He grew up mimicking Yadier Molina. Now he's shaping next generation of Cardinals catchers
JUPITER, Fla. — Nudged awake after a long ride back on the Cardinals’ team bus from a spring training loss, Ethan Goforth tried to make sense of what he just heard. This day had been a fantasy for him, right down to playing catch with Yadier Molina, and now one of the team’s trainers told him that the manager, Tony La Russa, needed to see him in his office.
Goforth was all of 9, maybe 10 years old.
“Oh boy,†Goforth recalled thinking. “So, I’m walking in there, tail tucked between my legs as you can imagine and he told me, â€کListen, you can’t fall asleep on the bus after a loss. That’s not acceptable.’â€
Hours earlier, Goforth had helped coach Jose Oquendo hit fungoes — he’s got the photo saved to his phone to prove it — and met his favorite big-league catcher, nine-time Rawlings Gold Glove Award-winner Molina. Goforth called the experience “a dream come true. It was Disneyland for me.†But he’d been caught, asleep on the bus, after a loss. A grin started to give away the manager’s joke, and eventually Goforth learned he’d been set up by La Russa and a family friend, trainer Barry Weinberg, who hosted the young fan’s visit to Cardinals spring training.
New minor-league catching coordinator Ethan Goforth, seen here laughing with one of the Cardinals' top catching prospects, Leonardo Bernal, was hired to help shape a new role within player development.آ
During a job interview this winter on Zoom, Goforth retold that story. As if to amplify the impact of that day, he turned his computer to show the Cardinals jersey hanging nearby.
The two interviewees were Cardinals officials looking for a catching coordinator.
They had their guy.
“One of those cool moments, but his experience is why we brought him here,†said Rob Cerfolio, the Cardinals’ first-year assistant general manager in charge of player development and performance. “What he brought was, â€کHere is my vision. Here is what I would bring to my role here. Here are the things that I think matter most.’ He could talk high-level, technical details and then zoom all the way and spotlight something as if I was a player or a catcher working with him. He had the ability to walk all parts of the spectrum.â€
Goforth, 27, is in his first spring training as the Cardinals’ minor-league catching coordinator, a new role for the organization and part of the initiative to invest in player development and expand the staff. His colleagues call him “Go-Go†and his charges are a group of highly touted catching prospects. The Cardinals have three catchers in their top 12 per Baseball America, four in their top 30. For context, BA’s same rankings include six outfielders and two shortstops.
Include the two young catchers the Cardinals will have in the majors — Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages — the depth of catching potential is among the best, per evaluators. It has upside with reigning Texas League MVP Jimmy Crooks, Arizona Fall League alum Leonardo Bernal, and 18-year-old, .345-hitter Rainiel Rodriguez. It could be the defining position for this new era of Cardinals player development, and it has a dedicated coach.
“There is no position on the field that impacts everything on every pitch quite like a catcher,†Cerfolio said. “What an awesome privilege to have a bunch of catchers in this organization who we help the group. Lucky we have Go-Go.â€
Goforth’s new job bases him in Jupiter, at home where he first met Molina. Wristbands and batting gloves from the catcher are still on display at Goforth’s college place, where his brother now lives. A photo of Molina is still beside his childhood bed at his parents’ house, he said. He grew up admiring and mimicking Molina and then becoming a pro himself, and now Goforth is in charge of shaping and improving the catchers who will follow Molina behind the plate in أغر؟´«أ½.
“It was a very enticing opportunity because there has been a standard of elite catching in the Cardinals organization for a very long time, and now living up to that standard is the goal,†Goforth said. “Continuing the foundation that has been set of elite catching and catching development and then having that fandom as a kid, the personal connection with Barry — all the stars aligned.â€
Not without a lot of preparation.
In the years since he stood in La Russa’s office, Goforth threw himself into catching and coaching. He was the catcher and team captain at Carson-Newman University, where one of the leading teachers of catching, Tom Griffin, is head coach. Goforth’s father was a longtime sports medicine leader in Virginia Tech’s athletics department, and through Michael Goforth his son met Weinberg, visited the Cardinals, and was surrounded by coaches. Ethan would finish his practice and then go help his dad coach his younger brother’s team. Drafted by Pittsburgh in 2019, Goforth caught his last pro game in 2021 and moved into coaching, overseeing game-plan instruction and baserunning.
He managed two years in the Dominican Republic for the Pirates’ summer league. His resume grew quickly, exponentially. He’s bilingual. It’s possible to call up YouTube and watch him speak at length about “navigating the intersection of analytics and catcher development.â€
Ask Cardinals major-league catching coach Jamie Pogue about Goforth.
Or rather Pogue how he should be asked about his new colleague.
“Rephrase the question to say, â€کHow would you describe Ethan Goforth?’†Pogue said. “Rockstar. That is the easiest way. He’s a rockstar.â€
For the first time many years, the Cardinals have a coach specifically for catchers on the backfields of minor-league camp. Celebrated coach Dave Ricketts, who helped establish catcher training for the Cardinals and was a father figure for Molina, would roam back there. As part of his big-league duties, Pogue would gather all the catchers in camp for drills early in the morning inside the batting cages. Goforth suggested they bring them outside to the bullpen. With an additional coach, the Cardinals didn’t have to cluster a few catchers in one corner of the cage and another group in the opposite corner. They could all be spread out together at the bullpens.
Instead of one machine going for drills, Goforth and Pogue have three.
“We’re getting more done in less time and better,†Pogue said. “I’ll give him full credit for that.â€
Goforth and Pogue are also putting together a library of drills for catchers on video that all coaches at all levels will be able to access. The videos are taken from two perspectives — of the catcher and the coach. The idea is to give coaches and catchers a resource for training when Goforth isn’t visiting the level or a catching coach isn’t present. The videos are scheduled to launch with the season. Goforth is also putting together a curriculum that establishes clear goals for catchers at each level as they advance. Those requirements will include game-planning, working with the pitcher, and all the on-field actions of framing, blocking, and throwing.
The goals will be level-specific but universally coordinated. If a catcher is in Class A the expectations for game-planning will be introductory, but in Class AAA it will be, fittingly, closer to the major-league process and at all levels in the same lingo. Some of the scouting reports used regularly in the majors weren’t available at Triple-A until recently, limiting how prepared prospects could be when they arrived.
“I think over the past 10 years, it has been the position that has evolved the most,†Goforth said. “Whether it’s one-knee down stance, whether it’s receiving metrics, there has been such an evolution in that time and it’s continuing to evolve. Keeping a really high level of catching development as the catching position evolves is the goal, wherever it goes.
“Using some technology to video and provide the catcher some immediate feedback on what they’re doing when they’re catching the ball,†he continued. “And then just trying to measure what we want to be good at. Make sure where they stand and can set plans around it.â€
On order for each level is a variety of training mitts, too.
There is a smaller one for framing and blocking. There are oversized mitts to help work on transfers when patrolling the basepaths or becoming comfortable with a new framing style. There are mitts with a net where the pocket usually is — to help with receiving.
As they readied for a recent round of bullpen sessions, Goforth got deep into conversation with several young catchers about how they position their fingers inside the mitt — both for protection as well as control.
Goforth said he has no form-fitting style to catching.
