St. Louis Cardinals, Peoria Chiefs extend Player Development Contract

Days after re-upping their player development contract with the State College Spikes, the St. Louis Cardinals announced an extension with the Peoria Chiefs of the Midwest League (A).

Originally set to expire at the end of the 2016 season, Thursday’s contract extension will see the Chiefs continue their minor league affiliation through the end of the 2020 season.

“The Peoria Chiefs continue to run a first-class operation providing us with outstanding support of our player development efforts,” Cardinals’ Senior Vice President/General Manager John Mozeliak said in a team statement. “We look forward to our continued relationship with the Chiefs and the Peoria community.”

The Chiefs were a Cardinals affiliate during the 1995-2004 seasons, including the lone Midwest League Championship in 2002. The Cardinals switched to Quad Cities for their Class A affiliate while Peoria looked to the Chicago Cubs. The Cardinals returned to Peoria during the 2013 season, where the Chiefs would see a fourth place finish in the Midwest League Western Division. Before 1995, the last time the Cardinals had a presence in Peoria had come during the 1954-56 seasons.

The only two Cardinals on the Major League roster who saw playing time in Peoria are Yadier Molina (2002) and Jason Motte (2003) but it should be noted that both players are currently on the DL.