Cardinals schedule gives fans early opportunity to honor former players

Opening Day for the St. Louis Cardinals is on Thursday, March 26th, against the Tampa Bay Rays. The Cardinals will start their season at home for the third time in four seasons. Following the Rays, the New York Mets come to town at the end of March, then the Cardinals head on the road for a pair of series against the Detroit Tigers and Washington Nationals. Following these two series, St. Louis returns home, and three old friends will also come back to Busch Stadium.

The Boston Red Sox and Seattle Mariners will come to Busch Stadium in April, and Willson Contreras, Sonny Gray, and Brendan Donovan will return for the first time since being traded.

The Boston Red Sox will be in St. Louis for a three-game series from April 10th through April 12th. This series will represent the first time that Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras will return to Busch Stadium after being traded this offseason.

Sonny Gray was traded to Boston in November for right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts and left-handed pitching prospect Brandon Clarke. St. Louis also sent over cash to help cover the remainder of Gray's contract. Fitts, 26, will be fighting for a rotation spot during spring training while Clarke will continue to develop in the minors.

Assuming Gray is the Red Sox's third starter in the rotation, he'll pitch in Friday night's game against St. Louis, though this could change due to injuries or a shift in the rotation.

Willson Contreras was shipped up to Boston a month later for right-handed pitcher Hunter Dobbins and prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita. Once again, the Cardinals included cash on their end of the deal. Dobbins, similar to Richard Fitts, could make the rotation out of spring while Fajardo and Aita will remain in the minors.

Willson Contreras will be Boston's starting first baseman next year, and he'll likely hit in the middle of the lineup. He had nothing but positive things to say about St. Louis as an organization and the fans who supported him.

Two weeks after the Red Sox are in town, the Seattle Mariners will pay the Cardinals a visit. The Cardinals and Mariners will go head-to-head for a three-game series starting on Friday, April 24th, and ending on Sunday, April 26th. This will be the first time that newly acquired Mariner Brendan Donovan will play against the Cardinals, the same team that drafted him nearly a decade ago.

Donovan was traded earlier this week for a splattering of prospects and draft picks headlined by pitcher Jurrangelo Cijntje. He'll be Seattle's primary third baseman in 2026, but he'll likely float around the field, a role similar to the one he filled in St. Louis.

With both Boston and Seattle coming to St. Louis in the first month of the regular season, fans will have an opportunity to show their respect and gratitude for three former players. Brendan Donovan will likely get the largest ovation from the crowd, with Willson Contreras and Sonny Gray to follow.

In total, these three men dedicated 13 years of their time to the St. Louis organization. While the club wasn't able to find the success that it wanted with them on the team, it's through no fault of these three players. Contreras posted a .817 OPS in his three seasons with St. Louis, Brendan Donovan accumulated 11.1 bWAR in his four seasons while winning a Gold Glove and being voted an All Star, and Sonny Gray averaged more than 200 strikeouts a season while posting a 4.07 ERA.

Busch Stadium won't be as filled as it used to be in 2026, but hopefully the fans that do attend games in April will be prepared to give a rousing ovation for these three former Cardinals in their returns to Busch Stadium.