We’re wrapping up the 2025 Cardinals season and taking a hard look at what the numbers got right — and what they completely whiffed on. ZiPS nailed Sonny Gray’s ace-level season, Alec Burleson’s breakout, and Masyn Winn’s rise… but missed big on Jordan Walker and Nolan Arenado’s decline. We break down the biggest projection hits and misses, the disappointing –5 win gap from expectations, and the players who kept this team afloat. Plus, we share three things we actually liked about the 2025 Cardinals — because even a chaotic year has its bright spots.

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The Cardinals’ offseason rumor mill is heating up — could Ivan Herrera or Pedro Pagés be on the trade block? We break down Derrick Goold’s latest insights, arbitration projections, and what Mike Shildt’s surprising retirement says about his exit from St. Louis. Masyn Winn and Victor Scott II headline the Gold Glove finalists, while former Bird Tommy Pham makes another appearance. Plus, we check in on the NL/AL CS, Alex Bregman hits free agency, and Emmanuel Clase’s is fired into the sun.

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Chaim Bloom is already making moves — the Cardinals’ new president of baseball ops plans to add a leadership role to reshape the front office and sharpen pro scouting after recent trade misses. St. Louis also lands seven prospects on FanGraphs’ updated Top 100, tying Seattle for the most in baseball. We pick our 2025 team MVP, look at who’s heading to the Arizona Fall League, and check in on a red-hot Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Plus, Skip Schumaker heads to Texas, and a fan pulls off one of the greatest moments of all time. Also, a champion appears to play a game.

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Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

Like Pete Crow Armstrong, sometimes just forgets the basic principles of how this whole thing works.

John Mozeliak officially says goodbye, Chaim Bloom steps in as Cardinals president of baseball ops, and Oli Marmol will return in 2026. Willson Contreras wants to stay in St. Louis, while Sonny Gray and Nolan Arenado are open to waiving their no-trade clauses—potentially clearing over $86 million from the payroll. We dig into what that means for the roster, the offseason, and the team’s future direction. Plus, playoff chatter and a wild week of league news as the Mets collapse, multiple managers are out, and MLB viewership climbs.

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Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

Nolan Arenado gets his possible farewell at Busch, Masyn Winn heads into knee surgery, and Ivan Herrera preps for offseason elbow work. Meanwhile, Herrera’s bat is scorching in September, Burley and Donnie are swinging it well, and even José Fermín is looking like a machine. Sonny Gray might’ve thrown his last start as a Cardinal, and we gear up for the season finale against the Cubs. Plus: automated strike zones, David Fry’s scary injury, and our World Series predictions.

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Ben and guest Daniel Shoptaw (@C70) break down the latest St. Louis Cardinals news as Willson Contreras and Masyn Winn hit the IL, Nolan Arenado returns, and Thomas Saggese heats up. Plus, what’s next for Ivan Herrera and Jordan Walker and a preview of upcoming series vs. the Milwaukee Brewers, San Francisco Giants, and Chicago Cubs. We wrap with league news — the Chicago Cubs and Philadelphia Phillies clinch, and Cal Raleigh makes history — plus our World Series picks.

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Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

We discuss Masyn Winn’s upcoming offseason knee surgery, Willson Contreras’ return, and Brendan Donovan’s rehab assignment, along with notable roster moves including Garrett Hampson’s DFA and Nick Raquet’s remarkable journey back to the majors. On the field, Nathan Church has been the Cardinals’ hottest player in September, while Jordan Walker continues to struggle through a difficult season. With 12 of the next 15 games against NL Central opponents, the upcoming stretch against the Brewers and Reds looms large for the Wild Card race (lol yeah right). Plus, we cover league news including injuries to Trea Turner and Alec Bohm, Anthony Rizzo’s retirement, the NL Wild Card picture, and… “Home Run Karen.”

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Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.

We discuss Brant Brown’s comments on Jordan Walker’s preparation and what it says about the Cardinals’ hitting approach as a whole. Injury updates include Riley O’Brien, Alec Burleson, and Yohel Pozo, while César Prieto and Jimmy Crooks join the big league roster and Victor Scott II returns from the IL. On the field, Ivan Herrera and Pedro Pagés are carrying the offense, but Masyn Winn’s health and struggles at the plate raise concerns. Down on the farm, Joshua Baez, JJ Wetherholt, and Won-Bin Cho are all putting up impressive numbers as the system keeps producing. We preview series against the Giants and Mariners and cover league news from Boston’s Chapman extension to MLB’s ongoing betting investigation and Atlanta’s claim of Ha-Seong Kim.

Have a question or comment for the show? Text or leave us a voicemail at: (848) 48-BIRDS (848-482-4737)

Talking About Birds is listener supported on Patreon. Support the show and join our private discord server at: www.patreon.com/talkingaboutbirds.