positions.

“Nolan Arenado is open to playing first base for a potential new team, per Katie Woo (of The Athletic),” B/R Walk-Off wrote on X.

Nolan Arenado is open to playing first base for a potential new team, per @katiejwoo pic.twitter.com/FW98Yy0Y59

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) November 26, 2024

This is not the first time this offseason that a player has said he is open to playing a different position for a new team.

Milwaukee Brewers shortstop Willy Adames also said he would move if the deal was right on a team with a solidified player already on the roster.

Arenado came into the league in 2013 with the Colorado Rockies and played eight seasons before going to the Cardinals for the past four seasons.

In 2024, Arenado played in 152 games, batting .272 with 16 home runs, 71 RBIs and a .719 OPS.

With the Cardinals rumored to rebuild over the next few seasons, it would make sense to trade Arenado to try to get a bundle in return.

The 33-year-old could be a target for teams wanting to add a right-handed bat with some power as he has hit at least 30 home runs in seven of his 12 MLB seasons.

The post Nolan Arenado Is Reportedly Open To A Position Change appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/nolan-arenado-is-reportedly-open-to-a-position-change/

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals May Be Looking To Trade 1 All-Star

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals missed the postseason for a second straight year in 2024 after finishing with a record of 83-79.

For an organization that is used to winning, with 11 World Series titles in franchise history, the recent struggles could be difficult for their fans to accept.

The Cardinals appear to be starting a rebuild, and one All-Star player could potentially be on the trading block.

According to MLB Trade Rumors, the Cardinals are expected to gauge interest in third basemen Nolan Arenado.

Cardinals Expected To Gauge Trade Interest In Nolan Arenado https://t.co/xV9gTMMz5x pic.twitter.com/SzzjEdNMUX

— MLB Trade Rumors (@mlbtraderumors) November 8, 2024

Arenado joined the Cardinals in 2021 after coming into the league in 2013 and playing eight seasons with the Colorado Rockies.

The eight-time All-Star had another solid season with the Cardinals in 2024 as he batted .272 with 16 home runs, 71 RBIs and a .719 OPS.

After missing the postseason the past two years, and being eliminated in the wild-card round the season before that, the Cardinals need to change course.

The Cardinals haven’t won the World Series since 2011.

Arenado could be a big part of the organization’s plan to rebuild if they were to trade him for assets this offseason.

He had a dip in his power production in 2024 as his 16 home runs in 152 games played were his fewest since the shortened 2020 season, when he hit eight home runs in 48 games for Colorado.

There will likely be interest in the 33-year-old, and it will be interesting to see what the Cardinals may want in return.

The post Cardinals May Be Looking To Trade 1 All-Star appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/cardinals-may-be-looking-to-trade-1-all-star/

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Insider Names 2 Players Cardinals Will Likely Target At Trade Deadline

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals have been hanging around this season and are currently just 4.5 games out of first place in the NL Central as the trade deadline is looming on July 30th.

One insider shared some insight into the Cardinals’ potential deadline plans and pointed out two names who the team will likely target to bolster the starting rotation for the stretch run.

MLB.com’s John Denton said that the Cardinals will “likely target” Nathan Eovaldi of the Texas Rangers and Zach Eflin of the Tampa Bay Rays at the trade deadline.

The Cardinals will 'likely target' Nathan Eovaldi and Zach Eflin at the deadline, per @JohnDenton555 pic.twitter.com/aMMncsSw82

— B/R Walk-Off (@BRWalkoff) July 20, 2024

Eovaldi is in the final year of the 2-year, $34 million deal he signed ahead of last season and has a vesting option for $20 million in 2025 that turns into a player option if he reaches 300 total innings pitched over the last two seasons, which he is currently 57 innings shy of.

He is having one of the best seasons of his career and has a career-low 3.36 ERA and 1.07 WHIP, and with the Rangers getting Jacob DeGrom back soon in addition to recently getting Max Scherzer back, the team might decide Eovaldi is expendable.

It would still be somewhat surprising to see the Rangers decide to sell coming off a World Series championship and with another ace on the way while facing just a 5-game deficit in the AL West.

Eflin won a career-high 16 games for the Rays last season and has a 4.14 ERA across 18 starts this year for the Rays, who like the Rangers, are still under .500.

The Cardinals need a starting pitcher, so keep an eye out to see if they go shopping in the coming weeks.

The post Insider Names 2 Players Cardinals Will Likely Target At Trade Deadline appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/insider-names-2-players-cardinals-will-likely-target-at-trade-deadline/

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Standings Show Impressive Cardinals Turnaround Since Mid-May

(Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)

The St. Louis Cardinals invested a lot in their starting rotation, given their issues in that area last year.

They brought in ace Sonny Gray, plus veterans Lance Lynn and Kyle Gibson.

Still, many analysts predicted a rough season ahead for them given the elevated average age on the roster.

There are many veterans on the Cards: Lynn, Gibson, Gray, Paul Goldschmidt, Matt Carpenter, Nolan Arenado, Giovanny Gallegos, Andrew Kittredge, Miles Mikolas, Willson Contreras and Brandon Crawford, among others, are all over 30.

