The St. Louis Cardinals will open up the 2026 season on Thursday afternoon against the Tampa Bay Rays and they will do so with a significantly different look than they’ve had in years past.
After trading away Nolan Arenado, Brendan Donovan, Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras in the offseason, the Cardinals have gone from one of the most accomplished rosters in baseball to one of the most unproven.
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Add in the trade of Ryan Helsley at last trade deadline and the issue is only compounded. Check out this mind blowing stat courtesy of Cardinals Stats and Facts on “X.”
The Cardinals are the only team in the MLB without a former all-star on their team. And yes, that includes the White Sox and Rockies.
They also have 0 position players who played in the 2010s. Every player made their debut in 2020 or later.
It’s a new era
It’s a new era indeed as new front office leader Chaim Bloom has elected to rebuild the organization through trades and prospect development.
The Cardinals acquired a multitude of highly-regarded prospects this offseason, including Jurrangelo Cijntje (Mariners) and Brandon Clarke (Red Sox). The Cardinals also have six of the Top 100 picks in the upcoming July MLB Draft, furthering the opportunity to help re-stock the talent pool.
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Though Bloom was fired before he could see it fully come to fruition, he did help rebuild the Boston Red Sox after getting the Chief Baseball Officer job in 2020. Boston made the playoffs in 2025 with a number of players that were drafted or acquired by Bloom playing big roles, including Roman Anthony, Garrett Whitlock and Wilyer Abreu.
The Cardinals have elected to keep top prospect JJ Wetherholt on the Opening Day roster as well, giving Cardinals fans an opportunity to see the future earlier than expected.
St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Nolan Gorman (16) celebrates a three-run home run against the New York Mets in the third inning with teammates Chase Davis, left, and JJ Wetherholt (77) at Clover Park. Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
–Veteran Cardinals reporter John Denton has joined our Cardinals Roundtable coverage! He previously worked at MLB.com and will instantly help improve our Cardinals coverage. He begins on Wednesday. Learn more here.
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–Spring training standout Nelson Velazquez was surprisingly sent down to Triple-A on Monday. He had been thought of as the primary candidate to start in left field on Opening Day.
–Matthew Liberatore will take the mound for the Cardinals on Opening Day, the first Opening Day start of his career. The lefty went 8-12 with a 4.21 ERA in 2025. He made 29 starts and ascended to the leader of the staff.
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