# Cardinals Option Richard Fitts - Link: https://www.nyrdcast.com/cardinals-option-richard-fitts/ - Published: 2026-03-19T09:00:00-05:00 - Author: Eugene Tierney ### **_CARDINALS OPTION PITCHER RICHARD FITTS_** #### **_35 PLAYERS REMAIN ON MAJOR LEAGUE SPRING ROSTER_** [⌊Cardinals News Header⌉⌊Cardinals News Header⌉[ **JUPITER, Fla., March 18, 2026 **– The [St. Louis Cardinals](https://www.mlb.com/cardinals/) announced today that the team has reduced its Spring Training roster to 35 players with right-handed pitcher **[Richard Fitts](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/f/fittsri01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-19_br)** being optioned to Memphis (AAA). Fitts, 26, made three starts in Grapefruit League play this spring, posting a 2- 1 mark while striking out nine over his 9.1 innings of work. The Cardinals currently have 28 major league roster players and seven non-roster invitees in Major League camp. **— STL —** --- With Fitts headed to Memphis, the Cardinals rotation is pretty much set: [Matthew Liberatore](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/liberma01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-19_br), [Dustin May](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/maydu01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-19_br), [Kyle Leahy](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/l/leahyky01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-19_br), [Andre Pallante](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/p/pallaan01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-19_br), and [Michael McGreevy](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/m/mcgremi01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-19_br). Liberatore has been announced as the opening day starter. [⌊Richard Fitts⌉⌊Richard Fitts⌉[ Richard Fitts Fitts has stuff to work on at Memphis; he owns a 5.79 ERA and 1.29 WHIP this spring, so he could use a little work limiting baserunners. The plus side was 9 strikeouts in 9.1 innings. He’ll probably be the first guy called up in case of injury or any current rotation pitcher struggling (at least one of the back 3 guys). **Prospects still in camp (2):** [JJ Wetherholt](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=wether000jj-&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( NRI – #1), [Nathan Church](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/churcna01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)(# 26) **Prospects sent down (14): **[Jurrangelo Cijntje](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=cijntj000jur&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( NRI – #4), [Joshua Baez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=baez--007jos&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)(# 5), [Quinn Mathews](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mathew000qui&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-11_br)( NRI – #6), [Jimmy Crooks](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/c/crookji01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-11_br)(# 7), [Leonardo Bernal](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=bernal000leo&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-11_br)(# 9), [Tink Hence](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hence-000mar&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-11_br)(# 10), [Ixan Henderson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hender000ixa&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( NRI – #17), [Blaze Jordan](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=jordan000bla&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-19_br)( NRI – #24), [Hancel Rincon](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=rincon000han&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( NRI – #28), [Luis Gastelum](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=gastel000lui&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-19_br)( NRI – #29), [Chase Davis](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=davis-038cha,davis-031cha,davis-036cha&search=Chase+Davis&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)( NRI – #30), [Pete Hansen](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hansen003pet&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( NRI – #33), [Max Rajcic](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=rajcic000max&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)( NRI – #44), [Matt Koperniak](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=kopern000mat&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-19_br)( NRI – #50). **Non-Roster Invitees still in camp (7):** [Scott Blewett](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/b/blewesc01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( RHP), [Carlos Linarez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=linare003car&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( C), [Ramon Mendoza](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=mendoz006ram&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( IF), [Brody Moore](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=moore-002bro,moore-000bro&search=Brody+Moore&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( IF), [Nelson Velazquez](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/v/velazne01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( OF), Wetherholt (IF), [Andy Yerzy](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=yerzy-000and&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( C). **Non-Roster Invitees sent down (21):** [Mike Antico](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=antico000mik&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( OF), Cijntje (RHP), Davis (OF), Gastelum (RHP), [Skylar Hales](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=hales-000sky&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-11_br)( RHP), Hansen (LHP), Henderson (LHP), Jordan (IF), Koperniak (OF), [Austin Love](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=love--000aus&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( RHP), Mathews (RHP), Moreno (RHP), Naughton (LHP), Rajcic (RHP), Rincon (RHP), Rivas( IF), [Sem Robberse](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=robber000sem&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( RHP), [Jared Shuster](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/s/shustja01.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( LHP), [Graysen Tarlow](https://www.baseball-reference.com/register/player.fcgi?id=tarlow000gra&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( C), [Zack Thompson](https://www.baseball-reference.com/search/search.fcgi?pid=thomps018zac,thomps022zac,thompza02&search=Zack+Thompson&utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-10_br)( LHP), [Bruce Zimmermann](https://www.baseball-reference.com/players/z/zimmebr02.shtml?utm_medium=linker&utm_source=www.nyrdcast.com&utm_campaign=2026-03-16_br)( LHP). **Nyrdcast Prospect Rankings:** [1-5](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-1-5/) | [6-10](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-6-10/) | [11-15](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-11-15/) | [16-20](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-16-20/) | [21-25](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-21-25/) | [26-50](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-50-cardinals-prospects-26-50/) | [Tracker](https://www.nyrdcast.com/2026/02/2026-top-cardinals-prospects-the-tracker/) ### Share this: * [ Facebook ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/cardinals-option-richard-fitts/?share=facebook) * [ X ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/cardinals-option-richard-fitts/?share=x) * [ Email ](https://www.nyrdcast.com/cardinals-option-richard-fitts/?subject=%5BShared%20Post%5D%20Cardinals%20Option%20Richard%20Fitts&body=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.nyrdcast.com%2Fcardinals-option-richard-fitts%2F&share=email) * [ LinkedIn 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