Cardinals veterans express optimism and shared expectations for the 2025 roster

The St. Louis Cardinals enter the 2025 season with average-at-best expectations from rivals around the league, but their established players refuse to listen to the outside chatter. After the Cardinals changed tones from a "reset" to a "transition" and received an F-grade for their offseason, veterans Willson Contreras, Nolan Arenado, and Miles Mikolas are not buying into the negativity.

Cardinals veterans love the energy and talent that exists on the current roster.

While fans would love to see the Cardinals' front office pick a lane and either go all in on a reset or invest in a championship team, the current roster boasts a mix of talent, energy, and potential that could surprise other teams around the league. After missing the playoffs in two consecutive seasons and leaving Spring Training with a roster full of names that were on these disappointing teams, it is fair to wonder if the Cardinals have a plan and if it is realistic to expect noticeable changes as the team looks towards the future.

However, the current roster has plenty of established talent at key positions, like Contreras, who has looked good in his shift to first base, and eight-time All-Star Nolan Arenado at the hot corner. The roster also includes quality pieces in Ryan Helsley, new leader Brendan Donovan, future franchise cornerstone Masyn Winn, and breakout candidates like Lars Nootbaar.

Beyond them, Nolan Gorman and Jordan Walker are poised to make good on the organization's faith in their talent, while the upper level of the minor leagues hosts projectable prospects in J.J. Wetherholt, Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence, and Jimmy Crooks standing out among a host of other developing players. This does not include outfielder Victor Scott II and pitcher Michael McGreevy, who are currently in competition for final roster spots before the team heads to St. Louis.

For me, I am cautiously optimistic that this team can at minimum stay on pace with last year's 83-win team if they receive improved performance from their key players and their young guys take the necessary jump from prospects to quality major leaguers. Arenado, who is at the forefront of players needing to step up from last season, thinks that the team is ready for the jump. The star third baseman said, "We know in our hearts that last year wasn't something as a team to be proud of, and we have to go out and play better. And if we play better than we did last year, you never know what’s going to happen." Arenado posted his worst full season in terms of offensive performance since his debut in 2013, but he was still productive, with 71 RBIs, and bounced back defensively.

Arenado's comments point mostly at the veterans instead of the young players in waiting, and that includes Willson Contreras, although his offensive season was quality, just shortened due to a fractured forearm. In an effort to stay healthy this season, Contreras is giving way to youngsters Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pages to take over behind the plate while he shifts to first base. The Cardinals went to Contreras early in the offseason to check his interest in changing organizations, but he, along with Sonny Gray and Miles Mikolas, had little desire to move teams.

Contreras notes that the team did not do any of the big spending like others around the league, as evidenced by the Cardinals not making their first major league signing until mid-March, but he believes that the guys choosing to stay in St. Louis shows their faith in the current roster. The new first baseman trusts in the talent of the entire team and also compliments the group's high energy coming from the younger players. Without naming them specifically, it appears that Contreras agrees with guys like Walker and Gorman receiving the opportunity to truly prove themselves at the big league level by allowing them to get comfortable and play their game.

Even with the negativity coming from so-called experts around the league, pitcher Miles Mikolas is excited for the energy and feelings from the "youngry" group of Cardinals waiting for their chance. Trying to stay connected with the "kids," as Mikolas put it, he said that the general "vibe" of the team is a strong sense of togetherness. The buy-in from players new and old will be a major factor in the team's success and it appears, from the outside at least, that everyone is ready to prove the rest of the league wrong.

Sure, the St. Louis Cardinals did not sell off their big name or valuable assets and move towards a full-scale rebuild, but their current roster feels they are in a better spot than they are viewed by outsiders. Improved performances by their established veterans and an increase in opportunities for their younger players could open up some eyes and surprise the league. I personally expect an exciting, fiery, and focused group as the Cardinals look to bounce back in a big way during the 2025 season.