Cardinals' Quinn Mathews: Starting camp with big-league club
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Mathews will begin spring training with the major-league team as a non-roster invitee, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Mathews moved his way quickly through the Cardinals' farm system in 2024, taking care of business at both Single-A Palm Beach and Peoria before being promoted to Double-A Springfield and ultimately Triple-A Memphis, where he struggled to find his footing. He accrued a 6.48 ERA and 1.98 WHIP with a 22:14 K:BB across 16.2 innings for the Redbirds. Mathews may not break camp with the big-league team, but he'll gain some experience against major-league bats at the very least.
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Cardinals' Nolan Gorman: Will see significant playing time
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Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has said the team would like to see Gorman receive close to 600 at-bats next season, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Gorman spent the final five-plus weeks of the 2024 season in the minors and finished with a .671 OPS and 37.6 percent strikeout rate. However, the Cardinals are committed to giving their younger players a long leash in 2025 and Gorman will be one of the beneficiaries. What position Gorman plays is not yet clear. He's seen most of his starts at the major-league level at second base and could play there, but moving back to his natural third base position is also an option if the Cardinals trade Nolan Arenado.
The Cardinals signed Vilade to a minor-league contract Tuesday that includes an invitation to spring training.
Vilade saw limited action with the Tigers in 2024, producing a .453 OPS in 17 games. He spent most of the year at Triple-A Toledo, slashing .278/.346/.449 with 13 homers and 20 stolen bases. Slated to turn 26 in February, Vilade saw starts at every position but shortstop, catcher and pitcher with Toledo.
Cardinals' Nolan Arenado: Willing to play first base
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Arenado is willing to play some first base in order to create roster flexibility for the team acquiring him in a potential trade, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
A large part of Arenado's value comes from his defense at third base, so it's not clear how many clubs would be looking to shift him to the other side of the diamond even on a part-time basis. Still, some flexibility can't hurt, and the fact he's even willing to entertain the possibility also seems to speak to Arenado's eagerness to waive his no-trade clause. Woo notes that a few teams have expressed interest in Arenado, but those talks "have yet to yield any substantive progress." However, negotiations are expected to pick up around the winter meetings and there is a "growing sense" in the industry that Arenado will be dealt.
Cardinals' Matt Svanson: Shielded from Rule 5 draft
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The Cardinals added Svanson to the 40-man roster Tuesday.
A 25-year-old righty reliever who has not pitched above Double-A, Svanson logged a 2.69 ERA, 1.46 WHIP and 59 strikeouts in 63.2 innings while notching 27 saves for Double-A Springfield. He will likely head to Triple-A Memphis to start the year, but should be an option to provide big-league bullpen depth throughout the summer.
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Cardinals' Matt Koperniak: Contract selected
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The Cardinals selected Koperniak's contract from Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday.
Koperniak is coming off a terrific season with Memphis, having slashed .309/.370/.512 with 20 home runs. He'll turn 27 in February and is more of a fourth outfielder type, but St. Louis felt obligated to keep him away from the Rule 5 Draft.
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Cardinals' Tekoah Roby: Added to 40-man roster
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The Cardinals selected Roby's contract from Double-A Springfield on Tuesday.
Roby was limited to just 38.1 frames in 2024 due to injury and posted a 6.57 ERA in his 10 starts. However, the 23-year-old has displayed terrific stuff when healthy and the Cardinals didn't want to risk losing him in the Rule 5 Draft.
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Cardinals' Drew Rom: Outrighted to Triple-A
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Rom (shoulder) cleared waivers and was outrighted to Triple-A Memphis on Tuesday.
The Cardinals added some prospects to the 40-man roster as Rule 5 draft protection, so Rom was a roster casualty. He had arthroscopic shoulder surgery in May and did not pitch at all in 2024. If he's healthy this spring, he should provide rotation depth at Triple-A.
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Cardinals' Tink Hence: Protected from Rule 5 Draft
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The Cardinals selected Hence's contract from Double-A Springfield on Tuesday.
Hence has had trouble staying on the mound, having never reached 100 innings in a season. He was terrific over his 79.2 frames in 2024, however, collecting a 2.71 ERA and 109:26 K:BB with Springfield. Hence is now protected from the Rule 5 Draft.