He and the Cardinals are open to whatever stance the catcher finds comfortable.
“What does this guy do really well? How do we accent that?†Cerfolio said. “It’s like pitching. There is no wrong delivery. We know that receiving, blocking, throwing, and game-calling are important pillars of catching and each guy is going to be awesome in those categories differently. Having an adaptable program is huge.â€
Outside the same building he visited as a kid, Goforth was 9, maybe 10 minutes into describing that program when his mobile phone rang. It was another call from Pogue, not to come into the office but not too far from the same office La Russa cautioned a young aspiring catcher about napping.
“Obviously at the time I really started to understand and become a fan of baseball was a pretty good time to be a Cardinals fan,†Goforth said. “This is pretty full circle to be here now.â€
Worthy: Being too good for the Cardinals bench may get Victor Scott II a ticket to the minors
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — It’s got to be a terribly bitter pill to swallow, being too good to be in the big leagues. That’s a weird scenario to even imagine, but it does happen in baseball. It could unfold with Cardinals outfielder very soon.
How? Well, it’s that damned if you do damned if you don’t predicament of being a young, up and coming player. Because the higher ups in the organization feel like the best thing for your future is to play every day and not serve in a limited role in the majors, you get stuck back in the minors where you can play each day.
If Scott finds himself in that situation, it won’t be because he made it easy for the Cardinals to leave him off the big-league roster. Through 13 spring training games, Scott has batted .371 with a .476 on-base percentage and a .657 slugging percentage. He’d has also stole five bases in seven attempts, and he played all three outfield positions.
Cardinals outfielder Victor Scott II fields a ground ball during workouts on Wednesday, Feb. 12, 2025, at the team’s practice facility in Jupiter, Fla.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
“He’s had a really good spring, and he’s taken some really good at-bats,†Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said of Scott on Monday. “Left on left, he’s taken some good at-bats. Yeah, he just continues to, every day, find a way to get better.
“That’s been the goal, just be a better version of yourself every single day. And he’s taken that to heart — defensively with (outfield coach Jon) Jay, offensively with (hitting coach Brant Brown) and his group. It’s been a good process for him, and he’s taken full advantage of it.â€
In light of that, I asked Marmol if that makes it tough to make roster decisions that are based on what’s best for the future of both the player and the team.
“Any time you’re making a decision on guys a lot more goes into play than just — to your point — performance,†Marmol replied. “You have to weigh all of it and make sure you’re making the right decision for the player, for the rest of the players involved, and then for the long-term of the org.
“Some of what you mention and more goes into making those decisions.â€
A quick recap of the potential playing time logjam: Nolan Gorman, who the Cardinals have said they want to get 500 at-bats or more, will likely see most of his time at second base because Nolan Arenado is still the club’s starting third baseman. That means Brendan Donovan joins Lars Nootbaar and Jordan Walker as everyday players likely to fill the outfield spots on a regular basis. That likely means Nootbaar playing center field, where he started Tuesday’s exhibition game.
So that leaves the fourth outfielder spot, but that player isn’t all that likely to get regular starts. The Cardinals certainly seem more inclined to let Scott play regularly at Triple-A than serve in a part-time role in the majors.
What does Scott think about the idea that performing too well could keep him in the minors?
The Cardinals' Victor Scott II bats in the second inning of a spring training game against the Astros on Sunday, Feb. 23, 2025, in Jupiter, Fla.
Jeff Roberson, Associated Press
“I haven’t really let it enter my mind,†Scott said after he went 2 for 4 with a home run against the Washington Nationals on Tuesday. “I’ve just been going out there and putting my best foot forward and saying I’m just working hard and being able to show up every day and say I’m an everyday big leaguer.â€
Last season, Scott began the 2023 season at High-A, finished that season at Double-A and then found himself on the Opening Day roster in the majors in 2024 after Dylan Carlson got injured at the end of spring training.
The results for Scott weren’t stellar for in the big leagues. He slashed .179/.219/.283 in 53 games. He spent most of the season in Triple-A. His offensive numbers lagged there as well (.210/.294/.303), but he made a swing adjustment late in the season that helped. He returned to the majors for his final 32 games of 2024, and slashed .244/.278/.384.
During the offseason, Scott started working out at the Cardinals’ Florida complex in November. He researched and watched film of former star players to pick up what he could about bunting, hitting, baserunning and defense from greats like Brett Butler, Rod Carew, Tony Gwynn, Willie McGee and Vince Coleman.
He connected with Brown, the new hitting coach, during the winter and started getting feedback on his swing and refining an approach in the batter’s box.
Scott realized the deck would be stacked against him coming into spring training. Even if the Cardinals didn’t have an outfield logjam, Scott would have been battling the incumbent center fielder from last season — elite defensive outfielder Michael Siani.
So he wanted to counter by giving himself the best chance to show out in spring training and not “leave anything on the table.â€
“I knew going into it that I needed to have an extra edge,†Scott said. “So that extra edge for me was treating the field and my work like it was a classroom. That was going to give me the intel I needed to go out there and be confident in my skills.
“Because before, I mean, you kind of know you’re a good player. You know what your skillset is, but having that added information allowed me to go out there and say, â€کOkay. This is how I play my game. This is how I can do things. This is how I go about my business.’â€
Alas, his business is baseball, and opportunities in the game don’t always come on your time.
If that’s the case and Scott ends up in Memphis due to circumstance and not substance, hopefully Scott uses this experience as motivation to propel him forward instead of something stealing wind from his sails.
A projected 2025 26-man roster for the أغر؟´«أ½ Cardinals.
Non-roster invitee Nick Anderson reassigned, left available to other teams: Cardinals Extra
Cardinals pitcher Nick Anderson throws on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, during spring training at the team’s training facility in Jupiter, Fla.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
JUPITER, Fla. — The Cardinals reassigned non-roster invitee Nick Anderson to minor league camp Tuesday, leaving him available to be added to another team’s active roster should they pick the 34-year-old right-hander.
Anderson, 34, came into camp vying for a spot in the Cardinals’ big-league bullpen after spending last season with the Royals. Anderson had a 4.04 ERA in 37 appearances for Kansas City.
While in Cardinals camp, Anderson made six appearances and allowed eight runs on 11 hits in 5 1/3 innings. Two of the eight runs he allowed came on Saturday when he allowed a pair of home runs against the Blue Jays.
A former top reliever in the majors before an elbow injury required him to have surgery at the end of the 2021 season, Anderson struck out six batters and showed glimpses of who he could be.
“He did a good job of showing flashes of what gives him success is that way I would put it,†Marmol said. “When you look at when Anderson is good, there’s a combination of (velocity) and (inches of vertical break). Where he’s 94 (mph) to 95 (mph) and he’s touching the 18s and 19s with his vertical break — 20s. That’s what makes it tough on a hitter regardless of righty or lefty. He showed flashes of the 95 (mph) and he showed flashes of the 19s and 20s.â€
With his reassignment, Anderson can be added to the active roster of one of the other 29 teams across the majors. If another team does not add Anderson, he can remain in the Cardinals system and be sent to Class AAA Memphis.
The roster move came five days after the Cardinals signed reliever Phil Maton. Maton’s signing gave the Cardinals a righty with a 4.16 ERA in 411 big-league innings and a veteran who can be a resource to a young bullpen that is will feature two-time All-Star and club record-holder Ryan Helsley as its closer.
