Getting a transparent image of the Cardinals’ plans for 2025 has been a little bit of a shifting goal. A number of stories over the previous months indicated the membership was taking a look at a type of reset 12 months, reducing the payroll because it pivots in direction of a give attention to participant growth. As such, it appeared truthful to count on that quite a lot of veteran gamers on the roster can be out there in commerce. In current weeks, that expectation has been softened, one thing that president of baseball operations John Mozeliak mentioned with Katie Woo of The Athletic this week.
“We’ve got each intention of fielding a superb baseball group,” Mozeliak stated. “It’s going to have a special profile, however we nonetheless have plenty of perception that a few of our youthful gamers will take that subsequent step ahead. We’re enthusiastic about what we’ve got. Now, it’s Dec. 5, and issues can occur and issues can change. However we’re nonetheless going into (subsequent season) with optimism that it’ll be a enjoyable baseball group to look at.”
It appears the plan is to stroll a little bit of a positive line. The Playing cards are undoubtedly planning to take their foot of the gasoline pedal a bit, although perhaps to not the diploma that was initially anticipated. All indicators level to the membership spending a bit much less on the 2025 roster, however it may simply do this by being much less aggressive. RosterResource already tasks the membership about $35M under final 12 months’s payroll, so the Playing cards might simply keep away from signings versus actively trying to transfer gamers with notable contracts.
As of some weeks in the past, it appeared truthful to count on gamers like Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, Sonny Grey, Ryan Helsley and others can be out there. Helsley is a superb reliever however is one 12 months away from free company, making it logical for them to discover trades. The opposite three are of their mid-30s and making eight-figure salaries. All of them have no-trade safety, however it was assumed by some that they would favor to be traded to a competitor, slightly than protruding a rebuilding course of.
Nevertheless it was reported final month that Contreras truly wished to remain in St. Louis and didn’t wish to waive his no-trade clause. Since one of many targets of the 2025 season is for the membership to judge gamers together with catchers Iván Herrera and Pedro Pagés, Contreras will probably be moved to first base to interchange free agent Paul Goldschmidt. Although the reporting was a bit much less express with Grey, it appears he additionally had a want to stick with the Playing cards subsequent 12 months.
Latest reporting has additionally instructed that they’ll maintain onto Helsley. They might finally commerce him on the deadline, however there may be some threat there. Helsley might get damage or put up much less spectacular numbers within the first half of 2025. Holding onto him now additionally prevents the buying group from making a qualifying provide after 2025, doubtlessly lowering his commerce worth.
All in all, it appears the plan is to do one thing in between rebuilding and full-throated contending. The Playing cards are going to provide enjoying time to some much less confirmed gamers and hope for some inner developments. Woo lists Nolan Gorman, Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson, Pagés and Herrera as gamers who ought to get lengthy auditions in 2025. That’s notable for Gorman as he appeared to fall out of favor this previous 12 months, getting optioned to the minors with Mozeliak seemingly delivering a harsh evaluation of his state of affairs at the moment.
“Clearly, it’s a sport of manufacturing up right here and sooner or later, you’ve obtained to constantly produce, or we’ve got to seek out somebody who can,” Mozeliak stated in August. “I imply, that’s what it in the end comes all the way down to, and these are laborious messages to listen to. It may be irritating, however that is what finally ends up defining you. With our offensive struggles this 12 months, I feel you possibly can strictly have a look at the shortcoming for constant efficiency, day in and time out.”
It appears a lot has modified since that remark, as Mozeliak now tells Woo that they’re hoping for Gorman to get 600 at-bats subsequent 12 months. He appeared to interrupt out in 2023 with 27 house runs and a robust 11.4% stroll fee, working round a excessive strikeout fee of 31.9%. However his stroll fee fell to eight.5% in 2024 as his strikeout fee climbed even greater to 37.6%, resulting in his aforementioned optioning to the minors.
The Playing cards have just a few of those proficient however unproven gamers and it appears the plan is to provide them an opportunity to step ahead. Walker additionally had a robust 2023 however fell off in 2024. Burleson had a pleasant breakout in 2024 that he’ll attempt to preserve. Nootbaar has been restricted by accidents and nonetheless hasn’t performed 120 video games in a season. Pagés and Herrera have been caught in backup obligation behind Contreras.
The overarching plan then is to proverbially throw these gamers into the deep finish and see how effectively they swim. The Playing cards consider that, with some success from that group and others, they might doubtlessly compete in 2025. That mentality is main them to carry onto gamers like Helsley for now and see how issues go. Relying on how the gamers and the group carry out within the first half of 2025 might then decide subsequent steps.
The massive remaining unknown appears to be Arenado, who appears to be extra open to waiving his no-trade clause than Contreras or Grey, however he hasn’t demanded a commerce and the Cardinals don’t appear hellbent on shifting him. Whether or not he returns to St. Louis in 2025 might maybe rely on what sort of provides are placed on the desk for him. On high of that, gamers like Erick Fedde, Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas are impending free brokers. The membership could also be open to buying and selling them relying on the provides, however like Helsley, they is also retained because the membership tries to see if contending in 2025 is feasible.
