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<h3>The Ninth Inning Isn’t Given — It’s Claimed</h3>There’s something different about the ninth inning.Velocity matters. Spin rate matters. Command matters. But, in the end, the closer’s job is about temperament. The ninth inning belongs to the pitcher who wants it most when the game is on the line.The St. Louis Cardinals appear to have three legitimate candidates to claim that role this season, and it feels less like a formal competition than an audition under pressure.RHP Matt Svanson may have the purest closer profile of the group. Two plus breaking pitches paired with a 97-mile-per-hour fastball is the kind of arsenal that shortens games. More importantly, he carries himself like a ninth-inning arm. There’s a difference between pitching the ninth and owning it. Svanson looks like someone who would rather attack hitters than nibble around them. If the job were handed out on the basis of stuff and demeanor alone, he might already have it.LHP JoJo Romero brings a different case. Coming off his best season, he has earned trust within the bullpen. Left-handed closers are uncommon, which adds to his value, and if the Cardinals see him as a potential midseason trade piece, giving him save opportunities could increase that value. Romero does not overpower the way Svanson can, but he competes and throws with conviction. Managers often lean toward the arm they trust most early in the year, and Romero may be that option.Then there is RHP Riley O’Brien. Big arm. Electric stuff. At times, unpredictable command. He can create traffic and then escape it, evoking memories of former closer Jason Isringhausen, who made the ninth inning feel longer than it was—only to walk off the mound with another save. O’Brien has that same high-wire quality. The question is consistency. Closers can survive a little chaos; they cannot survive constant chaos.This job may not be decided in March. The Cardinals have often allowed bullpen roles to settle themselves over time. Early opportunities will likely be shared, and performance will separate the field.That is how it should be.The ninth inning isn’t assigned in a meeting room. It isn’t given based solely on radar gun readings. It is claimed, one pressure pitch at a time.By May, we may have our answer.By September, we will know who truly owns it.

Cardinals Ninth-Inning Auditions to Heat UP

Game Day Preview Today’s Grapefruit League game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie, Florida, set for a 1:10 PM EST first pitch at Clover Park (Cardinals spring training road game). (Amazin' Avenue)Probable Starters/Pitching: For St. Louis, right-hander Richard Fitts gets the ball for the Cardinals — a live arm making his case for more time in the big league mix. On the Mets’ side, the Grapefruit League starter is right-hander Jonah Tong, another youngster trying to impress in camp. Both clubs often mix and match arms this time of year, but you’ll get a good look at how these right-handers handle early spring hitters. (Amazin' Avenue)Team Context: The Cardinals come into today’s game with a 2–2 look on the spring ledger, aiming to sharpen the blade after dropping a game or two. On offense, early stats show guys like Ryan Weingartner (.500) and Yohel Pozo (2 RBIs) among the early standouts, with some young bats getting valuable work. For the Mets, they’re around 2–1 and riding a small spring streak, with contributors like Matt Rudick (1.000 spring average) and Mike Tauchman doing work at the plate. (Fubo)Mets Notes: New York’s camp has been a mix of regulars and reserve depth battles. Star shortstop Francisco Lindor recently had stitches removed and is on track for Opening Day, though hasn’t seen full impact action yet. The club has been experimenting with different infield looks, especially with Lindor’s status still a bit tentative. Also worth watching in camp: veteran reliever Craig Kimbrel has drawn praise for his presence and performance in live batting practice. (Amazin' Avenue)Cardinals Notes: St. Louis enters spring with some roster intrigue of its own — defensive versatility, youth chasing roles, and returning players balancing rehab timing. Spring has been giving opportunities to those trying to nail down bench and rotation depth roles. (Viva El Birdos)Broadcast &amp; Viewing Info: First pitch is at 1:10 PM ET. The game is available on PIX11 locally and certain radio/stream feeds covering Mets spring action. (Amazin' Avenue)Bottom line: early spring games are about opportunity and rhythm more than records, but both clubs will be looking to find some consistency before heading into the stretch run of Grapefruit League play and final roster decisions.

Cardinals Spring Training Game Day

<h3>Is Lars Nootbaar Really on the Block?</h3>Under new president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom, the St. Louis Cardinals are clearly reshaping the roster. Veterans have been moved. The direction feels transitional. That naturally fuels speculation — and now the latest name surfacing is Lars Nootbaar.On the surface, the theory is simple: if you’re not positioned to contend immediately, you move assets to accelerate the rebuild. Nootbaar, entering his age-28 season and earning $5.35 million, could draw interest from contenders seeking left-handed on-base ability.When healthy, he produces. Through five seasons, he owns a .341 career on-base percentage and consistently ranks among the club’s best in plate discipline. He controls at-bats. He works counts. He fits the modern offensive profile.The complication, of course, is health. Nootbaar is recovering from double heel surgery to address chronic Haglund’s deformities and is expected to miss the start of 2026. That matters — both for the Cardinals and for potential trade partners. Clubs rarely pay premium value for a player coming off surgery.Which raises the real question: if you’re moving him, are you selling high — or selling uncertain?At 28 and on a manageable salary, Nootbaar isn’t an aging contract to shed. He’s in his prime window. Players with on-base skill, defensive versatility, and postseason makeup typically fit both competitive timelines — present and future.If a contender overpays, you listen. That’s disciplined baseball. If it’s a move simply to “clean house,” that’s something else entirely.Rebuilds require patience. They also require discernment. Rumors are easy in February.Impact decisions are harder.

Is Lars Nootbaar Really on the Block?

