Redbird Droppings: Get Off The Pot
Redbird Droppings needs the Cardinals to make a decision on the direction of the 2025

The Cardinals need to listen to that old saying…shit or get off the pot. We’re a couple of weeks away from Spring Training and nothing has really changed; Nolan Arenado is still on the team, they haven’t really cut payroll, and there are quite a few young guys blocked from everyday jobs. Are we resetting or are we moving forward?
If they are moving forward with the roster as is, they need to address the holes. They could use some bullpen help and a bench bat. At this point, there really aren’t good bargain players available and we know they won’t go after the remaining top guys.
That leaves the reset button. If they want to move forward and see what they young guys can do, they need to clear some space. Arenado needs to get moved for whatever they can get at this point; they’re not going to get an elite prospect in return and they never were. The might get a couple of mid-level prospects; at one time, that could have been a benefit for the Cardinals, since they could develop players. Those days have passed though.
I’m also trading veterans with 1 year left: Erick Fedde, Steven Matz, and Ryan Helsley. Helsley and Fedde could get some pretty good pieces back. Helsley was one of the top relivers in the game last year and he’s still fairly young. Fedde had a nice return to the Majors and was considered one of the best available starters at the trade deadline. More importantly, both have reasonable contracts for 2025.
Matz is a different beast; there are teams interested, but you will have to eat salary and you won’t be getting much back in return. It’s worth it so the team can move a youngers player onto the roster and into the rotation.
With Fedde and Matz gone, you give guys like Michael McGreevy, Quinn Mathews, and Gordon Graceffo a clear shot at the rotation. As of right now, your rotation is Sonny Gray, Fedde, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante, and Matz; I would rather see what Gray, Mikolas, Pallante, McGreavy, and Graceffo could do. If Mikolas struggles, DFA him and throw Mathews out there.
With Arenado still here, you are keeping Nolan Gorman from an everyday third base job. Thomas Saggese will probably start the season in the minors when he should be at second base. Brendan Donovan will have more limited role. Alec Burleson will have his at bats cut because he’ll be sharing left field/DH duties more often.
Team reluctant to take on long-term contracts
We’ve known the Cardinals are going to make any big signings, but John Mozeliak has confirmed they won’t be adding any long term deals this spring because they want a clean slate for Chaim Bloom. It’s a little puzzling that this is the reason they aren’t going to sign a long-term deal. Bloom is already in the front office and helping with decisions; it would be different if they didn’t have Mo’s successor ready to go.
Going back to the last topic, if the Cardinals are going to sell off the expiring contracts, why not look for guys willing to take 1-year deals to trade at deadline. Max Scherzer would have been a good example, except he just signed with the Blue Jays; if the Cardinals could have gotten him for 1-year and $15M and he proved he was healthy to start the season, they could have gotten a solid return in July.
Why not reach out to Whit Merrifield, Andrew Heaney, Kyle Finnegan, or Kenley Jansen? Could they convince Jack Flaherty to take another 1-year deal and move him mid-season? OK, Flaherty might be more of a pipe-dream scenario.
Rules changes
MLB has annouced 2 minor rule changes for 2025:
- Runner advances on shift – If a fielder is on the wrong side of the base before the ball is in play and is the first to touch the ball, the hitter is ruled safe and the other baserunners advance one base; previously the batter would be given a ball and the at bat would continue.
- Replay can be used to determine if a player overran a base to allow a runner to score; the Cardinals had deployed this strategy in the past few years. If replay determines the player did over run the base, the runner is safe on the force play and called out for abandonment. They will check to see if the run scored before the player abandoned the base.
Former Cardinals:
- Dylan Carlson signed with the Orioles for 1 yr, $975k, and the contract can go up to $1M with 200 PA. He’ll be the 4th outfielder and hope to get more playing time with a strong spring or an injury to another player.
- Adam Kloffenstein received an MiLB/NRI from the Blue Jays; the Cardinals acquired him from the Jays for Jordan Hicks back in 2023. He was non-tendered after season, where he posted a higher ERA (4.85) and low K% (24%) compared to his career numbers for Memphis; the Cardinals decided he wasn’t part of their future plans.
- The first arbitration hearing has happened and the Pirates take the win over Johan Oviedo; the pitcher will receive $850k for 2025. No word on when the Cardinal hearings will start.
Don’t forget to check out the Cardinals Theme Schedule for 2025 and signups have started for the Cardinals 5K.