Cardinals Signing Gold Glover for $2 Million: Full Details Revealed

The infield picture suddenly looks a lot different

Sep 24, 2025; West Sacramento, California, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Ramon Urias (29) throws the ball to first to record an out against the Athletics in the seventh inning at Sutter Health Park. Mandatory Credit: Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images | Cary Edmondson-Imagn Images

Young teams benefit from veteran presence, and the St. Louis Cardinals decided to apply that principle to an important season in their trajectory as a franchise.

On Saturday, Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported that the Cardinals had agreed to terms on a one-year contract with former Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros infielder Ramóna Urías on a one-year contract. The deal guarantees the 31-year-old $2 million.

Per Rosenthal, Urías will receive a $1.5 million salary this season, with a $500,000 buyout on a mutual option next year (virtually guaranteed to be declined by one of the two parties). In addition, Urías can earn up to $2 million this year in incentives based on plate appearances.

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Impact of Cardinals' Urías signing

Sep 28, 2025; Anaheim, California, USA; Houston Astros third baseman Ramon Urias (29) is greeted by teammates after hitting a home run during the fifth inning against the Los Angeles Angels at Angel Stadium. Mandatory Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images | William Liang-Imagn Images

Urías won a Gold Glove at third base in 2022, so his reputation as a defense-first player often precedes him. And while it's true that he can play any of the three infield positions well, he also deserves credit for putting up a 104 OPS+ in over 1,800 career plate appearances.

The benefits of adding Urías, even to a crowded infield picture, could be numerous. He shouldn't prevent rookie JJ Wetherholt from getting any of the rookie development he needs, but if the Cardinals decide to protect Wetherholt from left-handed pitchers at some point, he serves that need.

Urías is also a good insurance policy if any of the team's other infielders get hurt. He'll be in there if and when Masyn Winn, Thomas Saggese, and/or Nolan Gorman win starting job and need days off. Or he could take the starting third base job for himself in due time.

It will be interesting to see how the Cardinals choose to deploy Urías. Because he's shifted around a lot on defense, his defensive metrics have fluctuated quite a bit, especially at third base. He had plus-8 outs above average at third in 2022, then minus-9 the next year.

For a low-cost, last-minute major league signing, Urías fits this Cardinals roster quite well. At the very least, he should be a solid mentor to all the young infielders working their way up to becoming regulars.

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