Cardinals' Jorge Alcala: Designated for assignment
Rotowire
The Cardinals designated Alcala for assignment Tuesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Alcala struggled to find his footing on the mound in 2025, finishing the regular season with a 6.22 ERA and 1.75 WHIP across 55 total innings between Minnesota, Boston and St. Louis. He'll have the right to elect free agency if he clears waivers, although he will likely have to settle for a minor-league deal if he does so.
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Cardinals' Cooper Hjerpe: Joins 40-man roster
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The Cardinals selected Hjerpe's (elbow) contract from Double-A Springfield on Tuesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Hjerpe is expected to miss the first portion of the 2026 season after undergoing Tommy John surgery in April, but the Cardinals will grant him a 40-man spot anyway to ensure he doesn't get selected by another club during the Rule 5 Draft. The 24-year-old lefty owns a 3.38 ERA and 1.18 WHIP across his minor-league career and will presumably return to Double-A once he's deemed fully healthy.
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Cardinals' Brycen Mautz: Protected from Rule 5 Draft
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The Cardinals selected Mautz's contract from Double-A Springfield on Tuesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Mautz spent all of 2025 at Springfield and turned in his best season yet, finishing with a 2.98 ERA and 1.11 WHIP alongside a 134:33 K:BB over 114.2 innings. The 24-year-old southpaw will be protected from the Rule 5 Draft now that he owns a spot on St. Louis' 40-man roster, and he'll most likely report to Triple-A Memphis to begin the 2026 season.
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Cardinals' Joshua Baez: Selected to 40-man
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The Cardinals selected Baez's contract from Double-A Springfield on Tuesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Baez adjusted well to Double-A ball upon receiving his promotion in late May, slashing .271/.371/.509 with 16 homers, 55 RBI, 46 runs scored and 33 stolen bases across 79 games at Springfield. His breakout season has earned him a spot on St. Louis' 40-man roster ahead of the Rule 5 Draft in December, and he may be a candidate to make his big-league debut in 2026 if he continues to stuff the stat sheet in the minors.
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Cardinals' Leonardo Bernal: Protected from Rule 5 Draft
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The Cardinals selected Bernal's contract from Double-A Springfield on Tuesday, John Denton of MLB.com reports.
Bernal spent the entire 2025 campaign at Springfield and slashed .247/.332/.394 with 13 homers, 69 RBI, 58 runs scored and 13 steals across 454 plate appearances. The 21-year-old backstop will be ineligible for the Rule 5 Draft now that he owns a 40-man spot, and he could potentially receive a promotion to Triple-A Memphis to begin 2026.
The Cardinals outrighted Thompson (lat) to Triple-A Memphis on Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Thompson missed the entire 2025 season with a left lat strain he suffered in March. He endured several setbacks during his recovery, and it's unclear whether he will be ready for spring training. Thompson is now off the 40-man roster but will remain in the organization.
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Cardinals' Bryan Torres: Added to 40-man roster
Rotowire
The Cardinals selected Torees' contract Thursday, Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat reports.
The move ensures Torres won't become a minor-league free agent. The outfielder, who turns 29 in July, hasn't made his MLB debut yet. He slashed .326/.441/.456 with nine homers and 28 stolen bases in 2025 for Triple-A Memphis.
Cardinals' Ivan Herrera: Will not be full-time catcher
Rotowire
Herrera (elbow) will return to catcher next season but is not expected to do so in a full-time capacity, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Herrera was the Cardinals' everyday designated hitter during the second half, but the plan is for him to return to catcher next season. However, while catcher is slated to be his primary position, it sounds like Herrera will still see lots of playing time in the DH slot. Jimmy Crooks is the favorite to pick up starts at catcher on days Herrera serves as the DH. Herrera underwent surgery last month to remove bone spurs from his right elbow, but he is expected to be ready for the start of spring training.
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Cardinals' Jimmy Crooks: Could share catcher with Herrera
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Crooks could split time at catcher for the Cardinals next season with Ivan Herrera, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Herrera is slated to return to catcher in 2026 after serving as the team's primary designated hitter for the final few months of 2025. He is not expected to be used behind the plate full-time, though, leaving some reps at catcher open. Per Woo, that playing time is likelier to go to Crooks than Pedro Pages, who is a trade candidate. Crooks struggled in a cup of coffee with the Cardinals in 2025, going 6-for-45 with a 0:17 BB:K. However, the 24-year-old has been productive in the minors, having slashed .274/.337/.441 with 14 home runs last season at Triple-A Memphis.
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Cardinals' Pedro Pages: Could be odd man out at catcher
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Pages could be the odd man out at catcher for the Cardinals next season, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.
Pages has led the team in starts behind the plate each of the last two seasons. However, the Cardinals plan to use a combination of Ivan Herrera and Jimmy Crooks at catcher next season, leaving Pages without a clear path to playing time. The 27-year-old has minor-league options remaining, but prospect Leonardo Bernal is expected to serve as the primary catcher at Triple-A Memphis in 2026. As a result, Pages could be a trade candidate this offseason.
Cardinals' Masyn Winn: Begins jogging after knee surgery
Rotowire
Winn has begun jogging and said the pain is gone in his surgically repaired right knee, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Winn -- who won his first National League Gold Glove on Sunday -- is just over a month removed from surgery to repair a torn meniscus and said he can already "really feel the difference" in the knee. The 23-year-old is expected to be ready to go for the start of spring training. Winn slashed a disappointing .253/.310/.363 with nine home runs and nine stolen bases across 537 plate appearances in 2025, though the downturn in his production can likely be blamed in part due to having to play through nagging soreness in his knee for several months.
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Cardinals' Lars Nootbaar: Foot pain dates back multiple years
Rotowire
Nootbaar -- who is recovering from Oct. 7 surgery to address deformities on both of his heels -- has dealt with discomfort in both feet off and on over the past two-and-a-half years, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Nootbaar has had ongoing treatment during the season to address recurring soreness in his heels, but he elected to have surgery earlier this month with the goal of alleviating the condition. It's difficult to gauge how much the foot issues have affected Nootbaar's play, but it's notable that his sprint speed has fallen each year, from the 83rd percentile in 2021 to just the 39th percentile in 2025. The outfielder admits that the discomfort "was holding me back." Nootbaar -- who played a career-high 135 games this season but produced a career-low .686 OPS -- has not been ruled out for Opening Day next season, but because the surgery he had is uncommon, there's uncertainty regarding how long his rehab will take.
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