Winn scratched as a â€کprecaution’
Shortstop Masyn Winn was scratched from Tuesday’s lineup as a “precaution†with soreness in his right wrist. Winn was scheduled to bat leadoff Tuesday but was replaced in the lineup and in the field by non-roster invitee Jose Barrero.
Marmol said Winn will be reevaluated Wednesday morning to determine his readiness for game action. Marmol said a decision was made to keep Winn out of Tuesday’s game at Roger Dean Stadium vs. the Miami Marling after the 22-year-old shortstop felt soreness in his right wrist during Tuesday’s morning workout.
“I didn’t want him trying to push through anything. There’s no need to. He’s gotten a decent amount of play,†Marmol said.
Through 14 games this spring, Winn is batting .098 with 12 strikeouts and three walks. Winn began his spring hitless in his first 17 at-bats before collecting a single on March 4 in a game against the Mets. Since the single, Winn has three hits in 23 at-bats. The 22-year-old shortstop is coming off a season in which he batted .267 and was second in hits among rookies in the majors.
Backfield build-up
As a part of a spring training build-up to get relievers ready for potential back-to-back outings during the regular season, Cardinals relievers Ryan Fernandez and John King threw live batting practice to hitters that included Barrero, Luken Baker, and Victor Scott II.
Following appearances Tuesday in a 4-4 tie against the Marlins, left-hander JoJo Romero and right-hander Chris Roycroft are expected to pitch to live hitters. Romero and Roycroft both completed a scoreless inning of relief the spring game vs. Miami. Both have yet to allow a run to score against them since Grapefruit League games began.
Maton, who has not pitched in a Grapefruit League game yet, is expected to make an appearance in a sim-game.
Extra bases
Michael Siani (illness) was said to be feeling “better†and could return to a spring training game as early as Wednesday, Marmol said. Siani was scheduled to start in center field and bat second Monday against the Nationals before getting scratched from the lineup.
“Getting some fluids in him. He’s going to move around,†Marmol said of Siani. “Our hope is that as the day continues, he’ll feel potentially strong enough to be in a game tomorrow. But as of right now, we’re in a better spot.â€
A day after driving in four runs and doubling twice in five at-bats, utilityman Jose Fermin collected two hits including a homer. The homer was the first of spring training for Fermin, who is competing for a spot on the Cardinals opening day bench. Marmol pointed to the moment as one in which he hopes Fermin can build some confidence from. Tuesday’s two-hit game improved Fermin to a .282 batting average.
Pedro Pages singled and delivered his first home run of spring training during his start at catcher Tuesday vs. the Marlins.
The Cardinals’ options around the diamond in 2025: Position breakdowns
Catching duties turned over to Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages
Pedro Pages, left, and Ivan Herrera.
Jeff Roberson, AP Photo; Christian Gooden, أغر؟´«أ½ Post-Dispatch
What are the plans?
With Willson Contreras’ positional switch, the Cardinals turn to Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages as their catching duo.
The time Contreras missed last season because of two separate injuries (a left forearm fracture and a fractured right middle finger) gave them chances to share the duties for extended runs.
Herrera, 24, batted .301 with an .800 on-base plus slugging percentage (OPS) in a career-high 72 major-league games after beginning the year as the backup to Contreras. Herrera spent nearly three weeks on the injured list because of lower back tightness and, upon his activation, was assigned to Class AAA for more than a month before being recalled in late August. He displayed progress in the preparation and game planning that comes with the position.
Pages, 26, bounced between the majors and Class AAA in April when Contreras dealt with a bruise on his catching hand but remained in the majors from early May through the end the season after Contreras went on the injured list because of a left forearm fracture. Pages led the Cardinals’ 2024 catching trio in games at the position with 66 during his stay. Viewed as a defense-first catcher, Pages ranked among the top 25% of big-league catchers in pop time and was rated in the 67th percentile in framing, per Statcast.
What to watch for?
Who gets the bulk of the playing time could come down to a preference for defensive upside or an added thump to the lineup.
While Pages threw out the runner on 14 of the 75 stolen base attempts he faced, Herrera threw out four of the 59 attempts against him. Herrera used his offseason to go on a throwing program aimed at increasing his arm strength.
And while Herrera produced a 124 OPS+ (a 100 OPS+ is considered league average) last season, Pages had an OPS+ of 82 and batted .238 across with a .657 OPS in his first 218 plate appearances in the majors.
Outside of Contreras, who isn’t expected to return to catching, Pages and Herrera are the only players on the Cardinals’ 40-man roster with major-league catching experience. They have combined to appear in 164 big-league games. Neither has caught 90 or more games in a single season of professional baseball.
Behind Herrera and Pages, Jimmy Crooks ranks as the Cardinals' top catching prospect and is the closest to reaching the majors. But the 23-year-old has yet to get a full run in Class AAA after spending 2024 in Class AA, in which he won Texas League MVP honors.
Sonny Gray again headlines the starting rotationآ
Starting pitcher Sonny Gray throws in the bullpen on Feb. 13, 2025, during spring training in Jupiter, Florida.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
What are the plans?
The Cardinals' rotation is bolstered by veterans and is led by opening day starter Sonny Gray.
In year one of a three-year deal, Gray went 13-9 in 28 starts with a 3.84 ERA in 166 1/3 innings. The three-time All-Star struck out 203 batters, putting him fourth in the NL in strikeouts and second in strikeouts per nine innings.
Gray is joined by experienced hurlers Erick Fedde, who was a trade deadline acquisition last summer, Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz. Mikolas is the longest-tenured rotation member.
Andre Pallante rounds out the starting staff and is the youngest of the group. The 26-year-old slid into the rotation at the end of last May and sported a 3.56 ERA in 20 starts after struggling as a reliever to begin 2024.
What to watch for?
Gray and Fedde both took a step back in the second half of last season. Gray had a 4.59 ERA in his final 11 starts after posting a 3.34 ERA in his first 17. After getting traded, Fedde went from sporting a 3.11 ERA in Chicago to a 3.72 mark in أغر؟´«أ½.
Gray also will look to limit home runs given up after allowing 1.14 per nine innings, his highest mark in a season since 2021.
Fedde, Mikolas and Matz each are entering the final year of his contract. While Mikolas has a no-trade clause, Fedde and Matz could become trade candidates if the Cardinals sell this season and if the club’s pitching prospects push their way to the majors.
Matz, as well as Mikolas, will look for bounce backs.
A back injury held Matz to 44 1/3 innings last year, and inconsistencies led him to a 5.08 ERA. He’s missed time on the injured list in each of his first three seasons as a Cardinal.
Although Mikolas continued to be durable (he led the club with 32 starts and 177 2/3 innings), the two-time All-Star’s ERA (5.35) was the second highest among qualified big-league pitchers.
This year will mark Pallante’s third season as a primary starter in professional baseball. His 111 1/3 innings last year were a career high and mark just one of two seasons which he reached 100 or more innings.
