Zack Thompson Will Have a Fourth Minor League Option
First things first. We’re all going to miss J.P. I know I am. Thank you and the other writers for holding down the fort during my absence. I thoroughly enjoyed our collaborations together on roster moves, preferred playoff roster constructions, payroll considerations, and arguments over Dylan Carlson. The podcasts were a treasure, and I hope you chime in from time to time to give us your wisdom.
After the club’s most recent press conference, I have to say I’m confused about the direction of the club, and whether the Cards intend to or will be competitive in 2025. Maybe the Cards’ relatively poor showings over the past two seasons has caused you to forget about the club’s roster machinations for a while, and you are confused about what kind of roster we actually have. I, for one, am a little confused about how the Cards got to this point, because I haven’t been able to pay as close attention the last couple of years as I did when I first started here.
So I’m going to get us all caught up. I’m going to first outline here where we are now with our 40-man roster, and the offseason transaction roadmap, which will include important dates and outline our potential minor league free agents and players eligible for the Rule 5 draft. Then, over a series of articles, I’m going to outline the transactions up to now, not in any super great detail for each one, but some short blurbs on most to briefly describe the context. I’m hoping to accomplish that in that pocket of time between now and the major dates described in this article to provide the maximum understanding.
Here’s the club’s 40-man roster right now, with the number of minor league options the player has remaining in parentheses. We have 39 players, with two on the 60-day IL. For pitchers, pitcher handedness is also in parentheses. As always, N/A means the player technically has options remaining, but has at least five years of MLB service time, which means he may not be sent to the minor leagues without his consent. No number means the player is out of options.
40-MAN ROSTER (39)
PITCHERS (22)
Erick Fedde (R), Ryan Fernandez (R, 3), Kyle Gibson (R, N/A), Gordon Graceffo (R, 2), Sonny Gray (R, N/A), Ryan Helsley (R, N/A), John King (L, 1), RHP Andrew Kittredge (R, N/A), Adam Kloffenstein (R, 2), Kyle Leahy (R, 1), Matthew Liberatore (L, 1), Ryan Loutos (R, 2), Lance Lynn (R, N/A), Steven Matz (L, N/A), Michael McGreevy (R, 2), Miles Mikolas (R), Riley O’Brien (R, 1), Andre Pallante (R, 1), Sem Robberse (R, 2), JoJo Romero (L), Chris Roycroft (R, 2), Zack Thompson (L, 1)
CATCHERS (3)
Willson Contreras (N/A), Ivan Herrera, Pedro Pages (2)
INFIELDERS (8)
Nolan Arenado (N/A), Luken Baker (1), Matt Carpenter (N/A), Jose Fermin (1), Paul Goldschmidt (N/A), Nolan Gorman (2), Thomas Saggese (3), Masyn Winn (3)
OUTFIELDERS (6)
Alec Burleson (3), Brendan Donovan (2), Lars Nootbaar (2), Victor Scott (2), Michael Siani (2), Jordan Walker (1)
60-DAY IL (2)
RHP Keynan Middleton, LHP Drew Rom (2)
SURPRISE ROSTER NOTE
*I have not seen this discussed before, but LHP Zack Thompson will have a fourth minor league option available for 2025. A player is eligible for a fourth minor league option if his regular three minor league options have been burned after being credited with fewer than five professional seasons. The 2020 season did not count for Thompson because there was no minor league season. Every season from 2021-2024 counts, but that’s only four seasons. If 2019 does not count as a season for this purpose, Thompson will get a fourth minor league option, as he burned minor league options in 2022, 2023 and 2024.
It turns out that 2019 does not count for Thompson. For a season to count for this rule, the player must spend at least 90 days on an active list or development list of a club. The season also counts if the player spends at least 30 days but less than 90 days on such a list, followed by an injured list assignment, where the combined time equals 90 days.
