St. Louis Cardinals News

The Houston Astros have emerged as a serious suitor for St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado, according to multiple league sources. No deal is believed to be imminent, but talks between the two clubs have increased since this week's winter meetings started. The Cardinals have already acknowledged they are trying to trade Arenado, and the Astros' interest in the clearest sign that they aren't planning to re-sign Alex Bregman this offseason. Arenado has a no-trade clause, though, and it's unclear if he'd waive it to join Houston. The veteran third baseman is owed $74 million across the next three years. The 33-year-old is a 10-time Gold Glove winner and an eight-time All-Star. While his defense is still top notch, he continues to dip offensively, as he had a 101 OPS+ with only 16 homers in 2024.

According to Mark Feinsand of MLB Network, St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado would approve of a trade to the New York Yankees. While the Yankees were not on Arenado's six-team wish list, a source told Feinsand that the former Gold Glover would approve of a trade to New York. The Yankees have been rumored to be in the market for a third baseman this offseason, including free agent Alex Bregman. Acquiring a new third baseman, would allow Jazz Chisholm Jr. to shift primarily to the keystone. Arenado saw his power production drop last season, posting a career-low .394 SLG and hitting just 16 home runs. However, he did still hold a strong .272 AVG. If Arenado is traded to the Yankees, fantasy managers should expect him to have prime RBI opportunities batting in a competitive lineup.

St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak recently acknowledged that the team was interested in trading third baseman Nolan Arenado, but with Arenado's full no-trade clause in his contract, the 10-tim Gold Glover would have to approve of any trade. The 33-year-old already has said he would be willing to switch to first base if needed, but now the veteran has reportedly whittled down the list of teams he would rubber-stamp a trade to down to six -- the Dodgers, Padres, Angels, Phillies, Mets, and Red Sox. Perhaps the Phillies and Red Sox make the most sense on that list, but only time will tell. The eight-time All-Star can still play terrific defense, but his offensive numbers have been heading south in St. Louis over the last couple of years. Last season, he hit just 16 home runs and posted a 102 wRC+, both the lowest outputs since his rookie season in 2013 (excluding 2020). If there is some optimism on the offensive side of things, the likely future Hall of Famer's contact rate was near a career-high (84.4%), and his strikeout rate fell two percentage points over the prior season to a well-below-average 14.5%, so he can still put the bat on the ball.

St. Louis Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak acknowledged at this week's winter meetings that the team is interested in trading third baseman Nolan Arenado this offseason. "Ultimately, he's not demanding a trade. He's not telling me I have to do it," Mozeliak said. "But I think in the best interest of both sides, I'd like to find him someplace." However, Arenado has a limited list of teams the Cardinals can trade him to as they look to prioritize playing time for their younger players in 2025. Arenado, though, is open to the idea of joining a contender and is even willing to shift to first base to facilitate a deal. The 34-year-old eight-time All-Star is still one of the best defensive third baseman in the game, but he had a career-worst .719 OPS with 16 homers and 71 RBI in his fourth year in St. Louis. Arenado has been trending down offensively the last three years, but a change of scenery could be good for him.

According to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Dispatch, starting pitching prospect Quinn Mathews will receive a non-roster invite to Spring Training. This is a great sign, as Mathews could have a great opportunity to make the Opening Day roster. The southpaw is considered one of the top pitching prospects in the sport and was named Baseball America's top pitching prospect of the 2024 season. The 24-year-old opened the season with Single-A and eventually progressed all the way up to Triple-A by August. Across all four levels of the St. Louis system, the Stanford product carried a solid 2.76 ERA and a stellar 0.98 WHIP. He struck out an incredible 202 batters across 143 1/3 innings while giving up just 49 free passes. He spent the most time at Double-A, posting a 2.41 ERA and 0.96 WHIP. Given his elite strikeout upside, fantasy managers in deeper formats should pay close attention to Mathews as he may be a popular late-round target in drafts this offseason.