Prospects Michael McGreevy and Gordon Graceffo have major-league innings and could remain starters in the big leagues, giving the Cardinals depth to pull from. Starting prospects Tekoah Roby and Tink Hence are on the 40-man roster, but neither has pitched above Class AA. Both were limited by injuries in 2023 and 2024. Top pitching prospect Quinn Mathews has fewer than 20 innings in Class AAA. He isn't on the 40-man roster.آ
Record-holder Ryan Helsley leads a youthful bullpenآ
Pitcher Ryan Helsley during live batting practice on Feb. 15, 2025, at spring training in Jupiter, Florida.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
What are the plans?
The Cardinals' bullpen enters the season with All-Star closer Ryan Helsley at the back end of it, a core of returning names and a veteran who joined the club in spring training.
Helsley comes off a year in which he set a club record with an MLB-leading 49 saves. The fire-balling righty made 65 appearances, posted a 2.04 ERA and struck out 79 batters while working in a traditional closer’s role.
Phil Maton signed a one-year deal in mid-March that made him the club’s first major-league free agent signee before opening day. He brings another veteran presence to a youthful relief core.
Lefties JoJo Romero, John King, and Matthew Liberatore had solid showings in 2024. Romero set career highs in ERA (3.36) and innings (59) as did King (2.85 and 60 innings), who became one of MLB's best groundball getters. As a reliever, Liberatore had a 3.69 ERA and provided flexibility in covering multiple innings.
To round out the righties, Rule 5 draftee Ryan Fernandez remained in the majors for all of 2024 and maintained a 3.51 ERA as a rookie. Chris Roycroft, who debuted last May, flashed upper 90s mph velocity and a sinker tough on righties. Kyle Leahy had a 4.07 ERA in 48 2/3 innings and offers multi-inning flexibility.
What to watch for?
Helsley enters the final year of his current contract and could be sought-after at the trade deadline if the Cardinals make him available to other teams.
Romero finished third in the National League in holds (30) after using the end of 2023 to show he could handle high-leverage spots. He provides a left-handed option to bridge to Helsley or one who could work in save situations should Helsley be traded or sidelined by injury.آ
In his second season, Fernandez could also be primed for high-leverage innings from the right side.
How Romero manages the workload will be a key as he finished the second half of 2024 with a 5.40 ERA in 18 1/3 innings.
Maton has 411 regular-season innings and 28 innings of postseason experience for a late-inning role ahead of Helsley. Maton held a 3.66 ERA with two teams (the Rays and Mets) last season. His one-year deal also provides some flexibility for a club that could sell in a transitional period.
Liberatore could find himself in key relief spots if he stays in the bullpen. The lefty who came up as a starter remains in conversations for a staring role.
Right-handers Roddery Munoz, Riley O’Brien, Ryan Loutos, and Matt Svanson will begin the year in the minors. Munoz, O’Brien, and Loutos previously have reached the majors.
Left-handed options at DH and a bench with versatility
Alec Burleson talks with teammates on Feb. 15, 2025, in Jupiter, Florida.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
What are the plans?
As the backup to first baseman Willson Contreras, Alec Burleson will receive at-bats in a designated hitter role that also could yield opportunities for second baseman Nolan Gorman, and even Contreras on days he doesn’t play the field.
In his first full workload in the majors last season, Burleson batted .269 with 21 home runs, 78 RBIs and a .420 slugging percentage in 152 games. Burleson’s bat-to-ball skills kept him to a 19.2% whiff rate and a 12.8% strikeout rate that ranked in the top 4% of major leaguers, per Statcast.
Gorman, who will get the bulk of his playing time at second base should Brendan Donovan return to starting left field duties, brings power potential if he can cut down on the strikeout rate that led to a demotion to the minors at the end of 2024.
Off the bench, Luken Baker offers a right-handed bat that could provide some thump in pinch-hit scenarios given his back-to-back seasons in Class AAA with at least 30 homers.
If the Cardinals use Lars Nootbaar in center field, Michael Siani would find himself on the bench as a sure-handed defensive replacement whose glove could make an impact in close games.
Jose Fermin brings versatility on the bench considering his experience around the infield and addition of outfield defense.
What to watch for?
Although Burleson, 26, led his club in RBIs and was one homer shy of tying for the team lead in homers, the grind of a full season led to a decline in the second half. Burleson batted .242 and had an on-base plus slugging percentage of .626 in 63 games after the All-Star break. He batted .288 with an .814 OPS in 89 games before the break. He didn’t homer in 25 games in September.
Cutting down on his 34.5% chase rate could help Burleson take a step forward in his development.
While Baker has swatted his way through Class AAA pitching, he’s managed a .198 batting average and slugged .341 in 54 games as a major leaguer. He’s used his spring to prepare for late-game spots as a pinch-hitter that might await in in 2025.
Offensively, Fermin has batted .155 in 66 games for his big-league career. A contact approach could help him find consistent results at the plate from a bench role.
Jose Barrero, a non-roster invitee to camp who would require a 40-man roster spot, and Michael Helman offer utility backgrounds that could serve in bench roles should there be an opening in the majors.
Outfield has a familiar core with Jordan Walker, Lars Nootbaar
Outfielders Jordan Walker, center, Michael Siani, left, and Lars Nootbaar do fielding drills on Feb. 13, 2025, at the team’s training facility in Jupiter, Fla.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
What are the plans?
The Cardinals outfield brings a returning core from 2024.
Lars Nootbaar brings experience at all three spots. Nootbaar was limited to 109 games because of separate rib and oblique injuries. When healthy, he batted .244 with a .342 on-base percentage.
Jordan Walker enters his third season in the majors as أغر؟´«أ½â€™s starting right fielder. The former top prospect batted .201 in 51 games in the majors and hit .263 with a .753 on-base plus slugging percentage across 84 games in the minors.
Once regular playing time came his way, Michael Siani displayed center field defense that ranked among the league’s best.
When Nolan Gorman starts at second base, utility defender Brendan Donovan projects to hold down a spot in left field where he played 105 games (91 of which were starts) in 2024 and finished as a Gold Glove finalist. He did not commit an error on 167 total chances in the field as he batted .278 with 14 home runs, 73 RBIs, and a .342 on-base percentage.
What to watch for?
Nootbaar figures to be a regular in the Cardinals’ lineup and could patrol center field if they steer their outfield alignment in favor of offense. Nootbaar brings strong batted ball and plate discipline metrics, but injuries have kept him to fewer than 120 games in a single season.
While Siani showed a defensive skillset that was errorless and totaled plus-16 outs above average — the latter of which tied Siani for the third most by a center fielder, per Statcast — he batted .228 and has yet to find consistency at the plate while in the majors.
In right field, Walker will look to take the next step forward as a major-leaguer. The 22-year-old is a piece of the young core the Cardinals have committed major-league playing time to. Between the minors and majors last year, Walker hit 14 home runs. Four of those came in the majors where he slugged .366.
Within the club’s 40-man roster, Victor Scott II, their opening day center fielder last season, offers promise given his combination of speed and defense in center. Playing every day and getting at-bats would be a priority for Scott in the majors. Matt Koperniak adds to the corner outfield depth and brings a track record of hitting at every level in the minors.
Alec Burleson also provides corner outfield experience but looks to remain mostly at first base and at the designated hitter spot.
Willson Contreras becomes starting first baseman
What are the plans?