In any case, the Cards have been more competitive than some folks anticipated, and are within striking distance in the NL Central with a 40-37 record.

They are now second in the division, just 5.5 games out of first place as of Wednesday afternoon.

The situation wasn’t always this promising, though.

On May 11, they were 15-24 and everybody was already leaving them for dead, putting together scenarios in which they sold at the trade deadline with months in advance.

They have turned around their season since that date, though.

the st. louis cardinals pic.twitter.com/FyL1xo7ggR

— Codify (@CodifyBaseball) June 26, 2024

After that point, St. Louis owns one of the best records in the National League at 25-13.

Having Gray healthy and in a groove has helped, sure, but the development of young, promising prospects to complement the veterans is perhaps the biggest reason behind the surge.

Shortstop Masyn Winn, for example, has blossomed into a reliable starter with a .773 OPS, and Brendan Donovan also got hot and is up to a .754 OPS.

Closer Ryan Helsley and JoJo Romero have been fantastic in the bullpen, and all three veteran starting pitching acquisitions have an ERA under 4.00.

Maybe if they make the right acquisitions, the Cards can compete with the Milwaukee Brewers for the NL Central title.

At the very least, they should fight for a spot among the Wild Card teams in the National League.

The post Standings Show Impressive Cardinals Turnaround Since Mid-May appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/standings-show-impressive-cardinals-turnaround-since-mid-may/

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals In Position To Tie 100-Year Old Record

(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

Fans and analysts agree on the fact that the St. Louis Cardinals are a relatively old team, at least compared to the average MLB squad.

They have accomplished veterans such as Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson, Paul Goldschmidt, Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, Matt Carpenter, and Brandon Crawford, among others.

However, they also have some impressive prospects and young players coming up.

They have made sure to involve their prospects and give them a platform to succeed, and this involves MLB playing time.

That’s why the veterans are slowly ceding some space to the future.

In the specific case of the Cardinals, they are in a position to tie a 100-year-old record when it comes to youth and Opening Day.

“The @Cardinals could have 4 position players in their #OpeningDay lineup who are 23 or younger: Nolan Gorman, 23; Victor Scott II, 23; Masyn Winn, 22; Jordan Walker, 21. Last time that happened in a season opener? 1924. 100 years ago. Credit: Kevin Dillon, @MLBNetwork,” MLB insider Jon Morosi tweeted.

The @Cardinals could have 4 position players in their #OpeningDay lineup who are 23 or younger:

Nolan Gorman, 23
Victor Scott II, 23
Masyn Winn, 22
Jordan Walker, 21

Last time that happened in a season opener?

1924.

100 years ago.

Credit: Kevin Dillon, @MLBNetwork. @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) March 28, 2024

Gorman hit 27 home runs last year and has a bright future ahead of him.

Scott II won a spot thanks to the rash of injuries in the Cardinals outfield, including projected starters Dylan Carlson and Lars Nootbaar.

He stole 94 bases last year in the minors, between High-A and Double-A, and could be running wild on Thursday.

Winn is a young, inexperienced shortstop and Walker already left his mark last year with 16 home runs and a .787 OPS.

They all figure to be around for a while and are extremely talented in different facets of the game.

The Cardinals might be old, but the youth is finally coming.

The post Cardinals In Position To Tie 100-Year Old Record appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/cardinals-in-position-to-tie-100-year-old-record/

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals Outfielder Goes Down With Unfortunate Injury

(Photo by Eric Espada/Getty Images)

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carlson was having a very solid spring training.

He was shaping up to be important in the Cards’ lineup.

Fate, however, dictated that he will now have to wait a while to be ready to contribute to his team.

“Dylan Carlson suffered a sprained AC joint in yesterday’s collision. Victor Scott II makes the Opening Day roster. #STLCards,” Cardinals insider Katie Woo tweeted.

Dylan Carlson suffered a sprained AC joint in yesterday's collision. Victor Scott II makes the Opening Day roster. #STLCards https://t.co/IkcOzIM9FX

— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) March 26, 2024

Just days from Opening Day, Carlson suffered an unfortunate injury that will knock him out of action for at least a while.

The good news is that he is expected to be out for weeks rather than months, but still, that’s a pretty vague timeline.

He will have to be patient and complete every step of his rehab.

Scott, who was having an amazing spring training too, will make the roster in Carlson’s place and is full of potential.

He doesn’t have much power, but his speed and contact ability are legit.

As for Carlson, his rock-solid spring goes to waste: he had earned his spot on the roster and in the lineup.

He was slashing .271/.340/.521 with a .861 OPS, three home runs, and 13 RBI in 18 games.

He will be back this season, but it’s still a bummer for him and for fans who were eager to see him break out.

The Cardinals have a lot of work to do to return to relevancy after finishing last in the NL Central.

They will need Carlson to recover and show his best form if they are going to mount a challenge for the division or the playoffs.

The post Cardinals Outfielder Goes Down With Unfortunate Injury appeared first on The Cold Wire.

