Left field — wide open Three bullpen spots — open, but slotted Deference to roster rules — not totally a thing of the past Halfway through camp, let’s project an opening day 26-man: www.bnd.com/sports/mlb/s...

Colton Parayko has the third most games played in St. Louis Blues history, which makes me feel positively ancient. Good Blue for a long time.

Lars Nootbaar’s El Segundo A’s, Chris Roycroft’s cold showers, and Andre Pallante as both grill master and grill disaster. The 2026 low-content spring training survey has arrived: www.bnd.com/sports/mlb/s...

It took NHL players at least 15 years to recover their salaries to pre-05 levels after their apocalyptic lockout. In that time, franchise values quadrupled, at minimum. I know the scales and cultural purchase are different between the leagues but I have no idea why that math would be.

Ten games into spring training, the Cardinals have used five left fielders, somehow none of whom have been Nathan Church. While they put off declaring Lars Nootbaar out for opening day, they’re conducting the widest-open competition in camp: www.bnd.com/sports/mlb/s...

First Cardinals cuts: Roby optioned Cijntje, Hansen, Henderson, Love, Rincón, Robberse, Shuster, Thompson, Tarlow, Antico reassigned

A cynical person would wonder if MLB’s committed increase of exposure for the Spring Breakout games was part of an effort to identify fans earlier with young (cheap) players and dim some of the older stars in comparison. A cynical person! Not me!

That is a wrap for me from Jupiter. Plenty of stories still to come over the next week while I’m floating around the Caribbean, and three weeks from tomorrow, I will catch back up with the team in Springfield. Thanks for following along!

Yohel Pozo singles to left in the bottom of the fifth to relieve all of us from trying to decide if anyone would care about a spring training no hitter.

Konnor Griffin cranked a piss missile homer on Kyle Leahy's third pitch of the game. I take it he's good.

As a gift to Oli Marmol on his extension day, CB Bucknor has the plate at Roger Dean this afternoon.

Iván Herrera will catch three innings today, Marmol said this morning. He's hitting leadoff so as to max out the opportunities to hit while he's in the game.

Today's game notes inform that this is the first spring training matchup between the Cardinals and Pirates since March 29, 1998, and the first in the history of the Dean.

"I feel like I'm built exactly for this moment in Cardinal history." As he enters his fifth season as manager and his 20th as a member of the organization, Oli Marmol now has the job security to match his alignment with the team's long-term vision: www.bnd.com/sports/mlb/s...

Press conference room here at the complex is filling up with the entire roster of camp players, as well as Marmol’s family.

Can confirm @dgoold.bsky.social’s report that the Cardinals have reached an agreement on a contract extension for Oli Marmol. Press conference expected this morning.

Iván Herrera right at the top: Herrera 2 Urías 5 Gorman DH Walker 9 Fermín 4 Pozo 3 Church 8 Davis 7 Rivas 6 Leahy 1

Six spot in the second inning highlighted by the Prieto homer and a two-run schtoinker off Wetherholt's fists to center.

César Prieto made a sharp charging play in from third in the bottom of the first, and pokes a homer out to left up into the jet stream in the top of the second.

Saturday lineup: Winn 6 Scott II 8 Burleson 3 Wetherholt 4 Walker 9 Crooks 2 Prieto 5 Baez DH Torres 7 McGreevy 1

Cardinals rotation for the coming week: Today — McGreevy Sunday — Leahy Monday — Pallante Tuesday — Off Wednesday — Liberatore Thursday — May Fitts is on the schedule to piggyback Liberatore on Wednesday.

Yesterday, I watched Dustin May touch 99 with his fastball, watched Jordan Walker take cuts at a big league slider, watched Iván Herrera throw down to second at game speed. Did all of it matter? Did none of it? Existentialism on a back field: www.bnd.com/sports/mlb/s...

Marmol shared postgame that the radar data on Dustin May’s sim game today had his fastball sitting 97-98 and touching 99, which is also what they’ve seen in bullpens.

George Soriano making his spring game debut, and he's throwing to Rainiel Rodríguez.

