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<h3>ON-DECK: OF JOSHUA BAEZ</h3>The Texas League was put on notice in 2025.Joshua Baez didn’t just have a good season — he forced the conversation. Named a Texas League Postseason All-Star, Baez delivered 20 home runs, 54 stolen bases, and a .287/.384/.500 slash line. That combination of power and speed doesn’t whisper potential. It announces it.But this wasn’t simply a tools showcase. The underlying gains may matter even more.Baez posted a 74 percent overall contact rate while maintaining strong plate discipline. For a player once labeled “too raw,” that number carries weight. Add a 90th percentile exit velocity north of 107 mph and a hard-hit rate approaching 50 percent, and the profile shifts from intriguing athlete to legitimate offensive weapon.The raw power has always been there. In 2025, the hit tool began to catch up.Blending near-elite speed with true plus power potential, Baez now fits the modern impact outfielder mold. He affects the game in multiple ways. He pressures pitchers. He pressures defenses. And he changes innings with one swing.The 40-man roster spot matters here.St. Louis has already signaled that Baez is part of the near-term equation. With the Cardinals seeking right-handed power depth and health questions lingering in the outfield as spring approaches, opportunity could surface quickly. Injuries and performance often create openings in March, and prepared players tend to find themselves in the right place at the right time.Baez does not need to force his way onto the roster. He simply needs to continue what he started.If he breaks camp with the big club, it will be because the development is real. If he opens in Memphis, it will be the final proving ground before sustained major league opportunity.Either way, Joshua Baez is no longer just a prospect on a list.He is on deck. Photo Credit -&nbsp; MLB Pipeline

On-Deck: Joshua Baez

<h3>Should the Cardinals Take a Flier on Jack Suwinski?</h3>&nbsp; The Cardinals have made it clear they want a right-handed bat. Jack Suwinski isn’t that. He’s a left-handed, three-true-outcomes corner outfielder who can stand in center when needed. So why even talk about him? &nbsp; Because price matters, depth matters, and power plays—especially when you can control the matchups. &nbsp; Suwinski’s time in Pittsburgh unraveled for pretty standard reasons. Pitchers lived at the top of the zone with four-seamers and buried spin below it, and his in-zone contact didn’t keep up. The platoon gap against lefties stayed wide, which shrunk his role. When the bat went cold, there wasn’t enough defensive value to float his roster spot. That’s the story. &nbsp; But there’s still something here. When Suwinski holds the strike zone, the walks and barrels show up together, and suddenly you’re looking at a lefty who can run a 20+ homer pace against right-handed pitching. Busch Stadium rewards a pulled fly ball just fine, and Suwinski’s natural loft plays into that. He’s athletic enough to be serviceable in the corners and can fake center in a pinch if you protect him with late-inning defense. &nbsp; Would he fit in St. Louis? In the right role, yes. Picture him as a strong-side platoon outfielder who starts against righties and spends the rest of his time as a pinch-hitter against certain right-handed relievers—specifically the ones without elite ride on the fastball. Bat him in the lower third, let a right-handed contact bat follow him to break up strikeout clusters, and keep most of his innings in left or right field. Center should be emergency-only. &nbsp; The contract piece is straightforward. After a DFA, his market points to a minor-league deal with a spring invite or a split contract. He’d want an opt-out date if he’s not on the 26-man by a certain point. The Cardinals, in turn, should be clear about the plan: strict platoon usage, targeted work on high fastballs, and spin recognition. Give him measurable goals—trim the chase rate, lift the in-zone contact, keep the barrel quality—then reassess after about 150 plate appearances. &nbsp; How would he actually get at-bats? He’s injury insurance behind the current outfield mix. If a right-handed addition arrives as expected, Suwinski becomes the lefty counterweight—someone you can call up when you need pop against right-handed pitching without shuffling the whole roster. &nbsp; There are risks. If the high fastball hole doesn’t shrink, the cold spells are going to feel long. The way around that is discipline: hold the platoon line, pick late-game matchups carefully, and squeeze extra value from defense and baserunning with positioning and jumps. &nbsp; Bottom line: I’ll admit it: I was high on Suwinski and thought he had star potential. Maybe that’s why I’m a writer, not a scout—but I still think he’s worth taking a flier on. He won’t solve the Cardinals’ right-handed bat problem. But on a minor-league deal, he’s a smart hedge—cheap left-handed power with a defined job. If the approach tune-up sticks, he can steal you a few wins on the margins without blocking bigger plans. Photo Credit - Post Gazzette

Should the Cardinals Take a Flier on Jack Suwinski?

