Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Make 3 More Roster Cuts as Spring Training Winds Down

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't done tinkering with the roster.
Feb 17, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA;  St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bruce Zimmermann (54). Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images
Feb 17, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Bruce Zimmermann (54). Mandatory Credit: Jim Rassol-Imagn Images | Jim Rassol-Imagn Images

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The St. Louis Cardinals have been trimming down the roster left and right over the last few days ahead of Opening Day and announced three more roster cutson Tuesday afternoon.

Right now, we are just over two weeks away from Opening Day. Clearly, the Cardinals are trying to get the roster sorted out quickly to give the club as much time as possible to prepare the big leaguers for Opening Day. On Tuesday, the Cardinals announced that outfielder Chase Davis, right-handed pitcher Max Rajcic and left-handed pitcher Bruce Zimmermann have all been re-assigned to minor league camp.

"We have made the following roster moves," the Cardinals announced. "Our Spring Training roster now stands at 43 players."

The Cardinals had a busy day

St. Louis Cardinals Chase Davis
Feb 16, 2026; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals Chase Davis (72) throws a ball during spring training workouts at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images | Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

Davis played in 12 games for the Cardinals in big league camp and slashed .240/.240/.520 with two homers, six RBIs, and three runs scored. He also struck out 12 times over that stretch.

Rajcic pitched in four games for the Cardinals throughout Spring Training and had a 1.50 ERA. He allowed just one earned run across six innings of work while striking out four batters. Zimmermann pitched in three games for the Cardinals and had a 10.38 ERA while allowing five earned runs across 4 1/3 innings pitched.

None of these moves comes as much of a shock at this moment. Of the group, Zimmermann is the only player with big league experience. He has appeared in 39 games at the big league level with the Baltimore Orioles and Milwaukee Brewers, including 28 starts, and has a 5.64 ERA in 164 1/3 innings pitched.

Over the next few weeks, the Cardinals still have more work to do. The bullpen isn't fully determined. It's the area of the club with the most variation. This update does take two options out of the running for now. Another area of the club that they have to sort out is left field. With Lars Nootbaar unclear for Opening Day, the Cardinals have to determine a path forward. Also, the Cardinals have to finalize the back of the rotation. These decisions will come. First and foremost, the Cardinals are trimming down the roster.

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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