Source: https://www.thecoldwire.com/cardinals-outfielder-goes-down-with-unfortunate-injury/

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Injury Notes: Jordan Walker, Christian Walker, Topa

The Cardinals got good news on Jordan Walker this afternoon. An MRI revealed no structural damage in his left knee, manager Oli Marmol told reporters (including John Denton of MLB.com). Walker is dealing with inflammation that’ll shut him down for around a week, but there’s nothing to suggest this’ll be a serious issue. It would have been a freak injury, as the young outfielder felt the discomfort after stepping on a sprinkler head while tracking a fly ball during Tuesday’s game.

With three weeks until Opening Day, it seems the 22-year-old will be on track for the start of the regular season. He’s in line to work as the everyday right fielder. The former top prospect has yet to develop into the impact hitter that many evaluators believe he could become. Walker has turned in a .255/.317/.423 slash in 643 career plate appearances. That includes a .210/.253/.366 line over 51 MLB games last season. He had pedestrian numbers (.263/.326/.427 over 377 PAs) in Triple-A as well. Walker is young enough that this isn’t yet a make-or-break season, but the Cards’ transitional year should give him an extended opportunity to cement himself.

A couple other health updates from around baseball:

• Christian Walker felt soreness in his left oblique during batting practice before the Astros game on Wednesday, manager Joe Espada told the beat (relayed by MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart). He’s day to day for the moment, but the team will know more tomorrow after further testing. Any kind of strain would make a season-opening injured list stint likely. Walker was Houston’s big free agent pickup, inking a three-year deal that guarantees $60MM. He’s coming off his third consecutive Gold Glove win and hit .251/.335/.468 with 26 homers over 552 plate appearances during his final season in Arizona. If Walker misses time, Jon Singleton would get the bulk of the first base reps. Righty-hitting Zach Dezenzo could take some at-bats against lefty pitching in that situation.
• Twins reliever Justin Topa has had unfortunate injury luck for most of his career. He has undergone two Tommy John procedures and a flexor tendon surgery. A patellar tendon issue in his left knee limited him to three MLB appearances last season. Topa is now dealing with shoulder discomfort, writes Bobby Nightengale of the Minnesota Star-Tribune. Minnesota lifted the righty from Wednesday’s game after seven pitches when Topa reported shoulder tightness. Manager Rocco Baldelli told reporters that the pitcher wasn’t overly concerned, so it’ll hopefully be a precautionary removal, but he’ll go for further testing tomorrow.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/injury-notes-jordan-walker-christian-walker-topa.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals Still Monitoring Free Agent Relief Market

The Cardinals remain in contact with a few free agent relief pitchers, writes Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. St. Louis has been in the market for a veteran reliever all offseason after losing Andrew Kittredge in free agency.

St. Louis is the only team that hasn’t signed a single free agent to a major league deal. The Cards have had the quietest overall offseason in MLB. They declined options on Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn and Keynan Middleton. They allowed Kittredge and Paul Goldschmidt to walk. Whatever designs they had on trading Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras were impeded by those players’ no-trade clauses. They’ve been puzzlingly resistant to trading affordable rentals Ryan Helsley and Erick Fedde.

The Cardinals are using 2025 as a transitional year. John Mozeliak is entering his final season running baseball operations. He’ll turn things over to Chaim Bloom at year’s end. The Cards intended to slash payroll alongside their looks at younger players, a move at least partially in response to reduced TV revenue. They’ve cut spending organically by not replacing any of their free agents. RosterResource calculates their payroll around $148MM, down $35MM from last year’s year-end mark. The initial goal was to offload more salary in trade, but it seems they abandoned that after failing to line up an Arenado deal.

There aren’t many more unsigned relievers who are going to command big league deals. David Robertson is probably the top free agent regardless of position. He could command close to eight figures on a one-year deal, likely with a team that has a better competitive outlook than St. Louis does. Phil Maton, Craig Kimbrel, Brooks Raley, Will Smith, and Middleton are among other unsigned bullpen arms.

Helsley will be back in the ninth inning. He could be the best reliever traded this summer, as there seemingly haven’t been any extension talks. Ryan Fernandez looks like a quality setup type after a strong showing as a Rule 5 pick. JoJo Romero and John King are solid lefty middle relievers. The Cards are otherwise light on experienced middle innings depth, especially from the right side. Nick Anderson is in camp on a minor league deal and has a decent shot to break camp.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/03/cardinals-still-monitoring-free-agent-relief-market.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals’ Zack Thompson Shut Down 3-4 Weeks Due To Lat Injury

Cardinals left-hander Zack Thompson suffered a tear in his left lat muscle, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak told reporters (including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) today. Thompson will be shut down and then re-evaluated in three or four weeks, so Thompson will surely start the season on the Cards’ injured list.

It’s a tough setback for Thompson, who was competing for a job in the St. Louis bullpen and is still trying to find a niche for himself at the big league level. The 19th overall pick of the 2019 draft has amassed 118 career MLB innings over the last three seasons, topping out at 66 1/3 innings in 2023 while working first as a reliever and then as a starter over the season’s last six weeks.

