Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Lefty Elects Free Agency 6 Years After First-Round Selection

The offseason is really getting started...
Patrick McAvoy|
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images | Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

In this story:

St. Louis Cardinals

It was a busy day for the St. Louis Cardinals on Thursday.

Thursday arguably was the first big day of the offseason across Major League Baseball. The big story throughout the afternoon involved the qualifying offer. The deadline to offer it to a player was at 5 p.m. ET and 13 guys ended up getting it, as shared by ESPN's Jeff Passan.

On top of this, Thursday was the deadline for teams to finalize option decisions on contracts, reinstate players from the 60-day Injured List, and also the official beginning of free agency. All in all, it was a pretty busy day.

The St. Louis Cardinals announced a handful of roster moves, as did most teams around baseball. Throughout the process, the Cardinals already have lost a few depth pieces of the organization, including left-handed reliever Zack Thompson. The 28-year-old missed the 2025 season due to a lat injury. On Thursday, the Cardinals outrighted him to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds and he elected free agency from there, per the team.

Former Cardinals pitcher Zack Thompson is a free agent

St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Zack Thompson
Apr 23, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals relief pitcher Zack Thompson (57) receives a new ball after giving up a two run home run to Arizona Diamondbacks shortstop Kevin Newman (not pictured) during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

Thompson is a former first-round pick from the Cardinals. He was selected with the No. 19 pick in the 2019 MLB Draft by St. Louis out of the University of Kentucky. Thompson worked his way up through the Cardinals' farm system and eventually made his big league debut in 2022.

The lefty appeared in 22 games as a rookie and had a 2.08 ERA and 27-to-14 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 34 2/3 innings pitched. He followed up his rookie campaign with a 4.48 ERA in 25 outings in 2023. In 2024, he actually spent most of his season down in the minors with Memphis and had a 9.53 ERA in five total appearances in the majors.

Now, he heads to free agency after missing the 2025 campaign. When Thompson was at his best, he had the upside to be a key piece of the Cardinals' bullpen while also making a spot-starter here and there. Unfortunately, the end of his stint with the organization didn't go as planned after being one of the team's highest-rated prospects at one point.

More MLB: Cardinals Lose OF To Braves As Offseason Really Begins

Published
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

Home/St. Louis Cardinals News