3 tiers of contract extensions the St. Louis Cardinals should prioritize right now

The St. Louis Cardinals' 2025 campaign has been fueled by their young core, prompting plenty of discussions by both fans and media regarding who they should build around long-term.

It is a fascinating and multifaceted discussion, as there are a bunch of players who could be with the Cardinals for a long time. The youth that makes up the majority of this Cardinals team gives them quite the base to build on going forward, but every organization has to prioritize who they will focus on retaining.

Just because a player is a part of the core does not necessarily mean the Cardinals should sign them to a long-term extension. If they went out tomorrow and locked up eight of their young players to extensions, they'd have little flexibility in future seasons. They need to have a game plan of who they want to have around for years to come, and then to try and lock up the most critical parts of their core.

Now, the ceiling of players and their remaining team control play a role in potential extensions as well. This is why I decided to make three tiers of extension candidates today. The first two players are by no means essential to extend, but could become major bargains if a deal is secured soon. The other two tiers are players who should be extended immediately, but their values are different based on team control.

Tier #3 - Might be premature, but that may also lead to quite the bargain

Matthew Liberatore and Victor Scott II

Arguably, the two most surprising breakout performers for the Cardinals in 2025 have been Matthew Liberatore and Victor Scott II, both of whom have cemented themselves as part of the Cardinals' core moving forward.

Both had question marks entering the year for different reasons. This is Liberatore's fourth season appearing at the big league level, but it is the first where he has truly looked like a potential difference-maker in the rotation moving forward. Liberatore once had the pedigree as a first-round, top 50 prospect in baseball, and one of the most intriguing left-handed starters in all of minor league baseball, but much of that shine had faded despite only being 25 years old this season.

Even with rocky start on the mound Friday night, Liberatore still has a 3.08 ERA in his 11 starts this year, striking out 56 batters over the course of 64.1 innings of work. Liberatore has been pitching like a true front-line starter this year, and if that's who he is moving forward, the Cardinals would be wise to secure his long-term future with them.

Scott played in just 53 games for St. Louis during his rookie year, so there was much less pressure on him to perform this year than Liberatore. Scott earned that starting center field job with a strong spring training, and has followed that up by slashing .262/.337/.357 and stealing 16 bags entering Friday night's contest with the Rangers.

It's hard to say what Scott's ceiling could be long-term, but even if he trends more towards being a member of the supporting cast rather than a true star, the value he provides defensively, on the basepaths, and his growing offensive profile all make him someone who would make a lot of sense to keep around long-term.

Both are a bit risky as extension candidates. Liberatore's excellent start to the year is still a small sample size, and if he regresses and cannot be trusted in the rotation long-term, then he becomes an overpaid reliever. If Scott does not continue to progress as a player, the Cardinals would lose the competitive advantage of having him on pre-arbitration and arbitration salaries.

But the payoff could be very real as well. Pitching is becoming increasingly expensive in today's game, so getting someone like Liberatore extended early could save the Cardinals a ton of cash down the line. Same with Scott, who, if he develops more as a player, will be hard to keep around along with the other members of the core that St. Louis should be looking to lock up.