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<h3>Cardinals Testing Herrera Beyond the Plate</h3>Herrera’s Outfield Work Signals Roster Flexibility, Not Position ChangeMultiple reports from camp indicate that Iván Herrera, the team's primary designated-hitter last year, who is currently projected as the Cardinals’ No. 1 catcher on the depth chart, has been taking reps in the outfield during Spring Training. On the surface, it raises eyebrows. Underneath, it reflects roster math.Herrera is not new to defensive flexibility. He appeared in three games in left field last season, a quiet but telling experiment that suggests this is continuation — not improvisation. He also could potentially logged time at first base to further reinforce the club’s willingness to expand his defensive profile beyond catcher and designated hitter.The optics this week were interesting. Herrera was seen shagging fly balls with a first baseman’s mitt — an unusual visual for outfield work. In structured spring drills, equipment sometimes follows the station rather than the position, but the image underscored the broader theme: this is experimentation, not a formal conversion.The catchers were working through pop-time drills and throws to second base, while Herrera was shagging flys. The catcher drills are prohibited for Herrera as he continues his recovery from surgery to remove bone spurs in his right elbow, and exploring options other as the team's primary designated-hitter, working out at first and and in lelf makes sense to keep his bat in the lineup.The underlying objective is clear.Herrera’s right-handed bat profiles as playable — particularly against left-handed pitching — on a roster that features significant left-handed presence. If the Cardinals carry Pedro Pagés for defensive stability and Jimmy Crooks as a developing two-way option.Adding corner outfield and first base versatility: • Preserves his bat in the lineup • Reduces physical wear behind the plate • Justifies a potential three-catcher roster • Provides matchup flexibilityThis is not about turning Herrera into an everyday outfielder or first baseman, it is about maximizing offensive value without compromising depth.In February, experimentation costs nothing. By April, roster decisions will reveal whether these reps were precautionary flexibility or part of a larger deployment strategy.For now, it’s roster chess in the Florida sun. Photo Credit - UPI.com

Cards Testing Herrera Beyond the Plate

This Date in Cardinal History February 18, 2011<h3>Jim Edmonds Announces Retirement &nbsp;</h3><figure id="figure-xkaa8vmbkqmlrp4ct4"><img id="xkaa8vmbkqmlrp4ct4" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/3bnNkPGlzO1YYbOfftYA1itztah42SqXxV7ngK0cbfMidkalh11wiFvVcJKUWrZz.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/3bnNkPGlzO1YYbOfftYA1itztah42SqXxV7ngK0cbfMidkalh11wiFvVcJKUWrZz.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>Veteran center fielder Jim Edmonds, one of the premier defensive outfielders of his generation and a cornerstone of the St. Louis Cardinals’ resurgence in the early 2000s, announced his retirement from Major League Baseball on this date in 2011.Edmonds, 40, had reported to spring training on a minor league contract in hopes of extending his career, but lingering injuries and the cumulative toll of 17 major league seasons led him to step away from the game.Acquired by St. Louis prior to the 2000 season, Edmonds quickly became the anchor in center field during the club’s “MV3” era alongside Albert Pujols and Scott Rolen.Over his career, Edmonds posted a .284 batting average with 393 home runs and 1,199 runs batted in. He was selected to four All-Star Games with St. Louis and earned eight Gold Gloves overall, six in a Cardinals uniform.His postseason résumé remains etched in franchise history — most notably the dramatic Game 6 walk-off home run in the 2004 National League Championship Series and his role on the 2006 World Series championship club managed by Tony La Russa.Edmonds played the game with intensity and flair, turning difficult chances into signature moments and providing middle-of-the-order power to complement elite defense.On February 18, 2011, the curtain closed — not with ceremony, but with quiet resolve. A ballplayer knowing his time had come.And for nearly a decade in St. Louis, center field belonged to him. Research Sources - HistoryofCardinals.com Creator: ELSA | Credit: AFP/Getty Images

