The St. Louis Cardinals’ 2025 season has been driven by their emerging young talent, sparking widespread conversation among fans and media about which players the team should prioritize for the future.
It’s a complex and intriguing topic, as several young players could realistically be part of the franchise’s long-term plans. With so much youth on the roster, the Cardinals have a solid foundation to build on, but like any organization, they must be strategic in deciding who to retain.
Being part of the young core doesn’t automatically mean a player should receive a long-term extension. If the Cardinals were to extend deals to eight young players right now, they’d risk limiting their financial flexibility in the years ahead. The team must identify the key players they want to keep and work toward extending those core pieces.
Of course, a player’s potential and the amount of team control remaining also factor into extension decisions. That’s why I’ve broken the candidates into three tiers. The first two players aren’t immediate priorities, but signing them early could offer great value. The remaining tiers feature players who should be extended soon, though their urgency varies based on how much team control the Cardinals still have.
Tier #3 – Might be premature, but that may also lead to quite the bargain
Matthew Liberatore and Victor Scott II
Two of the most unexpected breakout players for the Cardinals in 2025 have been Matthew Liberatore and Victor Scott II, both of whom have solidified their places in the team’s future plans.
Each entered the season with uncertainties, albeit for different reasons. Liberatore is in his fourth year seeing big league action, but this is the first season where he’s truly looked like a legitimate impact arm in the rotation. Once considered a top-50 prospect and one of the most promising left-handed pitchers in the minors, his stock had dipped in recent years, despite still being just 25.
Even after a rough outing on Friday night, Liberatore holds a 3.08 ERA across 11 starts, with 56 strikeouts over 64.1 innings. He’s pitched like a top-of-the-rotation starter, and if that level of performance proves sustainable, the Cardinals would be smart to consider a long-term deal.
As for Scott, he played only 53 games during his rookie season, so expectations were more tempered. After a strong showing in spring training, he earned the starting center field role and has since posted a .262/.337/.357 slash line with 16 stolen bases heading into Friday’s game against Texas.
It’s difficult to project Scott’s ultimate ceiling, but even if he settles in as more of a complementary player than a star, his defense, speed, and improving bat make him a valuable long-term asset.
Of course, there’s risk involved in extending either player. Liberatore’s performance, while impressive, comes in a limited sample, and a regression could turn him into an overpaid bullpen arm. Similarly, if Scott doesn’t continue to develop, the team risks losing the cost-efficiency of his pre-arbitration years.
Still, the potential rewards are significant. With the cost of quality pitching steadily rising, locking up someone like Liberatore early could yield major savings. The same goes for Scott—if he keeps progressing, retaining him long-term alongside the rest of the Cardinals’ core could become increasingly difficult without an early extension.
Tier #2 – Better late than never
Brendan Donovan
Let’s call it what it is: the Cardinals missed an opportunity by not locking up Brendan Donovan with a long-term extension this past offseason. Instead, they chose to go through the arbitration process with one of their most valuable infielders — and now the cost of securing him is only climbing.
Donovan is in the midst of a career-best season at the plate, posting a stellar .335/.395/.481 slash line with four home runs and 24 RBIs. His 147 wRC+ ranks 19th in all of MLB. Add to that his versatility on defense — playing all over the infield and in both corner outfield spots — and he’s well on his way to a second utility Gold Glove in 2025.
At 28, Donovan is on the older side of the Cardinals’ young core, but with two more years of team control after this season and a growing leadership role in the clubhouse, it’s hard to imagine the team letting him walk when he becomes a free agent after 2027.
Donovan may not be a headline-grabbing superstar, but he’s building a strong case for his first All-Star nod and has been a consistently impactful player throughout his MLB career. With a lifetime 123 wRC+, he brings real value at the plate in multiple ways. Need a leadoff hitter? He can do it. A bat in the heart of the order? He’s thriving there now. He gets on base, hits doubles, and grinds through at-bats like a seasoned pro.