ESPN's Buster Olney writes that the St. Louis Cardinals are working from a limited list of options of third baseman Nolan Arenado's preferred teams as they consider their trade possibilities for the future Hall of Famer. The Cardinals are shifting their plans this offseason with an eye more toward the future while playing most of their youngsters in 2025, so the 33-year-old Arenado is being shopped this winter. Even though he's still one of the best defensive third basemen in the game, Arenado is willing to shift to first base in 2025 to create more roster flexibility for a contending team that might be interesting in acquiring him. Some teams that could make sense for Arenado include the Red Sox, Dodgers, Astros, Yankees, Mariners and Blue Jays. Offensively, Arenado has been on the decline since he came to St. Louis, and he had just 16 homers in 2024. In addition, he had career-worst marks in average exit velocity (86.3 mph), hard-hit rate (31.6%) and barrel rate (3.2%).

As the St. Louis Cardinals transition this offseason, they are focused on letting most of their youngers players play regularly in order to evaluate their roster for the coming seasons. Infielder Nolan Gorman is one such young player set to play regularly in 2025, and the Cardinals would like to see him get close to 600 at-bats next year, according to president of baseball operations John Mozeliak. In addition to Gorman, outfielder Jordan Walker should have a bigger role without the threat of being sent back to the minors. Other young players that should have key roles include Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson, Pedro Pages and Ivan Herrera. Gorman, the 19th overall pick in 2018, regressed in 2024, hitting .203/.271/.400 with a career-low .671 OPS, 19 home runs, 50 RBI and six steals in 107 games. The 24-year-old spent the final five weeks in the minors but should have an everyday role, either at second or third, in 2025.

The St. Louis Cardinals are entering a rebuilding stage this offseason, but teams that have talked to the Cardinals have come away with the impression that they will not trade closer Ryan Helsley. "It's something we will always remain open-minded to, but our plan is to have him be part of our organization," president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said. Helsley is entering his age-30 season and is projected to earn $8.5 million in his final year of arbitration eligibility. His value is as high as it will probably ever be after he saved a league-high 49 games in 53 chances in 2024 on his way to winning the award for best closer in the National League. Helsley also had a strong 2.04 ERA in his 66 1/3 frames. The Cardinals are open to trading third baseman Nolan Arenado, but they aren't expected to go for a full teardown. The Cardinals also aren't considering moving Helsley to their starting rotation.

On Tuesday, the St. Louis Cardinals signed outfielder Ryan Vilade to a minor league contract that also includes a non-roster invitation to spring training. The former second-round pick was drafted by the Rockies back in 2017, briefly debuting with the club in 2021. Since then, the 25-year-old spent time at Triple-A in Pittsburgh and Detroit's farm systems, while making 17 major league appearances for the Tigers in 2024. In 442 Triple-A plate appearances last season, the right-handed hitter slashed .278/.346/.449 with 13 home runs and 20 stolen bases. Without a starting role for the Cardinals though, Vilade is off the fantasy radar for now.

St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado is willing to play first base or less third base to create roster flexibility for a potential new team as the Cardinals contemplate trading him this offseason, according to league sources briefed on the situation. A few teams have expressed interest in Arenado, and talks are likely to intensify with the annual winter meetings approaching in early December. There is growing sense in the industry that the 33-year-old eight-time All-Star will be moved. Arenado has not demanded a trade but was open to the idea when approached by president of baseball operations John Mozeliak as the team shifts its focus to developing their young players in 2025. Arenado will turn 34 in April and has shown signs of offensive decline the last two seasons. However, his defense remains superior. Per sources, Arenado will only waive his full no-trade clause to play for a contender.

In moves made to protect some of their better young prospects from the upcoming Rule 5 draft, the St. Louis Cardinals added right-handers Tink Hence, Tekoah Roby and Matt Svanson and outfielder Matt Koperniak to their 40-man roster on Tuesday. Hence is the team's most decorated prospect, with MLB Pipeline listing him as their No. 2 prospect. Injuries have been a problem for the 22-year-old, but when healthy, he has displayed promising upside on the mound. The former second-round pick in 2020 had a nice 2.71 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, 109 strikeouts and only 26 walks in 79 2/3 innings over 20 starts for Double-A Springfield in 2024. Roby checks in as St. Louis' No. 6 prospect, while Svanson and Koperniak aren't listed among the team's top-30 prospects. All four of the young players cannot be claimed in the Rule 5 draft now by other organizations.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.

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.