Thompson had a 2.08 ERA in 34 2/3 frames in 2022, but then a 4.48 ERA from that larger workload in 2023. His peripheral numbers were still interesting enough to suggest that Thompson might take another step forward last season, yet the opposite happened — the southpaw was rocked for a 9.53 ERA over 17 innings as a starter and reliever, and didn’t return to the majors after being optioned to Triple-A Memphis in late April. Things didn’t exactly stabilize in the minors, as Thompson had a 4.40 ERA and 14.2% walk rate over 90 innings in Memphis, starting 20 of his 21 games.

While these struggles didn’t remove Thompson from the Cardinals’ future plans, there wasn’t any space for him in a rotation that is still full of veteran arms, plus other youngsters have now seemingly passed Thompson on the depth chart if a rotation spot did open up. Working as a long reliever or possibly a swingman would have allowed Thompson to build up more experience and confidence in the Show, unless St. Louis preferred to let him get on track as a starter in Memphis.

The league granted the Cardinals a fourth minor league option on Thompson during the offseason, giving the team the ability to send him back and forth between Triple-A and the majors during the 2025 campaign. It is quite possible Thompson would have started the season in Triple-A anyway, though today’s injury news will delay the lefty entirely until he is able to get back onto a mound. Thompson will then need to rebuild his arm strength, so it seems likely he’ll be sidelined until at least late April given the time he is set to miss in his shutdown period.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...on-shut-down-3-4-weeks-due-to-lat-injury.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

This Date In Transactions History: Nolan Arenado’s 2019 Extension

Today marks six years since the signing of the largest contract in Rockies history. On February 26, 2019, Colorado signed Nolan Arenado to a seven-year extension that guaranteed $234MM. It kept the star third baseman from reaching the open market the following offseason. The franchise-record deal also included a full no-trade clause and the right to opt out after the 2021 season.

It looked to cement the defensive stalwart as the face of the franchise for the upcoming decade. Arenado was coming off his fourth consecutive finish among the top 10 in MVP balloting. He’d landed in the top five three years running. Over the preceding four seasons, Arenado was sixth among position players in FanGraphs Wins Above Replacement — trailing Mike Trout, Mookie Betts, Jose Altuve, Kris Bryant and Francisco Lindor. The Rockies had made the playoffs in consecutive seasons and were coming off a 91-win campaign that included a Wild Card game victory over the Cubs.

A relatively small-market franchise extending a player of that caliber one year from free agency was cause for excitement among Colorado fans. That optimism was dashed as the relationship went south incredibly quickly. Arenado had arguably the best season of his career in year one, hitting .315/.379/.583 with 41 homers to earn a sixth-place MVP finish. Yet the team won 20 fewer games than they had in ’18, kicking off an ongoing stretch of at least six straight losing seasons.

By the following offseason, a rift had emerged between Arenado and then-GM Jeff Bridich. Arenado was reportedly displeased with Colorado’s lack of moves to put a competitive roster around him. He was the subject of trade rumors by the 2019-20 offseason. Bridich publicly shot down trade possibilities that winter. Arenado remained in Colorado for the shortened season. It was an underwhelming year for player and team alike that did nothing to improve the relationship.

Two years after signing the extension, the Rockies found themselves attempting to offload as much money as possible owed to their disgruntled star. It wasn’t an easy contract to move. The no-trade gave Arenado the ability to pick his destination. The deal contained six years and $199MM in remaining guarantees with the potential for Arenado to opt out after one season.

The trade Colorado found was a disappointment even in that context. The Cardinals landed Arenado that February for a five-player return led by back-end starter Austin Gomber. He’s a capable fifth starter. None of the other four players — Elehuris Montero, Mateo Gil, Jake Sommers and Tony Locey — remain in the organization. Montero is the only member of that group who even reached the majors and he was a sub-replacement performer.

Colorado kicked in $51MM to facilitate the deal, while Arenado agreed to a restructured contract that deferred part of his 2022-26 salaries while adding a $15MM salary for 2027. Bridich was out as GM three months later. One year after dumping $148MM of the Arenado contract, the Rox signed Bryant to his ill-fated $182MM free agent deal.

The sequence served as a precursor to this winter’s series of trade rumors. Arenado played at a superstar level for his first two seasons in St. Louis, helping the team to consecutive playoff berths. His production over the past two years has been more solid than exceptional. The Cards have missed the playoffs in both and are looking more toward the future than short-term contention. They spent all offseason trying to move Arenado to a contender while moving most of the remaining money. The no-trade clause again allowed him to be particular regarding the teams to which he’d approve a deal.

After he famously nixed a move to the Astros in December, Arenado is expected to play what’ll be his fifth season in St. Louis. He’s into the final two seasons of the deal he’d initially signed with Colorado. He’s due $32MM and $27MM respectively over the next two years, though he agreed to defer $6MM annually to facilitate the trade to St. Louis. The Rockies are still paying down $5MM in each of those seasons. St. Louis is fully responsible for the tacked-on $15MM salary in ’27, which is not deferred.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...ns-history-nolan-arenados-2019-extension.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals Believed To Be “Open” To Moving Erick Fedde

Rival clubs believe that the Cardinals could entertain trade conversations surrounding right-hander Erick Fedde, according to a report from Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, though it’s not clear whether those discussions would happen later this Spring or at some point during the season. Goold notes that the club has made clear their desire to maintain their pitching depth this spring, but adds that the club is “open” to a move that would lower payroll and make room in the rotation for young right-hander Michael McGreevy.