After the Cards drafted Thompson in the first round of the 2019 draft, he signed on June 11, was assigned to the Gulf Coast League on June 24 when the season started, and promoted to Palm Beach (which was then High-A) on July 4. The regular season for Palm Beach ended that year on August 29 after the final three games (and playoffs) were cancelled to prepare for the impact of Hurricane Dorian, but was scheduled to end on September 1st. If you count the time from the start of the GCL season until the scheduled end of the Palm Beach season in 2019, you only get 70 days. Thompson was actually placed on the Palm Beach Temporary Inactive List on August 24, and his minor league transaction page says he was activated on September 11. Even if all that latter time counted, it would still amount to only 79 days. Thompson will have a fourth minor league option next year. The fourth option does not last forever. Assuming Thompson has a fifth qualified professional season in 2025, the Cards will have to use the option in 2025 or lose it.
PLAYERS SIGNED FOR 2025
The following players are signed for next season:
*3B Nolan Arenado (signed through 2027, $32 million for 2025, full no-trade)
*C Willson Contreras (signed through 2027 with a club option for 2028, $18 million for 2025, full no-trade through 2026)
*RHP Miles Mikolas ($16 million for 2025)
*LHP Steven Matz ($12 million for 2025)
*RHP Sonny Gray (signed through 2026 with a club option for 2027, $25 million for 2025, full no-trade)
*RHP Erick Fedde ($7.5 million for 2025)
PLAYERS ELIGIBLE FOR ARBITRATION
The following players will be eligible for salary arbitration in 2025 (last season’s salary in parentheses):
*RHP Ryan Helsley ($3.8 million), LHP John King ($1.005 million), LHP JoJo Romero ($860,000), OF Lars Nootbaar ($761,000), IF/OF Brendan Donovan ($757,200), RHP Andre Pallante (Super Two, $756,900).
All except Pallante have at least three but less than six years of major league service. Players who have at least two years but less than three years of MLB service, who had at least 86 days of MLB service this past season, and who are in the top 22% in total service time in that group are eligible for salary arbitration as a Super Two, and get four cracks at arbitration. Pallante will certainly qualify at 2 years and 144 days of service. I’ve seen data from the last 15 seasons, and Pallante’s service was not enough only once, following the 2011 season, when he would have missed the cut by one day.
Nolan Gorman has 2 years and 113 days of service by my count, which will almost certainly be just short. That amount has never been enough in the last 15 years, although the threshold was 2 years, 118 days (post-2023), 2 years, 116 days (post-2021) and 2 years, 115 days (post-2019). Gorman was optioned to AAA Memphis on August 21st, did not return to the majors, and that cost him.
This will be the first crack at arbitration for Pallante, Donovan and Nootbaar, the second for Romero and King (who was a Super Two last year), and the third and final arbitration year for Helsley.
DAY AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE WORLD SERIES
FREE AGENCY
This is the first major transaction day of the offseason. At 9:00 AM Eastern on this date, all players whose contracts have expired and have six or more seasons of MLB service time will be automatically declared Article XX-B free agents and removed from 40-man rosters. The players do not have to file. For the Cards, this includes 1B Paul Goldschmidt, DH Matt Carpenter and RHP Andrew Kittredge. The Cards have three other potential free agents they hold club options on for 2025, and they will be discussed below.
At same time, all players on the MLB 60-day IL that are scheduled to be Article XX-B free agents must be activated from the 60-day IL. Activation from the 60-day IL means being added back to the 40-man roster. What this ultimately means is that when such a player is declared a free agent, there is no net change in the club’s 40-man roster. The only player the Cards have that fits this description is RHP Keynan Middleton, but his situation is a bit more complicated because the club holds an option on him for 2025.
If nothing else happens, Goldschmidt, Carpenter and Kittredge will fall off the 40-man, and Middleton will be added back. The 40-man would be at 37.
QUIET PERIOD
This day also starts the five-day quiet period, which is an exclusive negotiating window clubs have to attempt to re-sign their players who were just declared Article XX-B free agents.
