St. Louis Cardinals News

Ryan Helsley  • RP  •  Cardinals

Ryan Helsley Won't Move Into Starting Rotation

The St. Louis Cardinals are not considering moving closer Ryan Helsley into their starting rotation for the 2025 season. Helsley was a starting pitcher as a prospect in the minor leagues, but he has yet to make a start at the major-league with the Cardinals in his six years with the team. He made his second All-Star team in 2024 and was outstanding in the ninth-inning role, posting a league-high 49 saves, a 2.04 ERA (2.41 FIP), 1.10 WHIP, 79 strikeouts and 23 walks in 66 1/3 relief innings. The 30-year-old veteran is entering his final year for salary arbitration, so the Cardinals are reportedly considering dealing him this winter. If Helsley sticks with the Red Birds for the 2025 campaign and in the closer's role, the right-handed reliever will be a high-end fantasy closing option yet again.
4 days ago   
Thomas Saggese  • SS  •  Cardinals

Thomas Saggese Swinging A Hot Bat In Arizona Fall League

St. Louis Cardinals second base prospect Thomas Saggese has been performing exceptionally well in the Arizona Fall League. The No.4 ranked prospect in St. Louis currently boasts an impressive .391/.524/.594 line with seven doubles, two home runs, three swiped bags, and a 16:15 BB:K ratio across 18 games. Last season, Saggese spent most of the summer playing with Triple-A before earning a brief taste of the big leagues. In 125 games with the Memphis Redbirds, the 22-year-old held a solid .253/.313/.438 line with 23 doubles, 20 home runs, and nine stolen bases. In his brief 18-game stint in St. Louis, Saggese posted a .204 AVG with just three extra-base hits. Fantasy managers should continue to monitor his progress over the offseason as he could be a favorite to earn a spot on the Opening Day Roster.
6 days ago   
Nolan Arenado  • 3B  •  Cardinals

Nolan Arenado Could Be On The Trade Block

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado could be on the trade block, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. Arenado is currently under a $74 million dollar contract for the next three seasons. However, after missing the postseason in each of the past two seasons, the Cardinals could be interested in moving off his contract. This past summer, the third baseman saw his power production drop to his second-lowest marks through a full 162-game season. He hit just 16 round-trippers, his lowest since his rookie campaign in 2013. In addition, he held a .272/.325/.394 slash line and swiped two bases. Under the hood, he posted a poor 31.6% hard-hit rate, which was evident in his drop in power. Fantasy managers should still view Arenado as a reliable third baseman for batting-average production but not for power in 2025.
Nov 9   
Iván Herrera  • C  •  Cardinals  |  Pedro Pagés  • C  •  Cardinals

Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages To Split Opportunities Behind The Plate

According to Katie Woo of The Athletic, St. Louis Cardinals catchers Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages are set to split catching duties in 2025. Earlier this week, it was reported that Willson Contreras would be moved to a first base role and see very little catching opportunities. As a result, fantasy managers should expect Herrera and Pages to see the vast majority of starts behind the dish next summer. Last season, Herrera held a solid .300/.372/.428 slash line with five home runs and five stolen bases. Under the hood he boasted a stellar .369 xwOBA. Pages was a much better defender last season and carried a .238/.281/.376 line in the batter's box. Fantasy managers should monitor their progress during Spring Training but Herrera will likely be better target for fantasy purposes given his offensive upside.
Nov 7   
Willson Contreras  • 1B  •  Cardinals

Willson Contreras Will Transition To 1B/DH Role In 2025

St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak stated Wednesday that catcher Willson Contreras will be transitioned to a first base/designated hitter role in 2025. The hope is that the move will keep the 32-year-old healthy and allow him to extend the life of his career. The veteran backstop had a solid season for the time he was on the field in 2024, posting a .262-15-36-48-4 line with a .370 wOBA and 140 wRC+, but played in just 84 games due to varying injuries. He's expected to be ready to go for 2025, and the added positional flexibility should give him some additional value in fantasy leagues.
Nov 7   
Roddery Muñoz  • SP  •  Cardinals

