St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are going to look a lot different in 2025. Nolan Arenado, Sonny Gray, and Ryan Helsley have been the most talked about trade options. No one seems safe on the roster and other players like Jordan Walker and Brendan Donovan have been speculated about in different capacities. The Cardinals seemingly are open for business and anything can happen.

The St. Louis Cardinals seem to be okay with letting an All-Star walk this winter. Star slugger Paul Goldschmidt has been manning first base for St. Louis since 2019. Over that stretch, he racked up two All-Star nods and was named the 2022 National League Most Valuable Player. In reality, it's probably the right time to move on from Goldschmidt.

The St. Louis Cardinals could part ways with several fan favorites this offseason as the front office looks for ways to trim payroll and open roster room for youngsters. Lance Lynn, Kyle Gibson and Keynan Middleton are off the books for 2025 after the three veteran hurlers' club options were declined, making them free agents. Another notable name who is no longer on the Cardinals payroll could be a frequent visitor to Busch Stadium next season if the following transaction takes place. "The Cardinals might not want (Paul) Goldschmidt to end up in Arizona (Diamondbacks) but at least he'd be out of the National League Central with limited attempts of doing damage against his former club," FanSided's Zachary Rotman wrote on Nov. 12 when discussing potential landing destinations for the St. Louis first baseman.

The St. Louis Cardinals aim to decrease payroll this winter by shopping several notable players' contracts, most likely to big-market teams. Maximizing trade value will be crucial for Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak as he prepares to trade several fan favorites. "Yankees receive: third baseman Nolan Arenado, outfielder Lars Nootbar and relief pitcher Ryan Fernandez - Cardinals receive outfielder Jasson Dominguez," Newsweek's Matt Musico wrote Wednesday.

The St. Louis Cardinals are open for business and that means that trade chatter is only going to increase. Each day, there are more and more reports and speculative talking points about what St. Louis is going to do. The qualifying offer deadline just passed on Tuesday, and that could start to lead to some movement in the coming weeks. St. Louis didn't have to worry about it as it didn't offer anyone the qualifying offer.

The Philadelphia Phillies are one of the more intriguing teams early in the MLB offseason. Looking at what they need to do this winter, the Phillies should be targeting more offensive production in the outfield and potentially an elite closer. Carlos Estevez is a free agent and could very well end up leaving Philadelphia. Could Philadelphia consider pursuing a trade with the St. Louis Cardinals to bring in a new long-term closer?

It would be an absolute shock if the St. Louis Cardinals handed out a large deal this winter. St. Louis has been in the news lately as it has been reported that it is looking to cut down the roster and build for the future. The Cardinals are going to have a transition year in 2025 in John Mozeliak's final year as the team's president of baseball operations. Chaim Bloom will take over the organization after the season.

They will be expected to take major developmental leaps forward, or at least, will the Redbirds decide if they should still be considered major pieces of the future.

The St. Louis Cardinals missed the postseason in 2024. "While Luke Weaver emerged as an important bullpen piece for the Yankees last year, losing Holmes, Hill, Kahnle, Trivino, and Loaisiga all at once will have a major impact on their relief core," wrote Jacobs.

Fossas finished his pitching career with a 3.90 ERA.

Masyn Winn, a young standout who claimed the St. Louis Cardinals' starting shortstop role last season, was shut out in this year's Rookie of the Year voting.

The St. Louis Cardinals front office has been busy this offseason scheming ways to lower payroll heading into 2025, a season expected to be led by the club's young talent core. If the postseason for 2025 is off the table, then trading assets with high market value could pay dividends for the franchise's future. Unfortunately for Cardinals fans, a beloved hurler will likely be traded this winter to provide the rebuilding organization with solid investments. "The standout closer (Ryan) Helsley may be the most appealing trade chit the Cardinals have right now, and the expectation is that he will indeed be swapped this offseason," CBS Sports' Dayn Perry wrote Tuesday morning when discussing St. Louis' offseason agenda.

The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to be active in the trade market this winter as the front office looks to reduce payroll and open opportunities for the club's young talent core. Following three-time All-Star Willson Contreras and ace Sonny Gray's decisions to invoke their no-trade clause for 2025, the Cardinals aren't left with many options to decrease payroll significantly. Fortunately for Cardinals chairman Bill DeWitt Jr.'s wallet, a St. Louis fan favorite signed to an expensive contract remains on the trade block and the Houston Astros might be a suitor.

The St. Louis Cardinals likely won't be making any splashy additions to the organization this winter. St. Louis will need to add to the organization in some capacity, especially as it starts to cut ties with expensive veterans. The Cardinals likely will add some short-term money to the books this winter that doesn't extend beyond the 2025 season. The Belleville News-Democrat's Jeff Jones put together an intriguing list of three players that could make sense for St. Louis and fit within its budget.

The pool will grow with Friday’s non-tender deadline, but here are a few that fit the bill as of today.

