By Rob Rains
JUPITER, Fla. – The Cardinals’ first official full-squad workout on Monday will include only two position players who joined the organization since the end of last season, one arriving just days before the start of spring training.
Non-roster outfielder Nelson Velazquel, who was signed to a minor-league contract in January, and third baseman Bryan Ramos, claimed off waivers on Feb. 6, are two of nine position players who will be participating in their first major-league spring camp with the Cardinals.
Two of the other seven, first baseman Blaze Jordan and catcher Andy Yerzy, were acquired during the 2025 season.
Here is a rundown of the nine camp newcomers; NR designates a non-roster player in camp on an invitation basis.
Mike Antico (NR) – A member of the organization since 2021, Antico spent last season at Memphis, where he hit .279 and stole 21 bases. A lefthanded hitting outfielder, Antico, 27, has logged nearly 2,000 at-bats in his minor-league career. He was used most often in left field lin 2025.
Joshua Baez – The righthanded hitting outfielder will be one of the most interesting players to watch this spring. After struggling in his first four seasons in the organization, the former second-round draft pick in 2021 out of a Massachusetts high school had a breakout season in 2025. Still only 22, Baez combined to hit 20 homers with 79 RBIs while stealing 54 bases between Peoria and Springfield, where he primarily played right field.
Blaze Jordan (NR) – Acquired by the Cardinals last July in the trade that sent Steven Matz to the Red Sox, Jordan finished the year at Memphis. Primarily a first baseman, Jordan, 23, was drafted in the third round in 2020 out of high school in Southaven, Miss. A righthanded hitter, Jordan hit seven homers in 41 games after the trade but posted only a .198 average. Combined with his games in the Red Sox system, at Double A and Triple A, Jordan finished 2025 with 19 homers.
Ramon Mendoza (NR) – A righthanded hitting infielder, Mendoza has been in the Cardinals farm system since 2018, when he signed out of Mexico as an international free agent. Mendoza, 25, spent the 2025 season at Springfield, where he posted a .275 average with a career-high 14 homers and 62 RBIs. His primary position during the year was third base.
Brody Moore (NR) – A 17th-round pick by the Cardinals in 2022 out of Auburn – where he was a teammate for two years with newly acquired pitcher Richard Fitts – Moore split last season between Springfield and Memphis, alternating between second base and third. A righthanded hitter, the 25-year-old Moore had a combined .241 average with 49 RBIs in 106 games.
Bryan Ramos – Claimed off waivers from the Orioles, the 23-year-old Ramos didn’t spend much time with that organization, which claimed him in January after he was designated for assignment by the White Sox. A native of Cuba, the righthanded-hitting third baseman played in 36 games for the White Sox between the 2024 and 2025 seasons, spending most of last year at Triple A Charlotte, where he hit 16 home runs.
Graysen Tarlow (NR) – A righthanded-hitting catcher, Tarlow split the 2025 season between Peoria and Springfield. Drafted in the 19th round in 2023 out of Cal State-Northridge, Tarlow appeared in just 54 games in the regular season, posting a combined .296 average. The 24-year-old finished his season with 10 games in the Arizona Fall League.
Nelson Velazquez (NR) – A 27-year-old outfielder, Velazquez hit a combined 31 major-league homers in 194 games for the Cubs and Royals between 2022 and 2024. Velazquez, who hits right-handed, spent last season in Triple A in the Kansas City and Pittsburgh organization, hitting 11 homers in 51 games. A native of Puerto Rico, he finished the year in the Mexican League.
Andy Yerzy (NR) – The Cardinals signed Yerzy, a 27-year-old catcher, as a minor-league free agent last April and he spent the rest of the season at Memphis. A second-round pick in the 2016 draft by the Diamondbacks out of Canada, Yerzy was in the Arizona organization through 2022 and since has played for Milwaukee and Cincinnati with three years of Triple A experience.
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Photo of Joshua Baez courtesy of the Peoria Chiefs