That Fedde could find himself on the trading block this spring, on its face, isn’t a huge surprise. After all, the Cardinals seemingly made every effort to trade veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado this winter, and while those efforts appear to remain a longshot to come to fruition they still combine with the club’s decision to let players like Paul Goldschmidt and Andrew Kittredge depart in free agency to paint a picture of a club looking to focus on the future rather than the present. That would normally make a rental pitcher like Fedde something of a no-brainer to deal away, but St. Louis has resisted the prospect of fully committing to 2025 as a rebuilding year.

The Cards expressed a reluctance to make long-term commitments this winter, and that appears to have included even extension conversations with pending free agents like Ryan Helsley. Even as they’ve done that, however, St. Louis has held onto their closer despite receiving interest from multiple clubs in his services. The same is true of Fedde and even back-of-the-rotation southpaw Steven Matz, both of whom were reportedly drawing interest on the trade market as far back as December but the Cardinals never outwardly expressed much interest in moving.

Against the backdrop of the Cardinals’ overall approach to the winter, the idea that Fedde could be moved before Opening Day registers as something of a surprise. It’s easy to see why the club may want to make such a move, however. As Goold notes, part of the impetus behind looking to deal Arenado was about scaling back the club’s payroll in order to reinvest in their development apparatus. While Fedde’s $7.5MM salary is fairly inexpensive and he’s on the books for just one year, it’s possible that those funds would be reallocated to the budget when the club plans to be more competitive in 2026.

More than the financial aspect, however, what could be appealing to the Cardinals is the opportunity to give another young player consistent playing time this year. McGreevey impressed in a brief cup of coffee last year, posting a 1.96 ERA in 23 innings of work, and with an aging starting rotation it’s easy to imagine the Cardinals wanting to add another young, controllable arm to the mix alongside Andre Pallante. Given that reality, it’s easy to understand why 60% of MLBTR readers suggested that the Cardinals should pivot towards dealing a starter amid the likely return for Arenado to St. Louis for at least the start of the 2025 season.

Of course, those financial and playing time considerations are likely to be secondary to the return they could garner for Fedde’s services. The club surrendered utility man Tommy Edman to the Dodgers as part of a three-team deal in order to acquire Fedde from the White Sox, and after a season where he pitched to an excellent 3.30 ERA in 177 1/3 innings with a 3.86 FIP the Cardinals are surely hoping to get legitimate, long-term value for the righty in any deal. With other win-now pieces like Arenado, Helsley, and Sonny Gray all still on the roster, it makes little sense for St. Louis to trade a solid mid-rotation arm like Fedde just for the sake of making a move. Perhaps a desire to extract the best package possible in exchange for Fedde was the cause for St. Louis’s apparent hesitance about dealing Fedde throughout the winter, giving the premium placed on quality starting pitching at the trade deadline every summer.

If getting the best return possible for Fedde’s services is the club’s priority, at least listening to offers this spring certainly makes sense. After all, Goold points out that the inevitable pitching injuries that will crop up throughout the spring are bound to create a market for starting pitching help. The first significant pitching injury of the spring already occurred when the Mets revealed that Frankie Montas will be shut down for six to eight weeks due to a lat issue, and while they don’t currently plan to add a starter it’s not hard to imagine a similar injury elsewhere around the league causing another contender to get antsy about their rotation depth. If no significant offer comes through for Fedde this spring, the Cardinals can of course simply reassess at the deadline based on the team’s competitive outlook for the stretch run and either field offers again over the summer or simply hold onto Fedde and potentially extend him a Qualifying Offer in the fall.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/cardinals-believed-to-be-open-to-moving-erick-fedde.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

“No Traction” Between Cardinals, Astros In Nolan Arenado Talks

While a report earlier today revealed that the Cardinals and Astros have resumed discussions regarding veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado, a report from Chandler Rome and Katie Woo of The Athletic this evening has cast doubt on the likelihood of a deal coming together. According to Rome and Woo, although the sides did re-engage about Arenado in the aftermath of Alex Bregman signing with the Red Sox, those renewed discussions were “brief” and that there has been no traction gained on a deal between the sides. Rome and Woo add that Arenado’s stance on waiving his no-trade clause to join the Astros has not changed to this point.

The report meshes with comments from president of baseball operations John Mozeliak earlier today, in which he suggested to reporters that he didn’t feel anything was “imminent” regarding Arenado. Rome and Woo go on to relay that sources described the possibility of a deal coming together between the two teams as a “long shot,” adding that a deal the sides discussed involving Arenado was considered a “non-starter.” Given that description of talks between the two sides, it’s not entirely clear if Arenado has been approached by St. Louis brass about the possibility of approving a trade to Houston since the Astros tried to reignite talks or if discussions between the sides did not advance far enough for Mozeliak to even broach the subject with his veteran star.