Roddery Munoz Claimed By St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals claimed starting pitcher Roddery Munoz off of waivers. Munoz made his MLB debut last summer with the Miami Marlins. Across 82 2/3 innings of work (17 starts) the 24-year-old struggled with a 6.53 ERA, 1.58 WHIP, with a 42:70 BB:K ratio. In Triple-A last season, Munoz posted a 4.96 ERA and a 1.27 WHIP. Under the hood, the right-hander held a hefty 13.7% barrel rate and 45.0% hard-hit rate which were among the worst marks by qualified pitchers last summer. Fantasy managers should expect Munoz to either serve as a back-end starter or a long relief option in St. Louis but should be left off your fantasy radar given his struggles during his rookie campaign.
Nov 2   
JoJo Romero  • RP  •  Cardinals

JoJo Romero To Start Throwing Program This Week

St. Louis Cardinals left-handed reliever JoJo Romero (forearm) is scheduled to start a throwing program this week. Romero was placed on the 15-day injured list in the last week of the regular season due to left-forearm inflammation. With the 28-year-old southpaw already starting a throwing program before the start of the World Series, he'll have plenty of time to rehab this offseason in order to be ready to go for the start of spring training in mid-February. The former fourth-round pick of the Philadelphia Phillies in 2016 out of Yavapai College made a career-high 65 appearances out of St. Louis' bullpen in 2024 and posted a career-best 3.36 ERA (4.27 FIP), a 1.15 WHIP, one save, a career-high 51 strikeouts and 16 walks in 59 innings pitched. If healthy, he could have another workhorse role in the Cards' bullpen next year.
Oct 23   
Sonny Gray  • SP  •  Cardinals

Sonny Gray Expected To Have Regular Offseason

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray (forearm) is expected to have a regular offseason after he ended the 2024 regular season on the 15-day injured list due to right-forearm flexor tendinitis. The injury only caused Gray to miss his final start of the year. The 34-year-old veteran and three-time All-Star finished his first season with the Cardinals with a 13-9 record, 3.84 ERA (3.12 FIP), a 1.09 WHIP and a 203:39 K:BB in 166 1/3 innings over his 28 starts. It was only the second time in Gray's career that he had 200-plus strikeouts. He was the runner-up for the American League Cy Young in 2023 while pitching with the Minnesota Twins, but he improved to a 30.3% strikeout rate and a career-best 5.8% walk rate in St. Louis. Gray has above-average control, but fantasy managers shouldn't be banking on another 30% strikeout rate in 2025.
Oct 23   
Masyn Winn  • SS  •  Cardinals

Masyn Winn Has Cyst Removed

St. Louis Cardinals shortstop Masyn Winn (hand) had surgery to remove a cyst from his hand at the end of the 2024 regular season at the end of September, and it isn't expected to impact his offseason training. Winn is heading into his third MLB season in 2025 after slashing .267/.314/.416 with a .730 OPS, 15 home runs, 57 RBI, 11 stolen bases and 85 runs scored in 637 plate appearances over 150 games played in his first full big-league campaign. The 22-year-old is the future at the position in St. Louis and is a superior athlete with strong bat-to-ball contact skills and a strong arm at shortstop. Winn has superior bat speed as well, but so far early in his career it hasn't led to a ton of power. As he matures, hopefully Winn can provide more power and speed for fantasy managers as he heads into his second full season in MLB.
Oct 23   
Michael McGreevy  • SP  •  Cardinals

Michael McGreevy Shines In Season Finale

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Michael McGreevy was excellent against the San Francisco Giants on Sunday, going eight innings and allowing just one run in a 6-1 win. McGreevy continued to impress in this one, allowing just five hits and walking none while punching out six. The 24-year-old now has a 1.96 ERA and 0.78 WHIP in a limited sample size of 23 IP. While he has been great in the majors, his minor-league stats are pretty mediocre. If nothing else, McGreevy has at least given himself a chance to aim for a rotation spot in Spring Training next year.
Sep 30   
Nolan Arenado  • 3B  •  Cardinals