The Baltimore Orioles were unable to make a deep run in the postseason but the team could try to make a big-time trade to have better results in 2025. "Unfortunately for the Cardinals, it's highly unlikely that the Orioles will want to trade top prospect Coby Mayo," wrote Bishop.

The St. Louis Cardinals missed the postseason in 2024. They could be headed for a rebuild which means they could trade some of their star players for young talent. FanSided's Curt Bishop proposed this blockbuster trade that sends Ryan Helsley to the Boston Red Sox: Cardinals receive: right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts, infielder Chase Meidroth and shortstop Nazzan Zanatello Red Sox receive: right-handed pitcher Ryan Helsley "The Cardinals do have some pitchers that are almost Major League ready, but they could stand to add at least one more," wrote Bishop. "Fitts was Boston's No. 13 ranked prospect in 2024. He made his debut late in the season and posted a 1.74 ERA in his four starts." Fitts

The St. Louis Cardinals could be in for a long 2025 season. After barely breaking .500 in the 2024 campaign, the team finished 10 games back from the division-leading Milwaukee Brewers and now appear poised for a rebuilding process. “Instead of pursuing free agents the club feels can bring it closer to a 12th World Series title, St. Louis will likely spend the bulk of its offseason unloading accomplished veterans — an almost unheard-of prospect in Cards Country,” John Denton reported for MLB.com. The only question seems to be how quickly the Cardinals can get back into contention.

The St. Louis Cardinals are looking to get younger and cheaper by trading away some big contracts this winter but are finding that to be a difficult task. St. Louis, a team that prides itself as one of the most successful in Major League Baseball, has not been much of a factor in the postseason since being swept out of the 2019 National League Championship Series by the eventual World Series champion Washington Nationals. The Cardinals rebounded to an extent in 2024, going 83-79 and finishing second in the NL Central after an awful 71-91 last-place finish the year before. Now stuck with a bloated payroll, seemingly adrift, and in search of an identity, the Cardinals have indicated that the organization will engage in a full-blown "reboot," according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale.

The San Diego Padres and St. Louis Cardinals couldn't be any more different as far as trajectory goes. St. Louis wrapped up 2024 with 83 wins, landing in a tie for second in the NL Central but falling short of a playoff spot while San Diego earned a Wild Card berth and pushed the eventual World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers to the brink of elimination in the National League Division Series. The Cardinals showed modest progress compared to their dismal 2023 campaign but the improvements were limited and aren't expected to be much better in 2025.

The St. Louis Cardinals are set to rebuild after missing the postseason for the second consecutive year. The Kansas City Royals on the other hand are in prime position to contend in the next few years and may seek some help from the Cardinals to supplement their roster. Jacob Milham of FanSided proposed the idea of Kansas City trying to trade for Brendan Donovan.

Jake Mintz and Jordan Shusterman are joined by ESPN MLB Insider Jeff Passan as they discuss which teams intrigue them the most this offseason before making their picks for The Good, The Bad & The Uggla.

Kansas City Royals' have announced that single game tickets will go on sale starting Friday.

Two pitchers, both rated among their top prospects, will likely be on that list.

The St. Louis Cardinals have finalized a deal with Diamond Sports Group to broadcast local games through FanDuel Sports Network, an arrangement though which the team also intends to offer its first direct-to-consumer streaming option for fans.

Matt Arnold, 45, became the first Brewers front-office member to be named MLB's executive of the year on Monday.

The Major League Baseball team looks to shed veteran stars.

This was Chapman’s first Gold Glove in the National League. He won three with Oakland and one playing for Toronto.

When the Los Angeles Dodgers took home their eighth World Series trophy this week, pitcher Gavin Stone joined a long list of baseball players from the Natural State who have been on a team that has won the World Series.

This is coming from a Cardinals fan...

St. Louis Cardinals last year, World Series champs this year: Tommy Edman and Jack Flaherty.

Fun fact: Two popular Redbirds legends are managing prospects in the Dominican Winter League.

The New York Yankees hope to tighten their grip on the history books with a chance at a 28th World Series title, when they make their first trip to the Fall Classic in 15 years against the Los Angeles Dodgers beginning on Friday. The Bronx Bombers long ago claimed the record for most World Series wins by a laughable margin, with the St. Louis Cardinals claiming the second-most with 11, understandably earning the nickname the "Evil Empire" from fans of rival teams across Major League Baseball. Johnny Damon, the outfielder who helped the Yankees to their most recent win in 2009, told Reuters that while the 15-year title drought hardly threatened their legacy, this year's run to the World Series will be steeped in suspense.

“Ultimately,” Mozeliak added, “the direction we’re going is it’s going to be creating a lot of opportunity for some of our younger players.”

Jon Jay, a 2011 World Series champion as an outfielder with the St. Louis Cardinals, will reportedly return to the franchise in a coaching role in 2025.