<h3>Scouting Report on Zak Kent (RHP)&nbsp; </h3>ProfileZak Kent (RHP) Right-handed pitcher, age 26 (born 2018 draft class, Round 9 by TEX) Size: 6'3”, ~210 lbsBackground: Developed with the Rangers; reached MLB debut in 2023 (short stint). Spent most time in Double-A/Triple-A. &nbsp; Arsenal &amp; StyleFastball: 92–95 mph, can touch 96; plays better up in the zone when command is on.Slider: Primary out pitch; mid‑80s with depth—his best bat-missing offering.Changeup: Usable third pitch vs LHB; inconsistent but flashes average.Occasional cutter reported in some looks to bridge FB/SL.Delivery: Compact with some effort; when timing is synced, he throws strikes, but command can waver. &nbsp; Performance snapshot (minors/brief MLB)Misses bats more than he walks when healthy; K-rate historically in the low-to-mid 20% range in AA/AAA.Ground-ball tendencies improve when he leans on the slider and keeps FB at the top rail.Limited MLB track record; small-sample results shouldn’t drive expectations yet. &nbsp; Injury/availability notesHad some missed time in recent years (including an oblique strain and minor lower-body issues). No major arm surgery on record, but durability/consistency has been the question. &nbsp; Fit for the CardinalsLikely depth with upside: swingman or multi-inning relief looks most immediate; spot-start potential.Pairs with STL’s pitching development focus on slider shape and FB approach at the letters.If command ticks up, could be a useful middle reliever who can handle 2–3 inning stints; ceiling of back-end starter. &nbsp; What to watch this springVelocity band (sits 93–95 vs. 91–93). Slider consistency (strike vs. chase separation). Changeup feel vs. lefties. Strike-throwing (ahead-in-count rate, first-pitch strike%). Photo Credit - Dallas Morning News

Scouting Report - RHP Zak Kent

The St. Louis Cardinals have claimed Zak Kent off waivers from the Texas Rangers, adding another right-handed arm to the mix as camp battles start to sort themselves out. Kent, 26, has been more of a depth and development piece to this point, bouncing between Double-A and Triple-A in the Rangers’ system. He’s shown the ability to miss bats at times, but command and consistency have been the separator between prospect and projection.At 6'3" with a starter’s build, Kent has worked primarily as a starter in the minors, though a bullpen conversion isn’t out of the question depending on how things shake out. This is the kind of move clubs make quietly in February—low risk, upside play, and organizational depth in a long season where arms inevitably get tested.To make room, 3B Bryan Ramos has been designated for assignment. Ramos was viewed as a young infield bat with some upside, but roster math is real. With limited flexibility on the 40-man, somebody always pays the price when pitching depth is prioritized.Bottom line? This is a depth play. If Kent finds a little consistency, it’s a savvy pickup. If not, it cost little more than a waiver claim. That’s how smart front offices churn the back end of a roster heading into Opening Day.

Cards Claim Zak Kent Off Waivers

<h3>On This Date in Cardinals History – 2011</h3>Albert Pujols’ self-imposed deadline to reach a long-term contract extension with the St. Louis Cardinals expires without a deal. Seeking 10 years and $300 million, Pujols announces there will be no further negotiations during the season to avoid becoming a distraction. The three-time National League MVP was set to become a free agent at season’s end.For the record, the St. Louis Cardinals won the 2011 World Series, defeating the Texas Rangers in a thrilling seven-game series, marking their 11th championship title.Also on this date, one of my favorite Cardinal players growing up, catcher Tim McCarver passed away. Tim a beloved father of daughters Kathy and Kelly McCarver, and adored grandfather to Beau and Leigh Root, gregarious MLB broadcaster, All-Star catcher, World Series champion, Emmy-award winner and author, died in Memphis on Thursday at the age of 81. According to his family, the cause of death was heart failure. Background Research Sources - <a data-mce-href="http://www.historyofcardinals.com" href="http://www.historyofcardinals.com" title="History of Cardinals" target="_blank" rel="noopener">HistoryofCardinals.com﻿</a>

The Beginning of the End

The Cardinals’ most realistic 2026 outcome is a season living in the 70s for wins — not because the franchise forgot how to play baseball, but because they’re straddling two timelines. The “Cardinal Way” has historically bought stability, but this roster feels like a blend of veterans who can steady the floor and young players who will endure growing pains.Those growing pains don’t always show up in the box score. They show up in 0-for-4 nights with two strikeouts in a big spot, in misplayed routes, in bullpen roles stretched thin, and in the quiet August losses that don’t make headlines but do add up.So the season becomes about one thing: do the kids move the needle fast enough to turn “respectable” into “dangerous”? If two or three young hitters become everyday positives and the rotation holds together, you can see a .500-type club. If the offense runs streaky and run prevention wobbles, fourth place becomes the ceiling.Projection systems lean toward the latter.PECOTA sees the Cardinals in the 66–69 win range, suggesting a last-place finish in the NL Central. ZiPS is more moderate, projecting roughly 76–86. Betting markets have settled near 70–71 wins, consistent with a rough season but not a total collapse.Across the board, the models treat 2026 as a transitional year — rebuilding first, contending later.Within the division, Milwaukee and Chicago project stronger on paper. Pittsburgh made meaningful offseason additions and could feature Rookie of the Year candidate Konner Griffin at shortstop. That leaves Cincinnati and St. Louis likely battling near the bottom of the Central standings.My view is slightly more optimistic than some. I see a competitive but incomplete club — one that fights most nights, flashes promise, but ultimately absorbs the lessons of a transitional year.Final call: 74–88 and fifth place in the NL Central.

“Cardinals 2026 Preseason Outlook: A Transitional Year”

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.