ST. LOUIS – Opening Day is just a few days away! And the St. Louis Cardinals have presumably finalized their roster to start the 2025 season.
This year’s Opening Day roster will feature 13 position players and 13 position players with a mix of youth and veterans.
Manager Oli Marmol announced Sunday what appears to be the Cardinals’ final Opening Day roster, barring an injury or unexpected move over the next several days. The roster decision comes as the Cardinals conclude spring training Sunday, followed by one exhibition game against their Triple-A affiliate (Memphis Redbirds) as a final tuneup.
This is the St. Louis Cardinals’ presumed 2025 Opening Day roster…
STARTING PITCHERS
- Erick Fedde
- Sonny Gray
- Matthew Liberatore
- Miles Mikolas
- Andre Pallante
RELIEF PITCHERS
- Ryan Fernandez
- Ryan Helsley
- John King
- Kyle Leahy
- Phil Maton
- Steve Matz
- JoJo Romero
- Chris Roycroft
CATCHERS
- Iván Herrera
- Pedro Pagés
INFIELDERS
- Nolan Arenado
- Luken Baker
- Alec Burleson*
- Willson Contreras
- Brendan Donovan*
- Nolan Gorman
- Masyn Winn
OUTFIELDERS
- Lars Nootbaar
- Victor Scott II
- Michael Siani
- Jordan Walker
*Donovan and Burleson could also see some time in outfield
Initial Reactions
The biggest decision was for the Cardinals to not only include 24-year-old outfielder Victor Scott II on the Opening Day roster but also to name him the starting center fielder to begin the season. Scott has been sizzling this spring with a .349 batting average, 4 home runs, 7 RBI, and 5 stolen bases – strides he credits to being more studious this offseason.
Another notable decision was choosing Matthew Liberatore over Steven Matz for a rotation spot, given Matz’s contract and Liberatore’s history of bouncing between starting and relief roles. Liberatore will be the only left-handed pitcher in the Cardinals rotation for now, even though manager Oli Marmol hinted last week that the team may consider a six-man rotation in the early weeks of the season to keep arms fresh.
In a corresponding move, prospect Michael McGreevy, who enjoyed a strong spring (1.08 ERA over 16.2 innings) after an impressive first big-league stint last year, heads back to Triple-A Memphis. Despite making a strong case for a rotation spot, the Cardinals opted for more seasoning in the minors.
On the position player side, utility infielder José Fermín was one of the final cuts. He will also head to Triple-A Memphis, and this will leave the Cardinals without a true backup behind everyday shortstop Masyn Winn. However, the position versatility of Brendan Donovan, Nolan Gorman, and Alec Burleson (including Donovan’s willingness to play shortstop on occasion) likely factored into the decision.
Meanwhile, in a nice surprise, Luken Baker will begin the season with a big bench bat for the Cardinals. It’s his first time on an Opening Day roster after six years in the minor leagues. He slugged a team-leading four home runs this spring and can valuable right-handed pop against left-handed pitching, either at designated hitter or first base.
The Cardinals open their 2025 regular season on Thursday at Busch Stadium against the Minnesota Twins.