Following his commitment to remain a Cardinal in the offseason, Willson Contreras is positioned as the club’s starting first baseman. The former catcher takes over at the spot after former National League MVP and Gold Glover Paul Goldschmidt left in free agency following six seasons in أغر؟´«أ½.
Since becoming a Cardinal in 2023, the 32-year-old Contreras has slashed .263/.367/.468 in 209 games. Two separate injuries (a fractured left forearm and a fractured right middle finger) limited him to 84 games in 2024. Despite that, Contreras belted 15 homers, 17 doubles and accumulated 3.0 Wins Above Replacement (WAR), per Baseball Reference. Contreras’ 3.0 WAR tied him for the second most by a Cardinal last season.
After playing primarily the corner outfield over his first three seasons since his MLB call-up in 2022, Alec Burleson slots in as the immediate backup to Contreras.
What to watch for?
Now that Goldschmidt dons Yankee pinstripes rather than the Birds on the Bat, how the Cardinals’ first base defense shapes up without the four-time Gold Glove award winner will be key.
The move away from catching comes after Contreras rose through the minors as a catcher and spent eight big-league seasons behind home plate. He has appeared in 11 games (four starts) at first base over his MLB career. Contreras last started a big-league game at first base in the 2019 season while he was with the Chicago Cubs.
Offensively, the switch could help keep Contreras in the lineup more often. It could also help him tap into even more power. Contreras used his offseason to tack on an additional 10 to 12 pounds of muscle now that he has moved away from the rigors of catching.
Burleson, who drove in a team-high 78 RBIs and hit 21 homers a season ago, appeared in more games at first base than he did in the outfield while at East Carolina University but enters the season with just 38 games at first base in the major-leagues.
Luken Baker’s experience at first base adds depth behind Contreras and Burleson, but Baker is more likely to fill a designated hitter or pinch-hitter role while he is in the majors.
Nolan Gorman, Brendan Donovan to handle second base duties
Infielder Nolan Gorman does drills on Feb. 14, 2025, at the team's practice facility in Jupiter, Florida.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
What are the plans?
The Cardinals looked to clear playing time at third base for Nolan Gorman and at second base for Brendan Donovan when they explored trading third baseman Nolan Arenado, but a deal did not come to fruition over the winter.
Still, the two young infielders will remain regulars who can handle second base duties, though Gorman could wind up with the bulk of the playing time there considering Donovan’s versatility to play other positions.
Gorman, 24, has started at second base for the Cardinals on the last two opening days. He led the Cardinals in games played at that position last season, 105. He hit 19 homers, batted .203 and had a strikeout rate (37.6%) that was the second highest across the majors among players with 400 or more plate appearances, per FanGraphs.
Donovan’s 49 starts at second base last year were his most in a season since reaching the majors in 2022. A utility Gold Glove award winner in 2022, Donovan was primarily a left fielder a season ago and was a finalist for a Gold Glove at that position. He has spent time at second base in spring training.
What to watch for?
Gorman flashed power potential in 2023 when he led the Cardinals in homers (27 in 119 games), but swing-and-miss struggles led him to be optioned to Class AAA and end the season there. He’ll look to cut down on his 38.7% whiff rate, which was in the bottom 1% of major leaguers, to take the next step forward in his development in the majors that the Cardinals are looking for now.
Defensively, Gorman had a minus-four in Defensive Runs Saved (DRS) and minus-six outs above average (OAA) while Donovan has plus-one DRS and plus-one OAA, per FanGraphs.
If Arenado were to be traded or if he is sidelined by injury for an extended stretch, Gorman figures to slide over to third base and Donovan could assume a regular role at second base. Gorman primarily was a third baseman in his time in the minors and has received innings at the position during spring training.
Infield prospect Thomas Saggese, who debuted in the majors last season, could be called upon for second base duties if there is playing time for him with the big-league club. He can play multiple positions.
Masyn Winn aims for stronger base-running, more power at shortstop
Shortstop Masyn Winn signs autographs for fans on Feb. 17, 2025, at the team’s practice facility in Jupiter, Florida.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
What are the plans?
Coming off a rookie year that ended as a Gold Glove finalist, Masyn Winn returns as the Cardinals’ starting shortstop for a second full season. He will be 23 on opening day and comes in as a key piece of the club's young core.
A careful workload in the early days of last spring training helped him remain constant in the Cardinals’ lineup all season.
Following a 37-game stint in the majors in 2023, last year Winn batted .267, hit 15 home runs, stole 11 bases and had a .730 on-base plus slugging percentage in 150 games. His 157 hits were second-most among rookies in the majors. By the start of last June, Winn became the Cardinals’ primary leadoff hitter. He batted .246 from that spot.
The 14 defensive runs saved by Winn paced all major-league shortstops, per FanGraphs. The rocket-armed fielder finished with plus-three outs above average and ranked in the top 5% of major leaguers in arm strength.
What to watch for?
Winn looks to be a bigger threat on the bases, to provide a bit more power from atop the lineup and has his sights set on being in the lineup every day.
He’ll also look to find a stronger second half of the season.
Winn batted .284 and had a .332 on-base percentage in 88 games before the All-Star break but hit .247 and reached base at a .291 clip after it. Over 23 games in September, he slashed .196/.2354/.382.
Though he collected 109 hits in 102 games as a leadoff hitter, Winn had an on-base percentage of .290 in 470 plate appearances from the top of the order.
Jose Barrero, once the Cincinnati Reds’ top prospect and their opening-day shortstop in 2023, gives the Cardinals a versatile defender to back up Winn. He could receive the bulk of playing time there if Winn were to miss an extended stretch. Barrero, 26, has played 139 MLB games and batted .186.
Infield prospect Thomas Saggese has a background as shortstop and 40-man roster status, but the 22-year-old utilityman would only be in the majors if there is opportunity for ample playing time.
Nolan Arenado holds down third base, but for how long?
Nolan Arenado fields a ground ball during drills on Feb. 17, 2025, at the team’s practice facility in Jupiter, Fla.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
What are the plans?
Nolan Arenado returns for his fifth season as the Cardinals' third baseman following an offseason in which the team tried to trade the eight-time All-Star amid their organizational shift.
The five-time Silver Slugger award winner will look for a bounce back campaign at the plate after batting .272 with 16 home runs, 71 RBIs and a .394 slugging percentage in 152 games.
A season after his run of 10 consecutive Gold Glove award wins as the National League’s top defensive third baseman ended, Arenado totaled six defensive runs save and had a plus-nine in outs above average, per FanGraphs. He was named a finalist for the defensive honor but came up short of winning it, with San Francisco's Matt Chapman prevailing.
Nolan Gorman and Brendan Donovan provide backup options at third base for Arenado, who, excluding the pandemic-shortened 60-game season in 2020, hasn’t played in fewer than 144 games since 2015.
What to watch for?
Though he still is a Cardinal, Arenado’s long-term future with the club remains uncertain. He has a full no-trade clause in his contract, which he used over the winter to prevent a deal that would have sent him to the Astros.
He’ll look for a rebound season after missing out on his first All-Star Game since 2014.
During his down offensive year, Arenado's slugging percentage was the lowest in a single season since he reached the majors in 2013 with the Rockies. He had an OPS+ of 101 آآ(an OPS+ of 100 is considered league average) and saw declines in average exit velocity (ninth percentile) and hard-hit rate (12th percentile), per Statcast.
