Cardinals Fan Favorite Labeled 'Only Player' Guaranteed To Remain With St. Louis

The St. Louis Cardinals 2025 season could take several different directions depending on how well the club's youth core and remaining veterans perform.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak planned on trading several veterans, such as ace Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado but due to their full no-trade clauses, both stars remain with the 11-time World Series champions.

If the Cardinals don't succeed this season, a flurry of trades could ensue. However, one of St. Louis fans' most favorite players likely isn't going anywhere.

"Why the season hinges on Masyn Winn: Mainly because he's about the only player who is guaranteed to stay with the team for the entire season," ESPN's Jeff Passan wrote Friday. "Winn, who turns 23 right before Opening Day, is St. Louis' shortstop of the present and future, and between a bat that emerged last year and a cannon of an arm he doesn't hesitate to show off, Winn will be called upon to help carry the Cardinals through the limbo of a winter in which they were expected to move a number of players and instead did nothing."

Winn quickly became a fan favorite among Cardinals fans following his debut in Aug. 2023, shortly after St. Louis traded All-Star shortstop Paul DeJong to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for cash and right-handed pitcher Matt Svanson.

"If everything breaks right, the Cardinals could find themselves in the playoff mix, but that's more an indictment on the National League Central than it is any sort of huzzah for St. Louis' roster," Passan continued. "For Winn, this year is more about taking a leap toward being a top-tier shortstop than harboring championship aspirations."

The flamethrowing shortstop's triple-digit velocity throwing arm, dazzling defensive skills, and gritty plate approach have helped Winn gain favor among baseball's best fans.

After batting .267 with 52 extra-base hits including 15 home runs, 57 RBIs and a .730 OPS in 150 games played for the Cardinals during his official rookie season last year, it'll be exciting to see how Winn performs in 2025.

The young shortstop is already being looked at as the next face of the franchise, so expectations are high for Winn. His confidence and incredible work ethic should hopefully help him take his game to the next level as Cardinals fans wait patiently to see what direction their beloved team is heading in after this unprecedented season is over.

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