TRADES MAY RESUME
The 2024 trade deadline was July 30th. Trade assignment waivers were abolished effective with the 2019 season, so the trade deadline is real. Trades of players on 40-man rosters or the MLB 60-day IL or players outrighted to the minors after signing a major league deal are barred from the trade deadline until this day.
FOURTH DAY AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE WORLD SERIES
This is the last day to request outright assignment waivers on players that stand to be “draft-excluded players.” A draft-excluded player is a player who has less than three years of MLB service time, and would have been eligible for the upcoming Rule 5 draft, but is now not eligible because he was selected to the 40-man roster after August 15th. Such a player that stays on the 40-man roster through the conclusion of the Rule 5 draft is considered to be a draft-excluded player. If the club doesn’t request outright assignment waivers on a player that stands to be a draft-excluded player by this day, it must wait until 25 days prior to opening day. The Cards don’t have to concern themselves with this, as the only Cardinal player that fits this description is IF Thomas Saggese.
This is also the last day for clubs to outright players to the minor leagues who would be Rule 9 minor league free agents (see below) if they were not on 40-man rosters. This is designed to ensure that such players are able to be declared minor league free agents in a timely manner.
FIFTH DAY AFTER THE CONCLUSION OF THE WORLD SERIES
This is a huge day in major league baseball, as several roster-influencing events and deadlines occur.
60-DAY IL ACTIVATION
At 5:00 Eastern time on this date, all non-Article XX-B free agent players on the 60-day IL must be activated. Again, this means adding the player back to the 40-man roster, which means clubs must clear enough 40-man roster space to add all their 60-day IL players back. LHP Drew Rom is the only other addition after Middleton. Another option is that clubs could outright these players to the minor leagues. All injured players who are not under contract for next season, including players on the 60-day IL, can be outrighted to the minor leagues beginning on the day after the final day of the regular season and extending to the time before reserve lists are due. Assuming nothing else happens, the 40-man would be at 38 with the addition of Rom.
MINOR LEAGUE FREE AGENCY
At 5:00 Eastern time on this date, all players who are not on major league 40-man rosters, and who have spent parts of seven seasons in the minor leagues will be declared Rule 9 minor league free agents. Players who have been previously released or non-tendered in their careers and whose present minor league contracts have expired are also included. These players become free agents automatically; they do not have to file. The only way to stop it is to either add the player to the 40-man roster or sign the player to a successor minor league contract for 2025.
By my count, the following players in the Cardinal organization will be declared minor league free agents (last level played in parentheses):
LHP Packy Naughton (Memphis), RHP Victor Santos (Memphis), C Gavin Collins (Memphis), C Chance Sisco (Memphis), IF Arquimedes Gamboa (Memphis), IF Ramon Mendoza (Memphis), RHP Benito Garcia (Springfield), RHP Wilfredo Pereira (Springfield), RHP Leonardo Taveras (Springfield), IF/OF Bryan Torres (Springfield), OF Matt Lloyd (Springfield), RHP Osvaldo Berrios (Peoria), RHP Inohan Paniagua (Peoria), RHP Dionys Rodriguez (Peoria), OF Darlin Moquette (Peoria), RHP Augusto Calderon (Palm Beach) and RHP Angel Cuenca (Palm Beach).
CONTRACT OPTIONS
Unless an earlier date is set by contract, this is the date that clubs and/or players must make a decision on the contract options for the upcoming season. If the player has at least six years of major league service and the option is declined, the player becomes an Article XX-B free agent. This affects three Cardinal players:
*RHP Kyle Gibson ($1 million buyout on a $12 million club option)
*RHP Lance Lynn ($1 million buyout on a $12 million club option)
*RHP Keynan Middleton ($1 million buyout on a $6 million club option).
After these decisions, the 40-man could stay at 38 or go down to 35 if the club declines all three options.
QUIET PERIOD OVER
On this date, clubs can start negotiating with and signing free agents.