The 33-year-old's expected slugging percentage dropped from ranking in the 70th percentile of major leaguers in 2023 to being in the 20th percentile last season.
Gorman, who would have been positioned for starts at third base had Arenado been traded, is slated to play second base. He came up through the minors as a third baseman and could fill in for Arenado if he's absent for days off, injury, or if he were to be traded.
Donovan, a utility Gold Glover, also could take on third base duties but his versatility could lead him to playing time in left field, where he was a finalist for a Gold Glove last year, or second base.
This article is part of the أغر؟´«أ½ Cardinals season preview section, which will be in print on Sunday, March 23.
Worthy: Michael McGreevy should be part of a 6-man rotation for the Cardinals
The Cardinals’ Michael McGreevy pitches in the first inning of a spring training game against the Yankees on Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, in Tampa, Fla.
JUPITER, Fla. -- Cardinals broadcaster Chip Caray lobbed a compelling question into the conversation he and other members of the media had this past week with Tony Clark, chief executive of the Major League Baseball Players' Association.
Caray, a longtime presence on baseball broadcasts and third-generation Caray in that role, wondered what it would look like if Major League Baseball ditched geographic divisions and reimagined itself along economic lines. The divisions would be organized by market size, not region. Tampa Bay would be free from competing against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for a division playoff spot. The Colorado Rockies wouldn't have to keep pace with the wallets in the National League West, if they were in the Plaines Division with Kansas City.
It's one way to open up more spots in the postseason for markets that are increasingly seeing those routes erased.
Expansion is going to make such tinkering possible.
Intrigued, Best Podcast in Baseball host and أغر؟´«أ½ Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold asked Caray to expand on his question in this brand new episode -- and much much much more.
This is the 80th year of a Caray calling baseball, and that puts their family up there with some of the longest tenured in the history of the game in any role, any level, or any capacity. And there is a fourth generation on the way. FanDuel Sports Network picked up the Cardinals' Spring Breakout game on March 14 for prospects, but the prospects won't only be on the field. Chip's son, Stefan, will join him in the booth to call the game and offer thoughts on many of the players he's seen before from calling minor-league games.
Prospects for the future of baseball, prospects for the future of playing baseball, and prospects for the future of calling baseball -- all in one 30 minute conversation under the son at the Cardinals player development complex in Jupiter.
The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of أغر؟´«أ½, is a production of the أغر؟´«أ½ Post-Dispatch, , and Derrick Goold.
أغر؟´«أ½ Post-Dispatch
JUPITER, Fla. — It’s good to know that the Cardinals decision makers are kicking around the same sorts of things us laymen are debating. Outside the box thinking can’t hurt, right?
So the reply I received from Cardinals manager Oli Marmol on Monday morning was more than just a little bit intriguing when I asked if the club was set on a leaving Florida with five-man pitching rotation or if a six-man plan was on the table.
“We’re discussing it a decent amount this morning,†Marmol said. “We’ll finish the conversation later on this afternoon. By end of day, we want real clarity as to what that looks like. It was a solid conversation with our staff this morning about it.â€
Marmol did not indicate that he’d immediately share that final decision with those of us in the peanut gallery.
Because the decision was pending as of Monday afternoon, perhaps an unsolicited opinion can help tip the scales.
Were my vote the decider, then the Cardinals would go with a six-man rotation.
If a situation ever presented itself for the Cardinals to make a somewhat bold choice that serves their future and steps away from traditional thinking, it’s now.
They’ve made it clear that roster decisions are aimed at what’s best long-term for the current crop of young players and giving them the best opportunity to develop. That’s why infielder Thomas Saggese will go to Triple-A and play regularly instead of serving as a bench player in a limited role in the big leagues.
It’s also why we very likely could see speedster and defensive dynamo Victor Scott II do the same, playing every day for Memphis instead of playing a part-time role for the big club.
However, in Michael McGreevy’s case, I’d argue that having him acclimated to the big leagues from the start of the season will be what best serves the long-term for McGreevy and the Cardinals.
That’s not to say that the brief stint in the majors last season solidified McGreevy’s spot in the rotation. It did show that McGreevy might get a lot out of competing, adjusting, learning and fine-tuning his game at the major league level against the best hitters the game has to offer with daily input from the major league coaching staff.
Would it be a travesty if McGreevy began the season back at Triple-A? No.
Would the Cardinals take advantage of this reset/retool/transition — don’t call it a rebuild — season if they didn’t push the envelope with a highly-regarded former first-round draft pick who pitched in college, has already logged more than 450 innings in the minors and has gotten his feet wet in the big leagues? That answer is also no.
The six-man rotation would allow McGreevy and Andre Pallante to take regular turns in the rotation and position them behind Sonny Gray as proven commodities if the club moves on from one or all of its veteran free-agent-to-be starters — Miles Mikolas, Steven Matz and Erick Fedde — between the trading deadline and the offseason.
The extra day of rest each time through the rotation also could serve to ease McGreevy and Pallante into the workload of their first full seasons as big league starters. McGreevy pitched a career-high 173 innings last season (majors and minors combined).
A quick perusal of the minor league game logs from last season shows that McGreevy started once every six days much more frequently than he pitched every fifth day. Twenty of his 31 starts last season came with five days or more of rest, the majority of those in the minors.
Pallante, who had pitched out of the bullpen in 2022, 2023 and the start of 2024, tossed 137â…” innings last year. A jump to 200 innings for either of those two probably is best approached with caution and care.
That’s not to say the 35-year-old Gray, who has taken a deliberate approach to his ramp up for the season, wouldn’t benefit from easing into the season. Matz has battled injury issues throughout his previous three years with the Cardinals, so extra rest seems a reasonable consideration for his as well.
The increased stress of a six-man rotation on the bullpen shouldn’t be easily glossed over. A six-man rotation means seven relievers instead of eight. That seems like tempting fate and running the risk of wearing out your relief arms.
However, if the Cardinals can count on Matthew Liberatore and Kyle Leahy to cover multiple innings as opposed to one-inning stints and the Cardinals count on Mikolas’ track record as an innings eater to go deep into his starts, it’s not a crazy thought.
Just last week, they added a veteran reliever with a track record of durability and taking the ball in Phil Maton (four straight seasons of 65 appearances or more).
The schedule makes the task of keeping arms rested manageable early in the season. The first three weeks of the season will include a trio of scheduled days off — on Friday, March 28, then on successive Thursdays, April 3 and April 10.
Pushing another reliever to Triple-A to pitch high-leverage innings, perhaps Chris Roycroft, gives the Cardinals multiple options in the minors they can promote and plug into their ’pen. Just this week, they assigned veteran big leaguer Nick Anderson to the minors. If he’s not scooped up by another club, he could join the group of relief arms in Memphis.
Gordon Graceffo remains an option for either relief or as rotation depth. Zack Thompson and Drew Rom had their springs interrupted by injury. If they were healthy, that would make the starting pitching depth feel a bit more comfortable, but the Cardinals still can be bold and aggressive with their decision.
A six-man rotation with McGreevy in it could give the Cardinals a head start on their future.
After all, isn’t that what this coming season is about?
