By Rob Rains
The fact that the Cardinals waited until the first week of February to add a position player to their 40-man roster doesn’t mean there won’t be several new players in their spring-training camp.
The Cardinals are also bringing 10 non-roster players to the camp who will be there for the first time. The first official full-squad workout will be on Monday.
The group is led by infielder J.J. Wetherholt, the team’s first-round pick in last year’s draft, and outfielder Chase Davis, another former first-round pick.
Here is the rundown of the 11 newcomers:
Jose Barrero, INF – One of four players new to the organization since the end of last season, Barrero was signed as a minor-league free agent in November. A right-handed hitter, Barrero, 26, has 139 games of major-league experience with the Reds but last season was limited to 49 games, all in Triple A.
Nathan Church, OF – A left-handed hitter, Church has been in the organization since he was selected in the 11th round of the 2022 draft out of Cal-Irvine. The 24-year-old hit .260 with nine homers and 24 stolen bases at Springfield last season before finishing the year in the Arizona Fall League.
Gavin Collins, C – A veteran of 10 minor-league seasons, Collins, 29, spent last year at Memphis after playing independent ball in 2023. He hit .264 with nine homer for the Redbirds in just 61 games. Collins spent seven years in the Cleveland organization after being drafted in the 13th round in 2016 out of Mississippi State.
Chase Davis, OF – The first-round pick by the Cardinals in the 2023 draft from the University of Arizona, the left-handed hitting Davis, 23, rose from Palm Beach to Peoria before finishing the 2024 seasons at Springfield. He hit a combined .253 with 12 homers and 70 RBIs in 112 games.
Michael Helman, INF-OF – The only player acquired by the Cardinals and added to the 40-man roster this winter is Helman, obtained from the Twins on Feb. 6 for cash considerations. Helman, 28, played in nine games for the Twins last year and hit .271 at Triple A. He was an 11th-round pick of the Twins in 2018.
Yohel Pozo, C – A 27-year-old righthanded hitter, Pozo signed with the Cardinals in January. He played 21 games with the Rangers in 2021, but has been in Triple A the last three seasons, spending 2023 and 2024 with Las Vegas. Pozo hit a combined 33 home runs in those two seasons.
Chance Sisco, C – The Cardinals signed Sisco to a minor-league contract last August and he finished the year at Memphis. The 29-year-old has 196 games of major-league experience with the Orioles and Mets, all between 2017 and 2021. He was playing for the independent Long Island Ducks before signing with the Cardinals.
Bryan Torres, OF – Even though he is listed as a catcher on the Cardinals’ roster, the 27-year-old Torres played second base and the outfield last year in Springfield, where he hit .331 and stole 33 bases. Torres originally signed with the Brewers in 2015 and was playing independent ball before signing with the Cardinals before the 2024 season.
Ryan Vilarde, OF – The fourth newcomer to the organization since the end of last season, Vilarde, 25, signed as a free agent in November after playing for the Tigers last year, appearing in 17 games in the majors while also hitting 13 home runs in Triple A. He is a product of Stillwater High School in Oklahoma, drafted by the Rockies in the second round in 2017.
JJ Wetherholt, INF – The seventh overall pick in last year’s draft out of West Virginia, Wetherholt played shortstop at Palm Beach in his first pro season but is likely to get more work at second and third this spring. In 29 games last year, the 22-year-old left-handed hitter posted a .295 average with two homers and 20 RBIs, striking out only 15 times in 105 at-bats.
RJ Yeager, INF – Signed by the Cardinals as a non-drafted free agent out of Mississippi State in 2022, the 26-year-old Yeager spent last season at Springfield, hitting 15 homers to go with a .253 average. He was primarily a first baseman, but also played third after playing both positions at Palm Beach and Peoria in 2023.
Photo of J.J. Wetherholt courtesy of Palm Beach Cardinals
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