Even when Arenado first blocked a trade to Houston back in December, reporting was quick to emphasize that Arenado’s reluctance to approve the trade was not necessarily a final decision and that he was hoping to survey his own market as well as see how the Astros planned to improve the club after trading star outfielder Kyle Tucker to the Cubs just before Arenado vetoed a prospective move to Houston. Now that Bregman has landed in Boston, the Red Sox join the Padres and Dodgers as unlikely landing spots for the veteran due to their full infield mixes. The Yankees have a clear hole at third base Arenado could step into fairly seamlessly, but talks between the Bronx and St. Louis have failed to gain traction due to New York’s unwillingness to spend much beyond their current payroll projection.

That leaves the Astros as the final team reportedly on Arenado’s initial list of approved suitors as things stand. It’s possible that the lack of clear alternative options, in tandem with the Astros’ addition of Christian Walker to their infield mix, would be enough to convince Arenado to approve a trade to Houston. At the same time, it’s entirely possible that Arenado would prefer to play the first half of the season out in St. Louis at this point before both he and Mozeliak reassess the situation over the summer, when St. Louis’s position in an unsettled NL Central division will be more clear and Arenado will have a more concrete idea of which clubs are contenders for the coming postseason.

Rome and Woo go on to note that the Astros’ latest push to swing a deal for Arenado highlights the questions surrounding the Astros’ lineup at this point. Longtime second baseman Jose Altuve appears to be moving towards playing left field at least on a part-time basis, though a trade for Arenado would be expected to make the veteran a full-time presence in left while Isaac Paredes slides from third base to second to accommodate Arenado. Should Altuve end up moving to left field for the majority of his reps this year, that leaves the club fairly thin around the infield with only Mauricio Dubon and non-roster invitees like Brendan Rodgers and Luis Guillorme available to play second base on days Altuve is in left and/or back up the rest of the club’s infield mix.

Even if Altuve were to remain at second base close to full time, however, it can be argued the club is still a bat short. Jake Meyers appears poised to be the club’s regular center fielder with Ben Gamel and Chas McCormick handling the outfield corners. Gamel and McCormick both feature significant platoon splits, however, and adding at least one part-time outfield bat to the mix seems prudent whether that’s the addition of Altuve to the outfield mix or an external addition should the veteran remain on the infield dirt.

Free agent options are relatively scarce at this point in the calendar, with Jose Iglesias and Whit Merrifield the best infield pieces still available while Alex Verdugo, Mark Canha, and David Peralta are among a handful of outfield options still on the market. It’s also possible the Astros could look for other alternatives on the trade market, though with rosters largely set for the coming season it’s unclear what players could still be available that would represent a substantial improvement for the club relative to their current situation.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...-cardinals-astros-in-nolan-arenado-talks.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

McGreevy, Liberatore In The Mix For Rotation Spots With Cardinals

The Cardinals have a trio of veteran pitchers locked into their season-opening rotation: Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas. As they declined options on Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn, the Cards expressed a desire to create rotation opportunities for younger arms at the back end.

St. Louis has a trio of controllable pitchers in the mix for the last couple rotation spots. Andre Pallante turned in a 3.78 ERA behind a massive 61.8% grounder rate in 121 1/3 innings last season. Former first-round pick Michael McGreevy debuted with four appearances. He worked to a 1.96 ERA over his first 23 major league innings. The Cards used left-hander Matthew Liberatore in a relief role down the stretch, but he’s not locked into the bullpen for the upcoming season.

Katie Woo of The Athletic writes that the Cardinals have been encouraged by Liberatore’s stuff this spring and are considering giving him another rotation opportunity. The 25-year-old southpaw has worked in relief for all four of his Spring Training appearances, but that’s not especially meaningful when all pitchers are throwing in short stints as they build into game shape. Liberatore has tossed 9 2/3 innings of two-run ball with five strikeouts and a pair of walks.

Liberatore made 60 appearances last season, all but six of which came out of the bullpen. The former top prospect allowed 4.40 earned runs per nine. His 21.2% strikeout rate was a career high but still checked in a bit below league average. Liberatore showed solid control and got grounders at a roughly average 42.2% rate.

With one option remaining, Liberatore can head back to Triple-A if the Cardinals want to allow him to continue building as a starter. It’s also possible he slots back into a bullpen role. The latter outcome doesn’t seem to be on the table for McGreevy. Manager Oli Marmol said over the weekend that the Cards weren’t interested in pushing the right-hander into relief to ensure he snags an Opening Day roster spot.

“I don’t see him as a guy who will benefit at all by going to the ’pen and breaking with us in that type of role,” Marmol said (link via Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch). “My preference would be for him to start. When you go into the offseason and a lot of the messaging is around opportunity, then you want to keep guys in the role that they see them being in long term. And for him, we see him as a starter.”

