Cardinals' Matthew Liberatore: Settles with Cardinals

The Cardinals and Liberatore avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.26 million contract Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Liberatore was eligible for salary arbitration for the first time as a Super 2 qualifier. The left-hander had a solid first full season in the Cardinals' rotation, finishing 2025 with a 4.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 122:40 K:BB in 151.2 innings over 29 starts. Liberatore will be counted on as a key member of the St. Louis rotation again in 2026.