JUPITER, Fla. -- Cardinals broadcaster Chip Caray lobbed a compelling question into the conversation he and other members of the media had this past week with Tony Clark, chief executive of the Major League Baseball Players' Association.
Caray, a longtime presence on baseball broadcasts and third-generation Caray in that role, wondered what it would look like if Major League Baseball ditched geographic divisions and reimagined itself along economic lines. The divisions would be organized by market size, not region. Tampa Bay would be free from competing against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for a division playoff spot. The Colorado Rockies wouldn't have to keep pace with the wallets in the National League West, if they were in the Plaines Division with Kansas City.
It's one way to open up more spots in the postseason for markets that are increasingly seeing those routes erased.
Expansion is going to make such tinkering possible.
Intrigued, Best Podcast in Baseball host and أغر؟´«أ½ Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold asked Caray to expand on his question in this brand new episode -- and much much much more.
This is the 80th year of a Caray calling baseball, and that puts their family up there with some of the longest tenured in the history of the game in any role, any level, or any capacity. And there is a fourth generation on the way. FanDuel Sports Network picked up the Cardinals' Spring Breakout game on March 14 for prospects, but the prospects won't only be on the field. Chip's son, Stefan, will join him in the booth to call the game and offer thoughts on many of the players he's seen before from calling minor-league games.
Prospects for the future of baseball, prospects for the future of playing baseball, and prospects for the future of calling baseball -- all in one 30 minute conversation under the son at the Cardinals player development complex in Jupiter.
The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of أغر؟´«أ½, is a production of the أغر؟´«أ½ Post-Dispatch, , and Derrick Goold.
أغر؟´«أ½ Post-Dispatch
WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — This spring training has presented a different look from springs past for Jose Fermin. The Cardinals utility infielder has expanded his defensive range with one result in mind.
“I want to obviously stay in the big leagues. That’s my goal,†said Fermin, who has received outfield playing time as he looks to claim a spot on the Cardinals’ opening day roster. “And, like I said, help the team. If playing outfield helps me and the team, I’m going to do it.â€
Following a wave of roster cuts Sunday that sent utilitymen Thomas Saggese and Michael Helman to minor league camp, Fermin and nonroster invitee Jose Barrero remain in competition for a utility role off the bench.
Fermin, 25, has 40-man roster status and entered camp coming off his second season in the majors. Last year, Fermin shared time between Class AAA and the majors, where he hit .155 with a .241 on-base percentage in a 45-game stay that represented his longest in the big leagues. That included his first outfield innings in affiliated professional baseball, with six Class AAA starts in left field, two in right field and one in center field.
“It’s just something that I’ve been working on, versatility,†Fermin said. “I’ve been an infielder, but now actually being in the outfield now, I feel comfortable out there. I’m just trying to help the team.â€
As camp competition continues, Fermin made a start at third base Monday in a Grapefruit League matchup vs. the Nationals at CATCI Park of the Palm Beaches. Fermin went 2 for 4 with a double and four RBIs in the Cardinals’ 6-2 win. His spot in the lineup came one slot ahead of Barrero, who started at shortstop.
“No different today, to be quite honest,†Cardinals manager Oliver Marmol said of a lineup with players competing for similar roles on the 26-man roster. “The guys have been on pretty much the same rotation, continuing to show what they’re capable of doing, and we’re getting pretty close to kind of knowing what our 26 will look like.â€
While batting .257 with a .741 on-base percentage plus slugging percentage (OPS) in 16 games, Fermin described his addition of playing the outfield as “smooth.†The process is one that goes back to the winter leading into the 2024 season. Fermin used his time in the Dominican winter league to prepare for outfield innings, but an injury to a teammate kept him on the infield. This past winter, Fermin played in four games in the Dominican Republic and made one start in left field before a foot injury sidelined him.
He entered camp without any limitations. His defensive work during team drills has come with infielders while his preparation for the outfield has come through getting live jumps during batting practice. As expected, knowing what awaits him on a given days shapes his pregame preparation.
He’s taken a similar approach with his frame of mind.
“Obviously it’s been a little different, because I haven’t played in the outfield in the past,†Fermin said. “I play shortstop one day, third base, second base, outfield. It’s different, but I like it. ... Being mentally ready, I’ve worked on it.â€
Arenado keeps swinging
While absent from the starting lineup for a few days, Nolan Arenado was hardly missing at-bats. The veteran third baseman took to the back fields and minor league games so that he could take swings in bulk — and do so without having to play the field or wait his turn in the lineup. The back-field games are malleable, and Arenado could, if he wished, lead off every inning.
He is “working on his overall swing and how it feels and getting extra at-bats, extra touches that you wouldn’t get in the stadium and not actually have to run the bases and tax the box by playing seven innings to get three at-bats,†Marmol said. “You can get three at-bats in three innings and then call it a day.â€
Arenado is expected to return to the lineup Tuesday.
Going to the back fields for work outside the confines of Grapefruit League play is not unusual. Switch-hitters often do that to assure they face a certain handedness of pitcher, and pitchers routinely head to the back fields to throw innings they can design or, in a few relievers case, just throw a pitch over and over to get its feel in competition. For Arenado, it’s about maximizing the at-bats without the innings at third.
“I think we feel pretty good about him defensively,†Marmol deadpanned.
Leahy goes long
As the Cardinals mold the roster down to the opening day bullpen, right-hander Kyle Leahy has emerged as the long-relief option if the Cardinals wish to enter the regular season with some innings insurance. The right-hander breezed through two scoreless innings in Monday’s victory against Washington.
Leahy began spring straining on a starter’s schedule to lengthen out his stamina, and he’s maintained multi-inning appearances when used as a reliever. He’s also yet to allow a run in 10 innings this spring. His strikeouts Monday give him 12.
“You know exactly what you’re going to get out of him,†Marmol said. “He’s going to attack you, and he’s got different weapons regardless of count to beat you. You can call on him for an inning or three innings and you know what you’re going to get.â€
McGreevy, other starters, etc.
Miles Mikolas is set to start Tuesday as the rotation starts to take shape around its regular-season assignment. Steven Matz will face Washington on Wednesday. After Thursday’s off day, the Cardinals will have a split-squad game with Michael McGreevy traveling to face the Mets and Sonny Gray resuming his five-day schedule to start at Roger Dean Stadium vs. Houston.
Michael Siani, who is the running for the starting center field job or a bench spot, was a late scratch from Monday’s game because of an illness, a team official said.
Adam Wainwright, the Cardinals’ 200-game winner, will once again be part of the broadcast team for some national broadcasts on Fox and FS1. This will be the 30th season of Fox broadcasting baseball.
JUPITER, Fla. -- Cardinals broadcaster Chip Caray lobbed a compelling question into the conversation he and other members of the media had this past week with Tony Clark, chief executive of the Major League Baseball Players' Association.
Caray, a longtime presence on baseball broadcasts and third-generation Caray in that role, wondered what it would look like if Major League Baseball ditched geographic divisions and reimagined itself along economic lines. The divisions would be organized by market size, not region. Tampa Bay would be free from competing against the New York Yankees and Boston Red Sox for a division playoff spot. The Colorado Rockies wouldn't have to keep pace with the wallets in the National League West, if they were in the Plaines Division with Kansas City.
