Cardinals Decline Options on Veteran Pitchers as Offseason Reshuffle Begins

After missing the playoffs for a second straight year, the St. Louis Cardinals are letting go of three key players. General manager John Mozeliak confirmed to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch on Thursday that the club will decline the 2025 options for pitchers Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, and Keynan Middleton, a move he said provides the team with “maximum flexibility” as they start a “reset” this winter.

With Mozeliak set to retire at the end of the 2025 season, St. Louis is beginning their offseason rebuild early at the general manager meetings in San Antonio, Texas. Katie Woo of The Athletic was the first to suggest that the Cardinals were likely to pass on Lynn’s $11 million option and Middleton’s $6 million option. She also speculated Gibson might stay for $12 million if the team traded Miles Mikolas or Steven Matz, but instead, the Cardinals opted for a $1 million buyout, sending all three pitchers into free agency.

Payroll Cuts Signal Cardinals’ Shift Toward Youth

The Cardinals are trimming payroll heading into an offseason with significant changes ahead. In addition to the three pitchers, veteran first baseman Paul Goldschmidt has been informed he won’t be re-signed. The futures of Sonny Gray, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Ryan Helsley in St. Louis are also uncertain.

“We have a rough idea [of next year’s payroll],” Mozeliak said. “But there’s still some ambiguity around revenue flows. Our focus will be on creating more opportunities for younger players.”

With the World Series over, the Cardinals have five days to finalize their 2025 options. St. Louis is expected to prioritize rebuilding its farm system over major free-agent signings, with Mozeliak’s plans taking shape next week at the general manager meetings in San Antonio.