In the opening hours of the offseason, the Cardinals offered the first direct glimpse of how they intend to trim down and reshape their roster as part of the organizational "reset."
The Cardinals declined club options for 2025 on starters Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn as well as the option on reliever Keynan Middleton.Â
In confirming the decisions, president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said the team seeks "maximum flexibility." He added that the Cardinals aren't closing the door to further discussions with any of the three players.
Of the three options decisions, the most compelling was Gibson's.
The veteran right-hander and Mizzou alum helped stabilize the rotation with his 30 starts and 4.24 ERA. He also was one of the galvanizing presences in the clubhouse, from mentoring young starters like Andre Pallante to approaching manager Oliver Marmol about having a father's road trip that was roundly applauded a tradition that should continue for the Cardinals.Â
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Signed a year ago as free agents, Gibson and Lynn each had a $12-million option for 2025.
By declining these options, the Cardinals exercise one of the most direct routes they have to shed salary — dropping a total of $30 million from their potential 2025 spending. The Cardinals due will owe each player a $1-million buyout of the club option.
All three become free agents.
They are eligible to sign with other teams when the market opens Monday after the five-day exclusive window that began Thursday with the conclusion the previous night of the World Series.
Gibson, who turned 37 this past week, expressed an interest in returning to the Cardinals for the 2025 season. He makes his offseason home in the St. Louis, and this past week he helped raise more than $40,000 for Franklin County's school meals program at a charity event that teammate Paul Goldschmidt and former Cardinals Kyle McClellan and Brad Thompson attended.
Middleton missed the entire season due to injury, though he remained around the clubhouse and present for home games during his rehab. Late in the season, Middleton expressed an interest in reworking his contract so that he could return and pitch for the Cardinals, though he said he had not held any conversations with the club about it.
Originally drafted by the Cardinals, Lynn returned for the 2024 season to bring some of the experience and veteran guidance the club felt it lacked in 2023. Lynn, now 37, finished the year on the injured list with a swollen and painful knee that he pitched through during the year. He had a 3.84 ERA and 7-4 record in 23 starts for the Cardinals, and along the way he surpassed 2,000 career strikeouts before he also reached 2,000 innings pitched.
As he awaited the Cardinals' decision, Lynn said he intended to pitch in 2025, either back in St. Louis or elsewhere.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated. Â