McGreevy has a pair of minor league options. There’s a decent chance he’ll open the year in the Triple-A rotation. The UC Santa Barbara product spent most of last season at that level. He made 27 starts and worked 150 innings of 4.02 ERA ball. McGreevy kept the ball on the ground at a near-50% clip with slightly lower than average strikeout (21.6%) and walk (6.9%) marks. He could probably hold his own at the back of a major league rotation, but the options afford St. Louis flexibility to keep him stretched out in the minors.

Assuming Pallante has a leg up on the fourth starter role, that’d leave Liberatore and McGreevy competing with veteran lefty Steven Matz for the final spot. Matz isn’t a controllable long-term piece, but the Cardinals would love to see him create some level of trade value. He’s owed $12MM in the final season of a four-year deal that hasn’t panned out. While the Cards aren’t going to get any kind of significant return, a solid first half could allow them to offload part of his contract around the deadline.

Matz suffered back injuries that limited him to 44 1/3 innings last year. He allowed just over five earned runs per nine with a modest 17.4% strikeout rate. Matz has tossed nine innings of three-run ball over three appearances in exhibition play. He’ll be on the MLB roster in some capacity but could work in long relief if he doesn’t win the fifth starter job.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025...he-mix-for-rotation-spots-with-cardinals.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Cardinals, Astros Again Discussing Nolan Arenado Trade

4:03PM: While that Mozeliak initially declined to comment on any potential new trade talks or the possibility of Arenado approving a deal (as noted by Denton), he later told reporters (including Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that he “does not feel like anything is imminent” regarding Arenado and that nothing has changed since the veteran third baseman reported to camp.

1:16PM: Nolan Arenado used his no-trade clause to veto a proposed trade to the Astros back in December, which seemingly ended the third baseman’s chances of going to Houston once the Astros pivoted to then add Christian Walker to their infield mix. However, just as it seemed the Cardinals’ chances of dealing Arenado this offseason had run out, St. Louis and Houston have re-engaged on a new set of talks on an Arenado trade, according to MLB.com’s Brian McTaggart, Mark Feinsand, and John Denton.

It would be quite a wild conclusion to one of the offseason’s top storylines if Arenado ended up in an Astros uniform after all, yet Houston’s increased willingness to move Jose Altuve from second base to left field may have created an opening for these fresh negotiations between the Astros and Cardinals. Arenado would take over from Isaac Paredes at third base, with Paredes then moving to Altuve’s old spot at second base. Reports of Altuve’s willingness to play left field emerged when the Astros were exploring the idea of re-signing Alex Bregman, and Altuve has been hard at work doing outfield drills in the early stages of Spring Training.

Astros manager Joe Espada has yet to make any firm statements about Altuve’s readiness as a left fielder, as Espada told reporters (including Matt Kawahara of the Houston Chronicle) that it will still be another week before Altuve lines up in the outfield during spring game action. Still, it could be a sign of the Astros’ comfort level in Altuve’s outfield capability that the team is again looking into the possibility of an Arenado deal.

The ball is ultimately in Arenado’s court due to his no-trade protection, yet Houston was one of the five teams that Arenado told the Cardinals front office he was open to joining. The fact that Arenado rejected the earlier trade to Houston seems to have been just a matter of timing, as the offer apparently came just after the Astros dealt Kyle Tucker to the Cubs, and Arenado wanted a bit more time to evaluate the situation. Rather than continue to wait out Arenado’s decision, the Astros instead went out and signed Walker to a three-year, $60MM deal, which seemed to reinforce Walker and Paredes as the team’s new corner infield combo.

Houston was willing to disrupt that new status quo if it meant re-signing its longtime third baseman in Bregman, however, and the same could be true here if the Astros and Cardinals can find common ground on a trade, and if Arenado this time green-lights the proceedings. By the same measure, the Astros were willing to stretch their budget to accommodate Bregman’s return, and the same would have to be true if Arenado’s contract is acquired. Arenado is owed $74MM over the next three seasons, though that number is really $60MM when factoring in deferrals and the $10MM covered by the Rockies as per the terms of the original trade that sent Arenado from Colorado to St. Louis in the 2020-21 offseason.

In the previous trade offer, the Astros would have taken on $40MM-$45MM of Arenado’s still-owed salary, with the Cards eating the rest. It isn’t known if any type of significant prospects might have been included as well, but it could be that Houston was offering just a minimal player return since the Cardinals’ top priority was moving as much of Arenado’s salary as possible off the team’s books. Speculatively speaking, the Astros could be looking to still land Arenado but with the Cardinals absorbing a larger portion of the salary, perhaps leveraging the fact that the Cards are short on alternative options if they want to move Arenado at all.

Trading Arenado and gaining this salary relief has been the chief goal of the St. Louis offseason, yet Arenado’s limited list of suitors left president of baseball operations John Mozeliak without much of a plan B after the Astros trade was nixed. The Red Sox were another team on Arenado’s approval list, but their third base need was met when Boston signed Bregman. As the Cards’ spring camp opened, both Mozeliak and Arenado indicated that a trade now seemed unlikely and Arenado was probably going to start the season in St. Louis, so these late talks with Houston could be a Hail Mary development for both teams.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/cardinals-astros-again-discussing-nolan-arenado-trade.html

 

[St. Louis Cardinals]

Details On Nolan Arenado Trade Talks

For much of the offseason, a Nolan Arenado trade seemed inevitable. But spring training is now rolling along and he’s still a Cardinal. Today, Katie Woo of The Athletic takes an extensive look at the twists and turns of the winter. Many of the details came out over the past few months but the piece also provides some new tidbits and extra context.

