Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Prepared To 'Shock A Lot Of People' In 2025 Despite Organizational Reset

A St. Louis Gold Glover is confident for next season
Nate Hagerty|
Aug 31, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) runs out a three run home run against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images
Aug 31, 2024; Bronx, New York, USA; St. Louis Cardinals second baseman Brendan Donovan (33) runs out a three run home run against the New York Yankees during the third inning at Yankee Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images | Gregory Fisher-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals haven't seen the playoffs since 2022 and it could be a while before they return, depending on how long it takes for them to complete an organizational reset.

It's safe to say expectations for St. Louis in 2025 aren't high. Considering Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has yet to make any additions to the roster, it's tough to imagine things being different this upcoming season.

However, a Cardinals Gold Glove defender has something else to say about his club's chances of competing this year. Hopefully, his prediction comes to fruition.

"'An opportunity is an opportunity, right?' said (Brendan) Donovan, who hit .278 last year with a 112 OPS+," as transcribed by St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold on Saturday. "'I see this as an opportunity for us to shock a lot of people. You look around, on paper, it is a good-looking roster, in my opinion. Now it's important for us to come together as a group. I'm excited for that to happen, but I think this team is going to shock a lot of people.'"

Donovan has batted .280 with 100 extra-base hits including 30 home runs, 152 RBIs and a .771 OPS throughout his three-year career with the Cardinals.

The 28-year-old is projected to be a leader in the Cardinals clubhouse moving forward, with seven-time All-Star Paul Goldschmidt now a member of the New York Yankees and six-time Platinum Glove third baseman Nolan Arenado on the trade block.

Former Cardinals first-round draft pick Nolan Gorman has been working out with Donovan this offseason and the reports are positive. Who knows? Perhaps a youth-laden St. Louis roster with nothing to lose can rally and compete for the National League Central throne in 2025.

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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