Jim Edmonds Announces Retirement

<h3>This Date in St. Louis Cardinals History - 1993</h3>Lonnie Maclin – &nbsp;(born February 17, 1967 in Clayton, Missouri), played for the St. Louis Cardinals in the 1993 season. In 12 career games, Maclin had one hit in 13 at-bats.Ironically, that lone hit came on a night that I was at the ballpark. A night that I will never forget and will forever be etched into Cardinals lore — September 7, 1993, at Busch Stadium, when Mark Whiten launched four home runs and drove in 12 runs against the Cincinnati Reds. Lost in that historic barrage was Lonnie Maclin quietly recording the only Major League hit of his career. For Maclin, simply reaching the big leagues with the hometown St. Louis Cardinals was a testament to perseverance — years of grinding through the minor leagues for a September call-up and a brief cup of coffee in The Show. While the box score will always spotlight Whiten’s fireworks, Maclin’s single stands as a reminder that for many players, a single base hit in the majors represents the fulfillment of a lifelong dream. On a night remembered for tape-measure home runs, Maclin claimed his own quiet piece of baseball history — and for those who were there, that’s something no stat line can diminish.<figure id="figure-a9gtugxbcmlq0gtgl"><img id="a9gtugxbcmlq0gtgl" src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/3audVe9s7ot3SzRjv62y25iieo4zFuo0lKfNsJTLsmyH4BMayKPzvx1FprkHMzgR.jpg" alt="" title="" class="object-cover bg-gray-100 " style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;" data-corners="default" data-aspect="16:9" data-caption="" data-positionx="undefined" data-positiony="undefined" data-fullwidth="false" data-mce-src="https://cdn.durable.co/blocks/3audVe9s7ot3SzRjv62y25iieo4zFuo0lKfNsJTLsmyH4BMayKPzvx1FprkHMzgR.jpg" data-mce-style="aspect-ratio: 16/9; object-position: center center;"></figure>The former St. Louis Cardinals outfielder and first baseman, who spent seven years in the Cardinals farm system beginning in 1987, was inducted into the Greater St. Louis Amateur Baseball Hall of Fame in 2024.(Photo Credit - St. Louis American / Research Sources - HistoryofCardinals.com) &nbsp;

Local Hall of Famer Gets His Only MLB Hit

<h3>Nelson Velázquez: Power Bat, Narrow Margin</h3>Every spring brings a handful of names that sit just outside the spotlight. Not prospects. Not established veterans. Just ballplayers trying to make someone’s decision difficult.Nelson Velázquez fits that description.The 27-year-old right-handed hitter arrives in camp as a non-roster invitee with something tangible to offer: power. In 552 career Major League at-bats, Velázquez has launched 31 home runs and slugged .433. The raw strength is not theoretical. When he connects, the ball carries.The question has never been power.The question is consistency.Velázquez owns a career .212 batting average and a .286 on-base percentage. His OPS+ of 98 suggests he has been roughly league average overall, but that mark hides the streakiness. There are stretches when he looks like a middle-order threat, and others when the swing-and-miss becomes difficult to ignore.At 27, this is no longer a development story. This is a refinement story.The Cardinals have reportedly given him work in left field this spring, a sign that they are at least exploring the possibility of a roster fit. With uncertainty still hovering over portions of the outfield depth chart, a right-handed power option carries value — especially one capable of punishing mistakes off the bench or filling in against left-handed pitching.But non-roster invitees operate without cushion. They do not get patience. They must show it.If Velázquez can tighten the strike zone, control at-bats, and demonstrate steady defense in left, he gives the club something it can use: controllable power at a modest cost. If the strikeouts mount and the at-bats grow uncompetitive, the margin disappears quickly.Spring training numbers can mislead. Process matters more than production. For Velázquez, the evaluation will be simple: Are the at-bats stronger? Is the approach steadier? Does the power come within the framework of a complete hitter?There is real strength in the bat.Now comes the proving.