Arenado’s no-trade clause was clearly a key part of the offseason narrative and the club’s efforts to trade him. Reports throughout the winter suggested there was a narrow group of clubs he was willing to join, which Woo confirms in her overview. Arenado told president of baseball operations John Mozeliak that he was willing to waive his no-trade for five clubs: the Yankees, Dodgers, Padres, Red Sox and Astros.

The first three clubs on that list never seemed especially interested. The Yankees were focused on Juan Soto at the start of the offseason. After missing out there, they pivoted to getting Max Fried, Devin Williams, Paul Goldschmidt and Cody Bellinger. The Dodgers have Max Muncy at third and didn’t seem keen on a switch. The Padres have Manny Machado at the hot corner. Arenado was reportedly willing to move to a new position but the Friars have budgetary concerns that made a fit tough regardless.

It’s well known by now that the Astros were interested and seemed to have a deal lined up, but Arenado blocked it. Reporting has suggested that Arenado was open to going to Houston but was a bit concerned by the club trading Kyle Tucker and seemingly moving on from Alex Bregman. Woo’s reporting aligns with that framing, with Arenado wanting some time to think about the possibility of becoming an Astro. She writes that he was aware they might move on while he was taking some time to ponder the idea, which is what happened. They quickly signed Christian Walker to cover first base, which effectively locked Isaac Paredes into the third base spot.

That left the Red Sox as the best landing spot for Arenado, with Boston genuinely interested. However, they bolstered their infield by waiting out Bregman and signing him, taking them out of the running for Arenado.

Woo reports that other clubs checked in about Arenado’s availability, including the Royals, Tigers, Mariners and Angels. Those were all sensible on-paper landing spots. The Royals were looking to add a big bat to the lineup and could bump Maikel Garcia to a utility role. The Tigers were involved in the Bregman market, making him a six-figure offer, clearly indicating a willingness to add an established third baseman ahead of prospect Jace Jung. The infield had been a target for the Mariners this winter, who eventually added Donovan Solano and re-signed Jorge Polanco. The Angels were looking to add at third base with Anthony Rendon no longer reliable, eventually signing Yoán Moncada. However, none of those clubs made progress with the Cardinals, as they were informed that Arenado wasn’t interested in waiving his no-trade protection for them.

All of that led to Mozeliak recently declaring that Arenado would stay a Cardinal, suggesting that he would have to change his team preferences in order for a deal to come together. That doesn’t seem likely to come to pass. Arenado has a two-year-old kid and is apparently only open to uprooting his family under very specific circumstances. It’s long been reported that Arenado is primarily motivated by winning but it appears that his off-field circumstances are also playing a notable role in his decision making. “I don’t see myself changing that list ever,” Arenado said. “I have a family now. … To be willing to pick up my family and move them, it has to be something that’s worth it.”

That’s his right as a player with a no-trade clause, though it leaves the Cardinals in an awkward spot. They are doing a reset, trying to turn the franchise away from upgrading the big league roster to a focus more on player development. It’s unclear how long it will take them to make a full-throated attempt at competing again. For now, Arenado is still on the team, which his contract running through 2027. He’ll be 36 years old in the final year of that pact.

It’s possible a trade could come together at the deadline or in another offseason, but it seems it would have to involve a change at one of Arenado’s preferred destinations. Muncy is in the final guaranteed year of his deal, so perhaps a move to the Dodgers for 2026 is possible, though they could keep Muncy around for ’26 via a $10MM club option. Goldschmidt is only on a one-year deal, so the Yankees might have more interest in an infield addition next winter. Bregman could opt out of his Boston deal, though they have a number of infield prospects likely to be coming up this year. Perhaps the Padres would have interest next winter after Luis Arráez, Dylan Cease and Michael King hit free agency, with Robert Suarez having the change to opt-out as well. A significant injury or two could always change the calculus somewhere.

“If something comes up and it makes sense, I’ll certainly get with him and we’ll talk about it,” Mozeliak said over the weekend. “But it’s not something where I’m getting up every morning and chasing the waiver wire or chasing injuries. I think from our fan perspective, from our team perspective, from our perspective, he is a part of the Cardinals.”

It’s an interesting end to an offseason where Mozeliak regarded an Arenado trade as a top priority. The Cards wanted to reduce payroll and open up some playing time for younger players. They could have dropped the payroll in other ways, such as by trading guys like Ryan Helsley or Erick Fedde, but haven’t shown much interest in doing that in the short term. Perhaps the Cardinals will end up being one of the most interesting clubs to watch when the July deadline rolls around, whether Arenado is likely to move or not.

Source: https://www.mlbtraderumors.com/2025/02/details-on-nolan-arenado-trade-talks.html