Helsley among 6 players tendered contracts by Cardinals
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As expected, the Cardinals tendered contracts to reliever Ryan Helsley, Gold Glove defensive ace Brendan Donovan, outfielder Lars Nootbaar and pitchers JoJo Romero, Andre Pallante and John King on Friday, meaning they will be eligible for salary arbitration in the coming months.
The Cardinals non-tendered right-hander pitcher Adam Kloffenstein, reducing their 40-man roster 38 players.
Kloffenstein, who made his MLB debut with the Cardinals in the Rickwood Game in Birmingham, Ala., and worked a 1-2-3 eighth inning to record a hold, was the second pitcher acquired by St. Louis in 2023 to be removed from the 40-man roster this week. Kloffenstein, 24, joins Drew Rom, who cleared waivers and rejoined the club on a Minor League deal. The 6-foot-6, 245-pound Kloffenstein was 4-5 with a 4.74 ERA over 17 starts with Triple-A Memphis this past season.
Helsley was named the Trevor Hoffman National League Reliever of the Year last week after recording a club-record 49 saves in 2024. He also set franchise marks for consecutive saves (31) and saves before the All-Star break (32) and joined Hall of Famers Bruce Sutter and Lee Smith as the only Cardinals relievers to make multiple All-Star teams.
Donovan, the first rookie to win a Gold Glove in the rich history of the Cardinals in 2022, was a finalist for the NL utility award this past season. Nootbaar struggled through a rib fracture and an oblique tear in 2024, but he figures to be a central piece of the rebuilding Cardinals in 2025.
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Romero finished third in the NL in holds (30), trailing only teammate Andrew Kittredge (37) and Giants righty Tyler Rogers (32). Pallante, a standout as a rookie reliever in 2022, reinvented himself as a starting pitcher in 2024 and went 8-7 with a 3.56 ERA over 20 starts. King, who was acquired from the Rangers at the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline, used his plus sinker to record a ground-ball rate of 61.7 percent over a career-best 60 innings. Among the 160 relievers who pitched at least 50 innings in 2024, only Tim Hill, Clay Holmes and Yennier Cano had higher ground-ball rates.