Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Cut Ties With 28-Year-Old Catcher Among 4 Non-Tenders

The St. Louis Cardinals adjusted the roster...
Patrick McAvoy|
Aug 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pinch hitter Yohel Pozo (63) bats against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Aug 15, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pinch hitter Yohel Pozo (63) bats against the New York Yankees during the ninth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals sent four players to free agency on Friday night.

The non-tender deadline came and went, and the Cardinals were busy as they opted against tendering contracts to catcher Yohel Pozo, right-handed pitcher Jorge Alcala, left-handed pitcher John King, and right-handed pitcher Sem Robberse, per the team.

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"We have opted not to tender 2026 contracts to RHP Jorge Alcala, LHP John King, C Yohel Pozo, and RHP Sem Robberse," the Cardinals announced.

The Cardinals were busy on Friday

St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yohel Pozo
Aug 20, 2025; Miami, Florida, USA; St. Louis Cardinals catcher Yohel Pozo (63) reaches first base on a passed ball in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot Park. Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

Of these four moves, the one that stands out the most is non-tendering Pozo. It's not because the move is surprising. It's not shocking. St. Louis has so much catching depth right now, even after letting Pozo walk. The Cardinals still have Pedro Pagés, Iván Herrera, and Jimmy Crooks. They also have two more high-powered prospects down in the minors right now in No. 3 prospect Rainiel Rodriguez and No. 4 prospect Leonardo Bernal.

But, Pozo was a bright spot for the Cardinals throughout the 2025 season. He played in 67 games and slashed .231/.262/.375 with five homers and 19 RBIs in his first bit of big league action since 2021 as a member of the Texas Rangers. At the very least, he showed that he can be a capable backup for a big league club around the league.

King had a 4.66 ERA in 51 appearances in 2025 for St. Louis. It was a step back after logging a 2.85 ERA in 2024. Alcala had a cup of coffee in St. Louis with a 5.02 ERA in 15 outings. Robberse is 24 years old and hasn't made his big league debut yet. In 2025, he pitched in four games down in the minors and had a 7.36 ERA.

With the non-tender deadline, teams have to determine which guys to tender contracts to that they have team control over. King had a big impact on the 2024 Cardinals and Pozo was a solid piece for the 2025 team.

Now, all four players are available in free agency.

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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