Even just his offensive production would make him a key piece. But when you add in his ability to play virtually anywhere on the field, his value multiplies. He’s like a secret weapon — a player who allows the Cardinals to be flexible and strategic with their roster, knowing they can plug Donovan in wherever he’s needed. That versatility is a huge asset in team building.
Beyond the field, Donovan is essential to the Cardinals’ culture. He’s exactly the kind of player you want leading by example — showing younger guys how to prepare, compete, and represent the organization. He fits the mold of players who have long defined the Cardinals: consistent contributors, leaders, and potential franchise icons. He could very well earn a red jacket one day, and the team should be doing everything they can to make that future a reality.
If the Cardinals had extended him last offseason, they could have done so at a more reasonable cost — not just because of how well he’s performing now, but because they would have preserved long-term control while smoothing out future payroll. Instead, they paid him $2.85 million through arbitration this year and missed the chance to structure a team-friendly deal that rewarded Donovan early. Now, with free agency one year closer and an All-Star-caliber season underway, he’s earned every bit of the bigger payday he’s in line for.
If St. Louis doesn’t extend Donovan, I’ll be among the loudest critics. He’s too important to this team’s present and future to risk losing. The front office likely knows this — it’s just a shame they didn’t act on it when the opportunity was there.
Tier #1 – Sign them now before the price goes through the roof
Masyn Winn and Ivan Herrera
Masyn Winn and Ivan Herrera, both under team control until 2030 with one more offseason to go before arbitration, are at an ideal point in their careers to consider long-term extensions—if they’re interested in securing financial stability early.
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Signing young stars to extensions isn’t as straightforward as fans or bloggers might suggest. If Winn and Herrera, or their agents, choose to gamble on themselves and go year-to-year in hopes of a major payday in free agency, all the Cardinals can do is hope a compelling offer changes their minds. Still, it seems likely both players would entertain a long-term deal that includes some of their free-agent years—if the terms are right.
They’re not in line for deals like Bobby Witt Jr. or Julio Rodríguez that exceed $300 million, but locking them up past their team-controlled years would still likely require contracts well north of $100 million. And frankly, they’re both worth that kind of investment.
Masyn Winn, now in his second MLB season, has made significant strides offensively and continues to improve on defense—even after being a Gold Glove finalist as a rookie. Through 186 plate appearances in 2025, he’s hitting .278/.357/.438 with a 125 wRC+, ranking 48th overall in baseball and fifth among shortstops—outpacing names like Witt Jr., Lindor, Turner, Henderson, Betts, and De La Cruz. While he may not definitively be better than those players, his current performance speaks volumes.
Winn is on pace for a season exceeding 6 WAR, which is remarkable for any player, especially one so young. For reference, that would have ranked fourth among shortstops and top ten among all position players in 2024. If he consistently hits at even a 20% above-average rate while maintaining elite defense, he becomes one of the most valuable assets in baseball. His floor is also high—he posted 3.6 WAR last season despite being just barely above average at the plate. With continued offensive growth, his value only increases.
Ivan Herrera, meanwhile, makes his case with the bat. Any potential extension would be based almost entirely on his offensive upside, with the defensive details to be sorted later.
In 2025, Herrera is slashing .358/.438/.630 with a staggering 194 wRC+, largely in a designated hitter role. His bat has been one of the best in baseball, and the Cardinals need to focus on helping him sustain that production—and then ensuring he stays in St. Louis for the long haul.
Herrera’s track record suggests this is no fluke. While he hasn’t been elite until now, he has quietly posted a 135 wRC+ since debuting in 2022—21st-best in MLB during that span. He’s hit at every level, and there’s every reason to believe he’ll keep doing so.
That’s why it’s crucial for the Cardinals to move quickly. Finding a hitter of Herrera’s caliber on the open market would cost a fortune—especially if he provides any defensive value behind the plate or at another position. The Cardinals haven’t developed a true middle-of-the-order bat in over a decade, and Herrera might finally be the answer.
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