{"id":137108,"date":"2026-01-09T15:58:29","date_gmt":"2026-01-09T15:58:29","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=137108"},"modified":"2026-01-09T15:58:29","modified_gmt":"2026-01-09T15:58:29","slug":"cardinals-make-key-move-before-deadline-that-has-fans-breathing-easier","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=137108","title":{"rendered":"Cardinals Make Key Move Before Deadline That Has Fans Breathing Easier"},"content":{"rendered":"<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/files.fanbeat.win\/art\/qy4j5l7RlHAd.avif\" \/><\/p>\n<div class=\"caption\">IMAGE: St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) celebrates with first baseman Alec Burleson (41) after hitting a two run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers during the third inning at Busch Stadium. \/ Jeff Curry \/ Imagn Images<\/div>\n<p>The St. Louis Cardinals took care of business ahead of MLB\u2019s arbitration deadline, reaching agreements with all seven of their arbitration-eligible players and avoiding the often-tense process of exchanging figures or heading to hearings.<\/p>\n<p>It\u2019s a clean sweep for the front office-and a notable first for Chaim Bloom in his new role leading baseball operations in St. Louis.<\/p>\n<p>Let\u2019s break down what this means, who\u2019s getting what, and why this matters beyond just the numbers.<\/p>\n<h3>The Seven Settled<\/h3>\n<p>The Cardinals entered the day with seven players eligible for arbitration: <strong>Alec Burleson, Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar, JoJo Romero, Andre Pallante, Nolan Gorman<\/strong>, and <strong>Matthew Liberatore<\/strong>. By the deadline, deals were done across the board.<\/p>\n<p>No hearings. No back-and-forth.<\/p>\n<p>Just signed agreements and a smoother path forward.<\/p>\n<p>This is significant. Arbitration can be a messy, uncomfortable process-especially when a club has to argue why a player <em>isn\u2019t<\/em> worth the salary they\u2019re asking for.<\/p>\n<p>That tension can linger. St.<\/p>\n<p>Louis has seen that before. But this time around, they avoided the courtroom altogether.<\/p>\n<p><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/images2.minutemediacdn.com\/image\/upload\/c_crop,x_0,y_0,w_4250,h_2390\/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto\/images\/ImagnImages\/mmsport\/inside_the_cardinals\/01k7m72vjhktkaqgyf2b.jpg\" alt=\"Cardinals Expected To Make Big Offseason Moves As Trade Rumors Swirl\" \/><\/p>\n<h3>The Numbers Trickling In<\/h3>\n<p>While not all the salary figures have been made public yet, several have surfaced:<\/p>\n<ul>\n<li>Alec Burleson: $3.3 million<\/li>\n<li>Brendan Donovan: $5.8 million<\/li>\n<li>JoJo Romero: $4.26 million<\/li>\n<li>Lars Nootbaar: $5.35 million<\/li>\n<li>Andre Pallante: $4 million<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p>These aren\u2019t blockbuster numbers, but they reflect the value these players bring to the Cardinals\u2019 roster-especially as many of them are entering the prime of their careers. Donovan and Nootbaar, in particular, have become key pieces in the Cardinals\u2019 lineup and outfield rotation, respectively. Romero, meanwhile, emerged as a reliable bullpen arm, and Pallante continues to provide versatility on the mound.<\/p>\n<h3>What This Signals for the Cardinals<\/h3>\n<p>Avoiding arbitration isn\u2019t just about keeping the peace-it\u2019s also about maintaining flexibility and relationships. Historically, the Cardinals haven\u2019t extended players into their free-agent years after taking them to arbitration. That\u2019s a trend worth watching, especially with players like <strong>Donovan<\/strong>, who went through arbitration last year and is now a candidate to be moved this offseason.<\/p>\n<p>But with Chaim Bloom now at the helm, there\u2019s potential for that philosophy to shift. If Bloom is willing to break from tradition, players like <strong>Burleson, Gorman, Nootbaar<\/strong>, and <strong>Liberatore<\/strong> could see long-term deals on the table down the line-especially if they continue to develop and produce.<\/p>\n<p>This round of signings also brings clarity to the Cardinals\u2019 2026 payroll picture. Until now, salary projections were just that-estimates. With hard numbers now in place for these seven players, the front office can make more informed decisions as they continue to shape the roster heading into the season.<\/p>\n<h3>Final Thoughts<\/h3>\n<p>This was a businesslike, efficient day for the Cardinals-a team that\u2019s looking to bounce back and re-establish itself as a contender in the National League. Locking in these deals without drama is a good sign for organizational stability and player relations, and it gives Bloom and his team a clearer financial roadmap heading into the rest of the offseason.<\/p>\n<p>No hearings. No headlines.<\/p>\n<p>Just results. And sometimes, that\u2019s exactly what a team needs.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>IMAGE: St. Louis Cardinals designated hitter Ivan Herrera (48) celebrates with first baseman Alec Burleson (41) after hitting a two run home run against the Milwaukee Brewers&#8230; <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":137109,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[4],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-137108","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-mlb"],"yoast_head":"<!-- This site is optimized with the Yoast SEO plugin v23.6 - https:\/\/yoast.com\/wordpress\/plugins\/seo\/ -->\n<title>Cardinals Make Key Move Before Deadline That Has Fans Breathing Easier - NEWS USA<\/title>\n<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"index, follow, max-snippet:-1, max-image-preview:large, max-video-preview:-1\" \/>\n<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/sportnews.azontree.com\/?p=137108\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:locale\" content=\"en_US\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:type\" content=\"article\" \/>\n<meta property=\"og:title\" content=\"Cardinals Make Key Move Before Deadline That Has Fans Breathing Easier - 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