After years of spending money on free agents to try and remain competitive in the National League and throughout Major League Baseball, the St. Louis Cardinals took a step back in payroll in 2025.
Their only free agent signing was reliever Phil Maton, who inked a one-year, $2 million deal with the Cardinals last season. Maton's deal was one of many signs that the Cardinals would transition the bulk of their spending away from free agency and into player development. With an expanded minor-league coaching staff and a new pitching lab under development, this reallocation of funds helped push money away from player salaries and into player development.