Cardinals enter pivotal winter with uncertain roster, free-agent strategy
It took less than a day after the end of the World Series for official transactions to begin rolling across the MLB landscape.
As the St. Louis Cardinals face another season with uncertain competitive aspirations, the shifting labor landscape may well factor into several of their decisions — or those available to them — this winter.
This summer’s trade deadline activity meant Miles Mikolas was the only player remaining on the roster destined for big league free agency, leaving a crowded roster still in need of improvement. Mikolas’ departure opens a spot on the 40-man roster that can be filled, at least in the short term, by left-hander Zack Thompson, who spent the entire season on the 60-day injured list with a lat strain that developed into stubborn shoulder trouble.
Whether Thompson will even be re-added to the roster — rather than getting caught up in what is sure to be significant roster churn — remains to be seen. With little space available, protecting players from the Rule 5 draft becomes a real challenge, especially considering the number and quality of players who must be added.
Among that group is Leonardo Bernal, who was announced Sunday as the Gold Glove winner among all minor league catchers. Blaze Jordan, acquired at the trade deadline for Steven Matz; minor league utility ace Bryan Torres; and outfielder Josh Baez, who had a breakout season for Double-A Springfield, are also candidates. Baez’s performance put him immediately on track to vault to the top of the team’s prospect rankings.
Left-hander Brycen Mautz followed a similar trajectory to Baez, but from the mound, making his addition to the roster also seem like a no-brainer. The team’s first-round pick in 2022, Cooper Hjerpe, also requires protection, despite undergoing Tommy John surgery last summer — a procedure that will likely cause him to miss all, or most, of the 2026 season.
Hjerpe could join Sem Robberse and Tekoah Roby as players occupying 40-man spots who will be medically unable to contribute to the Cardinals for all, or nearly all, of next season.
Even after this first round of additions, a number of intriguing players would remain exposed. Right-hander Max Rajcic, a former minor league pitcher of the year; left-hander Pete Hansen, a bounce-back performer for Springfield; right-handers Randel Clemente and Darlin Saladin, who pitched in the Arizona Fall League; and right-hander Austin Love, who finally got healthy and showed potential as a bullpen weapon, are some examples. Not all of those players will be protected, and, without natural roster attrition, some creativity will be required.
There is, of course, an ability to remove some redundancies currently on the roster.
Catcher Yohel Pozo had some big moments as a backup for St. Louis this season, and the team would welcome him back on a minor league deal. However, he is likely to be sent through outright waivers to clear a spot. The same goes for left-handed relievers Nick Raquet and Anthony Veneziano, who provided depth down the stretch but perhaps not enough to secure their places through the winter.
Infielder José Fermín used his last minor league option this season, and that lack of flexibility could jeopardize his roster spot, especially since the Cardinals added César Prieto to the roster down the stretch. Outfielder Michael Siani, one of the top defenders in the big leagues in 2024, is also a likely casualty, as Victor Scott II has secured center field for 2025 with Nathan Church rising behind him; all three hit left-handed.
The non-tender deadline provides another opportunity for the Cardinals to make cuts.
Right-hander Jorge Alcala was hit hard down the stretch and is projected by MLB Trade Rumors to earn more than $2 million in his final year of arbitration. Left-hander John King is in a similar situation. Either or both veteran relievers could opt to sign extensions for less than their expected arbitration awards if they are not confident of finding a better deal on the open market.
President of Baseball Operations Chaim Bloom has said the Cardinals expect to pursue pitching on the free-agent market, and a short-term deal for a starter appears to be an obvious path. However, that market may be impacted by coming labor uncertainty.
It has not been uncommon for players who fail to find the multi-year deal they seek to sign short-term contracts with rebuilding teams such as the Cardinals, hoping to re-establish their value and perhaps be traded to contenders at the deadline — giving themselves a second chance later. Former Cardinal Jack Flaherty, for instance, has followed that path in each of the past two seasons, signing one-year deals with Detroit each time.
With teams and players both anticipating a potential labor stoppage ahead of the 2027 season, there may be less appetite this winter for taking such risks. Players are generally averse to entering a stoppage without certainty about their destination when it ends. The Cardinals signed Steven Matz in the days before the 2021-22 lockout, in part because Matz was eager to have his deal finalized before the market froze, despite that winter involving relatively few changes to the game’s core economics.
If there is real concern about the implementation of a salary cap or other fundamental changes to baseball’s pay structure, players may choose to grab what they can in the interim — even if it is less than they had hoped for.
Should that situation arise, the Cardinals may find themselves scrambling for even less appealing short-term options. They are not expected to play at the top of the market this winter, and without doing so, will be forced to remain opportunistic.
For his first winter on the job, Bloom does not lack for necessary moves that will define the short-term roster alignment.
The longer term, ideally from the team’s perspective, will be addressed internally, but that will require retaining players the team has developed. Significant roster cleanup will accompany that task.