QUALIFYING OFFERS
5:00 Eastern Time on this date is the deadline to extend qualifying offers to Article XX-B free agents. The qualifying offer is calculated at the average salary of the 125 highest paid players for the previous season. This year, the qualifying offer is $21.05 million. If a player that receives a qualifying offer rejects it and signs with another club, the club losing the player to free agency receives draft pick compensation. A player may not receive a qualifying offer more than once in his career, and a player is not eligible for a qualifying offer if he switched teams mid-season.
The Cards extended Lance Lynn a $17.4 million qualifying offer after the 2017 season, but he rejected it and signed a 1-year, $12 million deal with the Twins. Luken Baker was the Cards’ compensatory draft pick. There is no chance that the Cards will extend Lynn a qualifying offer again, but he’s not eligible. The club wouldn’t possibly give anyone else one other than Goldschmidt. Goldy made $22 million last season, and this one-year qualifying offer would represent just a slight pay cut for his age-37 season. I half wonder if the Cards would not give Goldy the qualifying offer for fear he might take it. But they probably will. Players extended a qualifying offer have until the date reserve lists are required to be filed to accept it.
FILING OF RESERVE LISTS, NOVEMBER 18-21
This is also a big off-season day. The reserve list deadline used to be November 20, but it is now on a date set by the Commissioner that is no earlier than the Monday immediately prior to the tender deadline and no later than the day before the tender deadline. The tender deadline this year is November 22, which would put the range for the possible date between November 18 and November 21, inclusive. The exact date has not been announced as far as I can tell.
The major league reserve list is otherwise known as the 40-man roster, and on this date all major league and minor league clubs must file their reserve lists. The only other reserve list that matters is the 38-man AAA reserve list. The major significance of this reserve list filing deadline is the December Rule 5 draft. In the major league phase of that draft, major league clubs may draft certain players from the reserve lists of minor league clubs for $100,000 with the restriction that they remain on the major league active roster the entire upcoming season. If the player is on the AAA reserve list, he can only be selected in the major league phase. There is also a AAA phase for players who are on the reserve lists of AA classification clubs or below. Those players cost only $24,000, are drafted by Class AAA clubs and have no restrictions on their movement.
This date triggers a closed period for certain player assignments. Once reserve lists are filed, the minor league reserve lists may not be changed until the Rule 5 draft is over, with only a few exceptions. From the date reserve lists are filed through the conclusion of the Rule 5 draft, clubs may not assign a minor league player who is eligible for the Rule 5 draft to any other club. Once reserve lists are filed, players on the 40-man roster may not be assigned to the minor leagues beginning at 5:00 Eastern three days before the Rule 5 draft until the Rule 5 draft is over. Clubs can sign major or minor league free agents, and can release players for the purpose of permitting players to sign a bona fide contract as a foreign professional, but other than that, the minor league reserve lists may not be changed until the Rule 5 draft is over.
The practical significance of all this is that the reserve list deadline is the deadline to protect players from the Rule 5 draft, and the club can use outright assignments to clear additional 40-man space to accommodate signings or just to leave slots open for potential picks until three days before the draft.
Let’s suppose that the Cards pick up the Middleton option but decline the options on Gibson and Lynn. That would put the Cards’ 40-man roster at 36 players. The club wouldn’t have to make too many trims to protect all the players it feels it needs to protect and leave a slot open for a potential Rule 5 draft pick.
The following players, by my analysis, are eligible for the Rule 5 draft. They are listed under the last level played and if the player has an asterisk next to his name, he is also eligible for minor league free agency.