Nelson Velázquez: Power Bat, Narrow Margin

<h3>Have the Cards reached a crossroads with Jordan Walker?</h3>Three years ago, Jordan Walker arrived in St. Louis with the kind of anticipation reserved for cornerstone players. The organization believed in the bat enough to accelerate the timetable. A 12-game hitting streak to open his career only strengthened that belief. But development at the major league level is rarely linear, and Walker’s path has been anything but smooth.Now, entering 2026, the circumstances are different.The St. Louis Cardinals are no longer protecting a contender’s window. They are recalibrating. That gives Walker something he may not have had before — a clear runway. He is expected to open the season as the everyday right fielder. No platoon. No positional experiment. No infield blockage. The job is his.With that opportunity comes expectation.The strikeout rate has remained a concern. Defensive metrics have not settled. And last season’s negative WAR cannot be dismissed as small-sample noise. At some point, projection yields to production. Organizations can be patient, but they cannot be indefinite.Walker is still just 23 years old. That matters. Power like his does not grow on trees. But arbitration eligibility looms next winter, and the club must determine whether he is part of the next competitive core or a trade asset whose value may be diminishing.Rebuilding clubs can afford to let a young player play through struggles. They cannot afford to ignore stagnation.This season will not be about potential. It will be about adjustment, at the plate, in the field, and in approach. If those adjustments take hold, the Cardinals may finally see the player they envisioned. If not, both sides may have to consider whether a different environment serves the player. and the franchise, better.This is not a make-or-break season in the dramatic sense.It is, however, an evaluation season. And those tend to be the most telling.&nbsp;Begging the question, has the Cards reached a crossroad with Walker? Photo Credit - AP Photo/Sue Ogrocki

Have the Cards reached a crossroads with Jordan Walker?

Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic recently reported that the Orioles are continuing to shop Ryan Mountcastle. That should ping St. Louis’ radar. Mountcastle is exactly what he appears to be: a right-handed power hitter whose value is rooted in his offense. He’s particularly tough on lefties—consistently posting strong numbers against LHP with elite exit velocities—and over a full season, you can reasonably project 18–22 home runs at Busch Stadium. He won’t draw many walks and will chase at times, but if you let him hunt pull-side pitches, he can punish mistakes and add length to the lineup.Defensively, Mountcastle is primarily a first baseman who can also DH. He’s not being acquired for versatility, but rather for his offensive production—a need that matches where the Cardinals are today. With Nolan Arenado and Willson Contreras moved, and Alec Burleson both injured and was the subject of trade rumors over the weekend, Mountcastle’s role expands from a platoon option to a potential everyday run producer. Against left-handed starters, he’s almost automatic in the 1B/DH mix, likely hitting fifth or sixth to break up lefties and capitalize on runners on base. Since Busch suppresses opposite-field power for righties, the hitting plan is simple: do damage pull-side, attack mistakes inside, and avoid chasing to maintain on-base valueWhat would Mountcastle cost? Baltimore has a first base/DH logjam and typically seeks controllable pitching depth in these deals—think an MLB-ready starter with options plus a secondary piece, not a core rotation anchor. That’s a price point the Cardinals can explore without touching the top of the staff. If Baltimore asks for more, St. Louis should draw the line at mid-tier arms and reliever control, not core rotation capital.Health and performance are key factors. Mountcastle is coming off a season where he missed significant time due to a hamstring injury. According to Lindy Sports’ Fantasy Baseball Magazine, even when healthy, he posted a .653 OPS, that is well below the major league average of a 700 OPS, with seven home runs in 89 games. That profile offers some value for St. Louis, but doesn’t justify paying a premium.Bottom line: In this roster context, Mountcastle provides a right-handed presence in the lineup, claims everyday first base with DH flexibility, and gives the club insurance while injuries, player development, and trade outcomes unfold. If St. Louis can land him for controllable pitching depth, he’s a practical fit for where the Cardinals are right now. Photo Credit: Colin Murphy/PressBox

Mountcastle: A Right-Handed Solution for St. Louis?

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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.