Nolan Arenado Sitting On Saturday

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is not in Saturday's lineup as the Cardinals continue a series against the San Francisco Giants. Arenado got a day off on Thursday and will now get his second rest day of the week. Throughout his past 11 games, the 33-year-old has carried a strong .357/.404/.405 line with two doubles and five RBI. As a result, 22-year-old Thomas Saggese will get the nod at the hot corner and bat in the seven-hole. Arenado has enjoyed another solid campaign holding a .277/.325/.394 line with 16 home runs and two stolen bases. Saggese is worth a look in DFS this afternoon as he will face San Francisco right-hander Tristian Beck who should not be expected to last long in this start as he typically only logs two innings in each outing.
Sep 28   
Victor Scott II  • CF  •  Cardinals

Victor Scott II Optioned To Triple-A Memphis

St. Louis Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott II was optioned to Triple-A Memphis on Friday. As part of the move, first baseman Luken Baker was reinstated from the paternity list. Scott was very unimpressive in his 2024 season, hitting for just a 40 OPS+ in 145 AB. The 23-year-old did start to perform better once called up in August but ultimately performed below league average at the plate. Though his 2024 debut at the major league level did not go the way he wanted, he should still compete for a roster spot in 2025 given his sprint speed and outfield range may warrant playing time if the Cardinals' outfield goes through injury issues as it did in 2024. Baker has performed well in limited appearances in 2024, hitting for a .737 OPS in 46 PA. Should Baker make any starts to finish the season, he may make an interesting DFS option.
Sep 28   
Michael Siani  • CF  •  Cardinals  |  Alec Burleson  • RF  •  Cardinals

Alec Burleson, Michael Siani Sitting On Thursday

St. Louis Cardinals outfielders Alec Burleson and Michael Siani are both out of the lineup for Thursday's series finale at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies and left-hander Kyle Freeland. Ivan Herrera is serving as the designated hitter and is batting cleanup, while Victor Scott II is in center field and in the nine-hole against Freeland. Burleson will head to the bench again for the second straight day with a lefty on the mound. The 25-year-old hasn't started against a southpaw since Aug. 6 and came into the day hitting .196 (26-for-133) against them with only three of his 21 homers on the season. Herrera will be a popular DFS sleeper on Thursday at Coors Field against a lefty. The 24-year-old Panamanian catcher is batting .297 on the year with one of his four long balls coming against a southpaw. Siani takes a seat after starting in each of the first two games in Colorado.
Sep 26   
Nolan Arenado  • 3B  •  Cardinals  |  Brendan Donovan  • LF  •  Cardinals

Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan Absent Against Rockies

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado and infielder/outfielder Brendan Donovan will both retreat to the bench for Thursday's series finale at Coors Field against the Colorado Rockies. Jose Fermin is handling the hot corner and batting eighth, while rookie Thomas Saggese starts at second base and is hitting sixth against Rockies left-hander Kyle Freeland. Neither Fermin nor Saggese have ever faced Freeland in their careers. Donovan will get the day off after starting in each of the team's last 12 games. Fermin has done little at the plate in 63 at-bats this year, going 9-for-63 (.143) with no homers, three RBI and two stolen bases. Saggese, meanwhile, was recently called up for the first time and has gone 8-for-38 (.211) with a homer, two doubles and four RBI in his first 14 major-league games for the Red Birds.
Sep 26   
Erick Fedde  • SP  •  Cardinals

Erick Fedde Fans 10 Batters In Ninth Win

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Erick Fedde capped off his comeback season in dominant fashion in Wednesday's 5-2 victory over the Rockies, scattering six hits and one walk across seven innings while striking out 10 batters on the way to earning his ninth win of the 2024 campaign. With the Cardinals eliminated from playoff contention, Fedde finishes the season with a 9-9 record between Chicago and St. Louis, posting career-bests in ERA (3.38; 4.29 SIERA), WHIP (1.17), opponent batting average (.229), and total strikeouts (144). Fedde spent 2023 in the KBO with positive results, parlaying that success into a strong 2024 MLB season. The 31-year-old will look to keep rolling next season and should begin the year with a much more formidable offense behind him than he did when he began 2024 with the White Sox.
Sep 26   
Andre Pallante  • SP  •  Cardinals