JJ Wetherholt's first hit of spring is an ICBM three quarters of the way up the batter's eye to dead center -- against Devin Williams.

Nathan Church, up up and away. Brought one back and spared Pushard allowing a second homer in his inning.

Bounding comebacker bit Quinn Mathews on what looked like the back of his left arm. Trainer checked, seems OK. Staying in.

This was of course an inevitability when it comes to veteran pitchers, but the one I will be very interested in tracking is the way veteran *umpires* respond to young players requesting challenges.

It's not entirely clear whether Matt Pushard or Quinn Mathews is pitching first today, but whoever does, this is the lineup behind them: Wetherholt DH Fermín 6 Gorman 5 Velázquez 7 Urías 4 Saggese 8 Pagés 2 Church 9 Jordan 3

For three years, Tink Hence was a near-consensus top 100 prospect. Now, after being unable to stay on the field, his career is approaching a crossroads, and the Cardinals are hoping more muscle and fewer innings will unlock him as an impact contributor: www.bnd.com/sports/mlb/s...

Thomas Saggese’s first blush assessment of playing the outfield for the first time since little league: “It’s lonely out there.”

109 exit velo on the three-run homer for Burleson. Sounded like it.

I can't see left field from my seat in the RDS press box, but the reaction of the crowd and the jog around the bases tells me Yohel Pozo hit a homer.

Fly ball to the track in right and Jordan Walker had the runner hosed going second to third, but the throw hit him in the foot. Ankielian.

Iván Herrera is set to catch Leahy on Sunday, first game action behind the plate.

There was a detailed schedule for an upcoming talent show among Cardinals players up in the clubhouse this morning, set for Monday. Andre Pallante is conducting the national anthem. Matt Svanson is working on a Bad Bunny routine. Brody Moore and Nick Raquet are rodeo-themed.

Ryne Stanek is scheduled to make his first game appearance of spring on Saturday as part of a group in relief of Michael McGreevy. Kyle Leahy set to start Sunday.

Iván Herrera makes his spring debut and Thomas Saggese debuts in left: Winn 6 Burleson 3 Herrera DH Walker 9 Saggese 7 Pozo 2 Scott II 8 Prieto 5 Torres 4 Liberatore 1

Marmol said postgame that once the lead was large enough that they could be reasonably confident there would be a bottom of the ninth, they held Gastelum for that inning so he’d feel the end of a game. If you don’t know him yet, you should soon.

Nolan Gorman tags Jonah Tong for a three-run oppo taco.

Richard Fitts pumping 97s here in his first game inning of spring.

Iván Herrera will make his spring debut tomorrow as a DH. Ramón Urías will be in the lineup tomorrow or Friday.

Marmol said this morning that Tink Hence will remain on a reliever’s schedule through the end of spring. One to two innings, multiple times a week to get him used to the feel of the routine. Door is not closed on him as a starter, but it certainly seems pointed that way.

Welcome to Thunderdome — the Cardinals have released the 2026 Cardinals Hall of Fame Ballot, with only one of the following eligible for induction by fans: George Hendrick Brian Jordan Yadier Molina Albert Pujols

JJ Wetherholt gets a spin at short today: Wetherholt 6 Fermín 4 Gorman 5 Velázquez 9 Bernal 2 Church 8 Baez DH Jordan 3 Davis 9 Fitts 1

Cardinals say Matthew Liberatore starts tomorrow against the Astros, and Quinn Mathews on Friday against the Fish.

Yohel Pozo played first base in game action last night. If that’s viable, it becomes a variable in shaping the opening day roster — and in what the development path looks like for Jimmy Crooks and Leo Bernal in a crowded catching picture: www.bnd.com/sports/mlb/s...

Nasim Nuñez got a strike overturned by less than a tenth of an inch according to the scoreboard graphic.

Pallante through his two prescribed innings on 29 pitches with two strikeouts and a walk. The one run allowed is currently listed as earned but happened on a play where Pozo kicked a routine grounder at first. Would've been bang bang at the plate.

Ramón Urías is skipping the WBC to remain in Cardinals camp, Marmol confirmed today. Had been on the Mexico roster.