Cardinals' Josh Fleming: Re-ups with St. Louis on MiLB deal
Rotowire
The Cardinals re-signed Fleming to a minor-league contract Monday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Fleming made one appearance with the Blue Jays in 2026 but otherwise spent the season at the Triple-A level in three different organizations. The southpaw held a 4.01 ERA and 82:24 K:BB over 112.1 innings during his time on the farm, and he'll give St. Louis some experienced rotation depth at Triple-A Memphis.
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Cardinals' Ryne Stanek: Set to become free agent
Rotowire
Stanek is expected to have his one-year option declined by the Cardinals, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Stanek appears to be set to become a free agent ahead of the 2027 campaign. The right-handed relief pitcher compiled a 4.02 ERA and 1.34 WHIP with 65 strikeouts while recording 26 holds and two saves over 62.2 innings in 70 appearances with St. Louis during the 2026 regular season.
Cardinals' Riley O'Brien: Aims to add muscle over offseason
Rotowire
O'Brien said recently that he wants to put on "as much muscle as I can" this offseason in order to help his body absorb the toll of the 2027 season, Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
O'Brien finished tied for the National League lead with 38 saves this season, but he faded after the All-Star break, posting a 5.11 ERA, 1.54 WHIP and 25:16 K:BB over 24.2 innings while blowing four of 18 save chances. The 31-year-old also saw his velocity dip in the second half, as he averaged 97 mph with his four-seamer after averaging 98.2 mph with the pitch in the first half. As things stand right now, O'Brien is the clear favorite to open next season as the Cardinals' closer again.
Cardinals' Tai Peete: Lost 25 pounds during season
Rotowire
Peete revealed recently that he lost "about 25 pounds" because of an illness he developed during the season, Aiden Stepansky of MLB.com reports.
All told, Peete wound up missing around two-and-a-half months of the season due to illness and also a concussion. He's healthy now, having homered in his second plate appearance in the Arizona Fall League. Peete admits that "it was a grind" getting through the season at less than 100 percent, which makes his performance all the more impressive. In 66 games in 2026 split mostly between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield, Peete slashed .296/.359/.549 with 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases.
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Cardinals' Brandon Clarke: Undergoes minor elbow surgery
Rotowire
Clarke recently underwent surgery to remove a loose body from his left elbow.
Clarke had been slated to play in the Arizona Fall League, but he'll have to rehab instead. The southpaw is expected to be recovered in time to pitch in instructional camp in January. It's the second surgery in less than a year for Clarke, who had an operation in January to address an aneurysm in his left arm. In between those two procedures, the lefty held a 3.34 ERA and 44:17 K:BB over 29.2 innings across four minor-league stops, showcasing his electric stuff but also his control issues.
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Cardinals' Brian Curley: Traded to Cardinals
Rotowire
The Diamondbacks traded Curley to the Cardinals on Thursday.
Curley will become the player to be named later in the trade that sent Lars Nootbaar to Arizona at the deadline in August. Curley, 23, split his time between High-A and Double-A in 2026 and posted a 5.35 ERA, 1.53 WHIP and 130:34 K:BB across 116 innings between the two levels. He'll presumably remain at Double-A upon joining his new organization, though he'll likely need to show drastic improvement in 2027 before he moves up to Triple-A.
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Cardinals' Rainiel Rodriguez: Could get some reps at third base
Rotowire
Rodriguez has worked out at third base and will "continue to see time there as they look to expand his versatility," Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom noted Monday that the team has a "long-term vacancy" at third base. Goold writes that Rodriguez still projects as a catcher, but the team is open to adding third base to his list of positions along with catcher and first base as it looks to increase versatility. Rodriguez -- who will not turn 20 until January -- has emerged as one of the best prospects in baseball, having slashed .324/.413/.574 with 27 home runs, 87 RBI, 11 steals and a 60:101 BB:K over 115 games between High-A Peoria and Double-A Springfield in 2026. He'll likely begin the 2027 season at Triple-A Memphis and could reach the majors before the end of the season.
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Cardinals' Richard Fitts: Expected to be ready for spring
Rotowire
Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom said Monday that Fitts (lat) is on track to be ready at the start of spring training but will have his workload monitored, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
Fitts underwent right lat surgery in April after getting hurt while pitching at Triple-A Memphis. It's unclear where Fitts currently is in the rehab process, but Bloom said the righty is "hellbent on being part of this picture from the jump" next season. Assuming health, Fitts will be in the mix for a rotation spot next season. However, after all the time off there's a good chance he'll begin the campaign back at Memphis.
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