Andre Pallante Continues To Pitch Well

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Andre Pallante was terrific on Sunday, tossing seven innings of one-run ball against the Cleveland Guardians en route to a 2-1 win. Pallante allowed just one hit and two walks while recording four punchouts. The 26-year-old has been a little inconsistent on a start-to-start basis, but his overall numbers are solid. He owns a 3.71 ERA and 1.30 WHIP with 90 strikeouts in 116 IP this year. Although he will likely run a high WHIP with his groundball profile, he could also manage to keep runs off the board if he can keep the walks down. He should have a shot at a rotation spot with St. Louis next year and could be a decent deep league option if he can nab it.
Sep 23   
Sonny Gray  • SP  •  Cardinals

Sonny Gray Placed On 15-Day IL, Season Officially Over

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (forearm) was placed on the 15-day IL on Saturday with right forearm flexor tendinitis, officially ending his 2024 season. Gray stated that he received an MRI yesterday and that, "things are fine," however the decision to place him on the IL revolved more around the fact that the Cardinals' season is essentially over with them being eliminated from playoff contention. As part of the move, the Cardinals recalled RHP Kyle Leahy from Triple-A Memphis. Leahy has spent a bit of time at the major league level with the Cardinals this season, pitching in 47 innings and posting a 4.02 ERA. Fantasy managers in need of relief pitching help to finish the season may want to look his way. As for Gray, Cardinals fans and fantasy managers alike will have to wait for 2025 to see the 34-year-old pitch again.
Sep 21   
Sonny Gray  • SP  •  Cardinals

Sonny Gray Dealing With Soreness

St. Louis Cardinals right-hander Sonny Gray's (undisclosed) final start of the 2024 season is in jeopardy after he said he pitched through "lingering" soreness during his last start on Wednesday against the Pittsburgh Pirates, when he allowed four earned runs on nine hits while walking none and striking out eight in 5 2/3 innings for a no-decision. It's unclear where exactly Gray's soreness is, but it puts his final start in jeopardy next week. We won't know for sure whether the 34-year-old will make his final start until after he attempts to throw a bullpen session this weekend. If Gray feels better during his bullpen session this weekend, his final start of the year would come next week at hitter-friendly Coors Field against the last-place Colorado Rockies. Gray hasn't been nearly as good as he was last year in Minnesota in his first year in St. Louis, posting a 3.84 ERA and 1.09 WHIP with 203 K's in 28 starts.
Sep 20   
Lance Lynn  • SP  •  Cardinals

Lance Lynn Hits 15-Day IL, Done For The Season

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Lance Lynn (knee) was placed on the 15-day IL earlier on Wednesday due to right knee inflation and will be sidelined for the remainder of the 2024 season. In a corresponding move, the Cardinals promoted their No.10 ranked prospect, Michael McGreevy, from Triple-A Memphis. Through his first season in St. Louis, the 37-year-old held a 3.84 ERA and a 1.34 WHIP with a 44:109 BB:K ratio. After struggling through the first half of the summer with a 4.96 ERA, Lynn settled down in the second half with a much-improved 1.29 ERA. McGreevy made one appearance in the big leagues earlier this summer, back in July, where he tossed seven innings of one-run ball. Fantasy managers should pay close attention to how McGreevy performs over the final week of the season as he could contend for a spot in the rotation next spring.
Sep 18   
Michael McGreevy  • SP  •  Cardinals

Michael McGreevy Set To Join Major-League Roster

St. Louis Cardinals starting pitching prospect Michael McGreevy is set to join the major league roster this afternoon, according to Katie Woo of The Athletic. McGreevy got a brief taste of the major leagues earlier this summer as he allowed just one run across seven innings. At Triple-A this season, the No.10 ranked prospect in the St. Louis system has held a 4.02 ERA and a 1.31 WHIP through 150 innings of work. Woo further reported that the prospect is expected to be deployed in a long relief role for now but could eventually find his way into the starting rotation over the final week of the season. McGreevy could be a favorable streaming candidate if he were to make a start next week.
Sep 18   
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