ST. LOUIS – Three St. Louis Cardinals with growing roles – Brendan Donovan, Lars Nootbaar and Andre Pallante – are set for salary arbitration ahead of the 2025 season.
The Cardinals were unable to reach contract agreements with Donovan, Nootbaar or Pallante ahead of Thursday’s deadline for team-controlled players.
As part of the arbitration process, the Cardinals and the players’ agents will exchange salary figures. An independent arbitrator will then determine the players’ 2025 salaries, choosing either the team’s offer, the player’s requested figure, or something in between.
It’s worth noting that these arbitration hearings come at a time when the Cardinals have publicly acknowledged their intentions to reduce payroll for the upcoming season. With the departures of veterans Paul Goldshcmidt, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn, St. Louis currently appears poised for a lower payroll in 2025 compared to 2024.
The Cardinals completed one-year contracts for pitchers Ryan Helsley, JoJo Romero and John King to avoid arbitration hearings. The team has not formally disclosed finances on any of these deals.
Also on Thursday, the Cardinals claimed left-handed pitcher Bailey Horn off waivers from the Detroit Tigers.