<h3> Introducing #47 – Justin Bruihl </h3>Another arm with something to prove&nbsp; The St. Louis Cardinals added another left-handed arm to the mix on January 6, acquiring Justin Bruihl from the Cleveland Guardians for cash considerations. It’s not a headline-grabber. It’s a baseball move. And sometimes, those are the ones that matter most.Bruihl, 28, stands 6-foot and 215 pounds. He’s not a draft darling. In fact, he wasn’t drafted at all. A former non-drafted free agent, he’s worked his way through five organizations and 94 Major League appearances with the Los Angeles Dodgers (65), Toronto Blue Jays (15), Colorado Rockies (7), and Pittsburgh Pirates (7). He even signed with the Cincinnati Reds in 2024 but never appeared in a big-league game there.That résumé tells you something. This is a pitcher who keeps getting called.Bruihl was part of an American League championship club in Toronto, appearing in 15 games for the Blue Jays. He also has postseason experience — three appearances in the 2021 NLCS with Los Angeles and another in the 2025 ALDS with Toronto. In his three NLCS outings against Atlanta, he didn’t allow a run, surrendering just one hit while striking out five. That’s not noise. That’s a man who’s been trusted when the lights were bright.He played his college ball at California Polytechnic State University at San Luis Obispo — better known as Cal Poly — the same program that produced Cardinals Hall of Fame shortstop Ozzie Smith and former Cardinals reliever Bud Norris. That doesn’t guarantee anything, but it doesn’t hurt to come from a school that understands fundamentals and development.So what is Bruihl to the 2026 Cardinals?He’s depth. He’s competition. He’s another option from the left side in a bullpen that will have to get outs in the sixth, seventh, and maybe more. In a season where roles aren’t handed out — they’re earned — Bruihl arrives with the kind of professional track record that suggests he’ll compete.He’s not here for a parade. He’s here for an opportunity.And if there’s one thing this game still rewards, it’s pitchers who keep showing up and keep getting outs.Welcome to St. Louis, #47. The door’s open

Introducing #47 – Justin Bruihl

&nbsp; Cardinals Bats Quiet in 6–1 Loss to Nationals Spring contest turns late as Washington breaks it open in the eighthThe St. Louis Cardinals dropped a 6–1 Grapefruit League decision Tuesday night to the Washington Nationals in Jupiter, in a game that stayed manageable until a late inning unraveled.Through the middle frames, this one had the look of a typical February contest — pitchers working deliberately, hitters refining approach, and a scoreboard that didn’t demand much attention. St. Louis scratched across its lone run early, manufacturing offense rather than slugging its way there. Victor Scott II contributed with productive contact, and the Cardinals briefly held serve in a tight game.On the mound, there were stretches of effectiveness. The early innings were competitive, with Cardinal arms keeping Washington from doing serious damage. But spring games have a way of turning quickly, especially once the depth relievers begin cycling through.That turn came in the eighth.Washington capitalized on free passes and timely hitting, stringing together a five-run inning that shifted the tone from competitive to decisive. Walks extended the frame, a key hit cleared the bases, and what had been a manageable deficit became a final score that looked harsher than the first seven innings suggested.Offensively, the Cardinals never found rhythm. Hits were scarce, and sustained pressure never materialized. It’s the kind of quiet night that exposes timing still in progress — not unusual in late February, but still worth noting as roster battles quietly take shape.Spring training results are rarely the headline. Process is. Execution is. Situational work is. For much of the night, the Cardinals were in it. But late-inning command and run prevention remain areas to tighten as competition deepens.In February, you take your work where you can find it. This was work.

Cardinals Offense on Spring Break

February 25, 1972 - A Wise Move for the Cardinals?There are trades… and then there are trades that never stop being discussed in barbershops, press boxes, and spring training backfields.On this date in 1972, the St. Louis Cardinals made one of the most controversial decisions in franchise history. Due to a salary impasse, they traded 20-game winner Steve Carlton (20–9 in 1971) to the last-place Philadelphia Phillies in exchange for right-hander Rick Wise (17–14).It wasn’t a rumor. It wasn’t leaked in advance. It was done.Carlton, already an All-Star and one of the most dominant left-handers in baseball, reportedly learned of the deal when traveling secretary Eddie Ferenz knocked on his Clearwater Beach condo door early in the morning during spring training. Just like that, the ace of the staff was gone.At the time, the Cardinals were only a few years removed from National League pennants in 1967 and 1968 and were trying to maintain their place among baseball’s elite. But baseball was changing. Salaries were rising. Player leverage was evolving. And the old guard front-office philosophy was being tested in ways it hadn’t been before.Rick Wise was no throw-in. He was durable, competitive, and coming off a solid season in Philadelphia. In fact, Wise would give the Cardinals two strong years, including a 16-win campaign in 1972 and 19 wins in 1973. He was a professional pitcher who did his job.But history rarely treats trades as balanced ledger sheets.Carlton, known as “Lefty,” went on to deliver one of the greatest pitching seasons in modern baseball history in 1972. Pitching for a Phillies team that won just 59 games, Carlton posted a staggering 27–10 record, accounting for nearly half of Philadelphia’s victories. He led the league in innings, strikeouts, and complete games and won the National League Cy Young Award in unanimous fashion.Over the years, Carlton would win four Cy Young Awards and eventually be inducted into the Hall of Fame. His departure became one of those defining “what if” moments for St. Louis — a reminder that sometimes disputes off the field can shape decades of narrative.Every franchise has turning points. Some are championships. Others are crossroads.March 25, 1972, remains one of them.

1972 - A Wise Move for the Cardinals?

The Cardinal Chronicle 

The Cardinal Chronicle is dedicated to preserving Cardinals history, covering today’s game, and following the next generation through the minor leagues. Written in the tradition of the old beat writers, it’s baseball with perspective — steady, faithful, and rooted in a lifelong love for the game.