It's one way to open up more spots in the postseason for markets that are increasingly seeing those routes erased.
Expansion is going to make such tinkering possible.
Intrigued, Best Podcast in Baseball host and أغر؟´«أ½ Post-Dispatch baseball writer Derrick Goold asked Caray to expand on his question in this brand new episode -- and much much much more.
This is the 80th year of a Caray calling baseball, and that puts their family up there with some of the longest tenured in the history of the game in any role, any level, or any capacity. And there is a fourth generation on the way. FanDuel Sports Network picked up the Cardinals' Spring Breakout game on March 14 for prospects, but the prospects won't only be on the field. Chip's son, Stefan, will join him in the booth to call the game and offer thoughts on many of the players he's seen before from calling minor-league games.
Prospects for the future of baseball, prospects for the future of playing baseball, and prospects for the future of calling baseball -- all in one 30 minute conversation under the son at the Cardinals player development complex in Jupiter.
The Best Podcast in Baseball, sponsored by Closets by Design of أغر؟´«أ½, is a production of the أغر؟´«أ½ Post-Dispatch, , and Derrick Goold.
أغر؟´«أ½ Post-Dispatch
JUPITER, Fla. — An opening-day start more than a year in the making also will give Sonny Gray the benefit of another week to distance himself from a gnarled spring outing that he just called “weird,†like really “weird.â€
The Cardinals made official Sunday morning what their schedule made obvious weeks earlier — that Gray would start March 27 when the Cardinals host his former team, the Minnesota Twins, at Busch Stadium for the opening of the 2025 regular season. Gray will make his fourth career opening-day start, but it will be his first with the Cardinals after an injury delayed his planned debut on opening day a year ago.
“He’s our dude,†manager Oliver Marmol said when making the announcement.
He also may welcome that the opening-day start is not his next start.
Hours after the honor, Gray had a grueling, scrambled spring outing that saw him start five innings and not finish four of them.
“That is the most spring training game I’ve ever been a part of in my life,†Gray said. “It probably never happened before, and it will probably never happen again. ... It was weird. It was weird. But whatever. Spring training is a weird place.
“When opening day and the regular season gets here, that’s what matters,†the starter concluded. “Let the lights turn on and then you’ll see where we’re at. It’s spring training.â€
Starting pitcher Sonny Gray throws in the bullpen on Feb. 13, 2025, during spring training in Jupiter, Florida.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
Spring training rules permit a pitcher to exit an inning to avoid exorbitant pitch counts and injuries and then re-enter the game so that he can complete his assigned workload. Four batters into the second inning, Gray had walked two batters and had his pitch count rising. In came a minor-leaguer to finish the inning. Six batters into the third inning, Gray had walked two, allowed a home run, and had a soaring pitch count.
In came a minor-leaguer.
Gray was unable to finish the fourth and the fifth innings, and in each of them right-hander Andre Granillo took over mid-inning.
The restart each innings did ultimately get Gray to 80 pitches. More than the pitch count, he also met the goal of warming up for five innings. He called it “getting volume in†and said it was the tangible outcome of the outing, more than the bruising in the box score. Through those five innings, he scattered nine outs. He also allowed eight runs on six hits. Gray walked five, struck out five, and spent most of his five innings popping in and out of the strike zone just as he did popping in and out of the dugout.
Gray began the third inning four consecutive balls to walk leadoff hitter Griffin Conine. He threw a strike on the next pitch with a 90.3-mph four-seam fastball and Jonah Bride launched it over the left-field wall. Gray struck out the left-handed who followed. That whole exchange was a snapshot of his day, maybe even his spring. Walks and hits, high pitch counts, and stuff for strikeouts.
In three starts this spring, Gray has collected 9 2/3 innings total. He’s allowed 15 runs on 16 hits, and opponents have hit six home runs against him. He has also struck out 12. Gray acknowledged that he’s easing into his velocity and did not go to his highest gear early in camp as the Cardinals and him set up a schedule to build toward that by opening day. Another goal of spring for the right-hander has been experimenting with pitch sequencing, something he felt made him predictable in the second half of last season as he had a 4.59 ERA in his final 11 starts and allowed 13 of the 21 homers.
Spring is not a harbinger of summer, Gray stressed Sunday.
Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray, left, and catcher Ivan Herrera talk after finishing a bullpen session on Thursday, Feb. 13, 2025, at the team’s training facility in Jupiter, Fla.
Christian Gooden, Post-Dispatch
“I’ve done it all,†Gray said. “I’ve had incredible spring trainings where I didn’t give up a run for however many games I pitched, and I had horrible seasons. I’ve had horrible spring trainings and great seasons. I’ve literally experienced it all. It ultimately does not matter. Do what you can do. Get your stuff done. And get out of here.â€
The Cardinals announced Gray was their opening-day starter for 2024 in the opening weeks of his time with the team, fresh into spring with a three-year, $75 million contract. He strained his hamstring during a spring start and began the year on the injured list, delaying that debut by several weeks. When he did get into games, he began the season with 17 scoreless innings — the longest by a Cardinal to open a season since 2003.
In his previous three opening day starts — two with Oakland as a young starter in 2013 and 2014 and then with Cincinnati to begin 2020 — Gray is 2-0 with a 0.45 ERA.
“I’m ready to get to أغر؟´«أ½,†Gray said. “Come out healthy and get to أغر؟´«أ½.â€
Cards make significant trims
In a series of sweeping transactions after Sunday’s game, the Cardinals reduced their camp roster to 31 players and moved closer to the 26-player roster they’ll take into Gray’s opening-day start. The Cardinals optioned infielders Thomas Saggese and Michael Helman to Class AAA Memphis, and they did the same with one of the leading hitters of camp, outfielder Matt Koperniak.
The Cardinals also re-assigned pitchers Michael Gomez and Andre Granillo along with catchers Gavin Collins, Wade Stauss, Chance Sisco and Yohel Pozo to the minor-league camp. The Cardinals moved infielders Cesar Prieto and R.J. Yeager along with outfielders Nathan Church and Ryan Vilade to minor-league camp.
The moves position the Cardinals to make only their few, closest roster calls.
Maton, Walker, etc.
Reliever Phil Maton pitched the equivalent of an inning in a live batting practice session Sunday to begin his schedule toward a Grapefruit League game later this week.
Signed last Thursday to a one-year, $2 million deal, Maton faced hitters for the first time this spring — something he said he wanted to do before going into a game and “hitting hitters left and right.†Maton got through the live BP without incident and finished with a strikeout of one of his teammates.
He may next pitch in a simulated game on the backfields before an exhibition game just before Cardinals leave Florida.
Jordan Walker (sore knee) took at-bats against minor-league pitchers Sunday in their live batting practice sessions. Walker is trying to make up for at-bats lost during a week spent recovering from a jammed knee and gain his timing. He’s scheduled to play seven or eight innings in Monday’s exhibition game at the same ballpark where he hurt his knee, CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches.
In the coming week, the Cardinals are going to have some relievers appear on back-to-back days to prepare for the regular season but not in back-to-back games. The Cardinals are trying something new: Having relievers make their second of consecutive appearances on the backfields so that the outings can be controlled, from facing specific hitters to limiting pitch counts.
