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    Teren Kowatsch
    Teren Kowatsch
    Nov 8, 2025, 21:57
    Updated at: Nov 10, 2025, 01:52

    Several former major leaguers are set to hit the open market

    The St. Louis Cardinals will enter another offseason in what is shaping out to be a years-long rebuild.

    The Cardinals finished last season 78-84 and fourth in the National League Central, ahead of only the 71-91 Pittsburgh Pirates.

    St. Louis has several major league players who have been linked in trade rumors for months and will likely be moved as the organization looks to meet the vision of the future.

    Several minor leaguers will also be leaving the organization. MLB Trade Rumors posted an article listing several minor league players with major league experience who will be hitting free agency. The Cardinals have several players of that ilk: Zach Plesac, Anthony Veneziano, Zack Weiss, Drew Rom and Aaron Wilkerson.

    Plesac, a right-handed reliever, began the season with the Los Angeles Angels and survived several roster moves, including being designated for assignment, before he was ultimately released Aug. 12. St. Louis signed him to a minor league contract June 8. He didn't make a major league appearance.

    Veneziano, a left-handed reliever, spent most of the season with the Miami Marlins. He was designated for assignment Aug. 1 and claimed off waivers by the Cardinals on Aug. 4. Across his stints with Miami and St. Louis, Veneziano posted a 4.68 ERA with 25 strikeouts in as many innings pitched across 26 outings (one start). Veneziano had two major league outings with the Cardinals, posted a 4.50 ERA and fanned five batters in four innings pitched.

    Weiss, a right-handed reliever, was signed by St. Louis to a minor league contract Jan. 27. He failed to make a major league appearance and spent the entire season with the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds.

    Rom, a left-handed pitcher, entered his third season with the Cardinals this year. He was a part of the deal that sent left-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles on Aug. 1, 2023. He failed to make a major league appearance and spent most of the season on the injured list. He made seven appearances in the minor leagues, all starts.

    Wilkerson, a right-handed pitcher, spent the first two months with the Cincinnati Reds organization. He was released July 17 and signed by St. Louis to a minor league contract a day later. He didn't have a major league outing in 2025.

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