MEMPHIS
RHP Ian Bedell, RHP Andre Granillo, *LHP Packy Naughton, *RHP Victor Santos, LHP Connor Thomas, *C Gavin Collins, *C Chance Cisco, C Wade Stauss, *IF Arquimedes Gamboa, *IF Ramon Mendoza, IF Chandler Redmond, OF Mike Antico, OF Matt Koperniak
SPRINGFIELD
RHP Trent Baker, LHP Alex Cornwell, *RHP Benito Garcia, RHP Tink Hence, LHP Nathanael Heredia, RHP Brandon Komar, RHP Andrew Marrero, RHP Zane Mills, RHP Edwin Nunez, *RHP Wilfredo Pereira, RHP Jack Ralston, RHP Tekoah Roby, RHP Ryan Shreve, RHP Matt Svanson, *RHP Leonardo Taveras, C Carlos Linarez, C Aaron McKeithan, IF Jacob Buchberger, IF Jeremy Rivas, *IF/OF Bryan Torres, *OF Matt Lloyd, IF/OF Noah Mendlinger
PEORIA
RHP Benjamin Arias, *RHP Osvaldo Berrios, *RHP Inohan Paniagua, RHP Hancel Rincon, *RHP Dionys Rodriguez, RHP Darlin Saladin, IF Johnfrank Salazar, IF Miguel Villarroel, *OF Darlin Moquette
PALM BEACH
*RHP Augusto Calderon, RHP Randel Clemente, *RHP Angel Cuenca, RHP Jose Davila, RHP Henry Gomez, RHP Juan Salas, C Maikel Hernandez, IF Lizandro Espinoza, OF Jose Cordoba
FLORIDA COMPLEX LEAGUE
RHP Antoni Cuello, RHP Bruno Lopez, RHP Austin Love, RHP Miguel Martinez
TENDER DEADLINE, NOVEMBER 22
The contract tender deadline used to be on December 2, but the 2022-2026 Collective Bargaining Agreement moved the deadline up to the Friday before Thanksgiving, which falls on November 22 this year, at 8:00 PM Eastern Time. It’s fundamentally simple. There’s a deadline to offer, or tender, every one of the club’s 40-man roster players a contract. If the club doesn’t do so by the time stated, the player is said to be non-tendered. The result is that the player is removed from the 40-man roster and becomes a free agent, able to sign a major or minor league deal with any club, and there is no draft pick compensation, termination pay or anything like that. Mechanically, clubs submit their list of tendered contracts to a department within MLB and that department sends the global list to the union. This day is a very interesting day from a transaction perspective, because it’s literally the only day on the calendar that a club can bounce a player off of the 40-man roster without trading him or exposing him to waivers.
Why would a club use this method? In many cases, it’s the best way to trim a player from the roster. Obviously, if the club knows it has no interest in having the player in the organization for whatever reason, it can just release the player. And sometimes it’s going to run a player through outright assignment waivers just to see if some other club will claim the player’s contract plus pay $50,000 for the privilege. But in most cases, a club would be happy to not have to expose the player to waivers and potentially re-sign the player to another type of deal to stay in the organization. Money is also a frequent factor. The classic non-tender case is a player who, in some combination, is eligible for arbitration, out of minor league options, and either injured or coming back from an injury.
It used to be that the deadline to file reserve lists was November 20 and the tender deadline was December 2. If the club wanted to trim a 40-man roster spot before the deadline to file reserve lists and it designated the player for assignment, that would clear the spot, but the club has seven days from the DFA to assign the player’s contract. Because the contract tender deadline was too far away, trade, release, or most commonly, outright assignment waivers, were the only options. It usually involved exposing the player to waivers.
Now that the tender deadline has been moved up and the deadline to file reserve lists is within seven days of that date, clubs can now DFA the player and use the non-tender as the required assignment. It’s the sexy new roster move, available on one day only—the DFA followed by the non-tender. This move allows clubs to use the non-tender to get a chance to re-sign those players to major or minor league deals without restrictions instead of running the risk of losing them.
CONCLUSION
There are going to be a lot of roster moves in the next two months and beyond. That much we know. Based on the messaging and what we have on hand, we have no idea how that is going to shake out. Hopefully I’ve provided some context on how the roster rules affect those discussions to get the hot stove going.