I don’t know if Cardinals president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom head-faked the media and fans over the weekend, but the team’s free-agent signing of infielder Ramon Urias sure seemed to catch a lot of us off guard. And I put myself in that group.
The move makes sense … even though we didn’t see it coming. For weeks Bloom reiterated his interest in bringing in a right-handed bat. Hey, we believed him.
I just assumed this mystery right-handed hitter would be an outfielder. Which is why I wasted time analyzing the remaining (and the realistic) free-agent outfielders that dug in from the right side.
Problem is, the rebuilding Cardinals had limited playing time to offer. And that kind of ruins the sales pitch; veterans willing to consider a one-year contract want a regular role to come with it. Settling for a part-time role also means settling for less money.
But we were never on the right track.
Bloom’s search focused on identifying a right-handed hitter who could play multiple infield positions.
This particular right-handed hitter would play above average defense, produce at least league-average offense, and have the reputation of being a terrific teammate.
Big-league experience was also a plus for a STL team that currently is tied for the youngest roster (based on average age) in MLB.
Ramon Urias fit all of these categories. And Bloom secured Urias for a total investment of $2.5 million, which includes a $500,000 buyout for 2027.
I’m not sure how this sensible move was reviewed in the public square or the cultural online drainpipes where intelligent opinions go to drown. But I am a little surprised to see only minor (if that) recognition of the blessed intangibles that Urias brings to the St. Louis clubhouse. The leadership issue has been a source of desperate infatuation among the BFIB. Well, Bloom delivered. And … pretty much … crickets.
Cards manager Oli Marmol has said the team won't be leaning on Urias for leadership.
At this point, I don't know if the Cardinals can even define what leadership is. I have a theory on that which I will share relatively soon.
Before I get into some other likable aspects of the Urias recruitment, I’ll present some eyewitness testimony on his laudable and appreciated intangibles.
– From the Baltimore Sun: “For years, Ramón Urías was one of the most underrated players on the Orioles. Urías was consistently a valuable player — a league-average hitter and a solid defender — during his time in Baltimore. He won a Gold Glove Award in 2022, spent much of 2023 as a starter on a team that won 101 games and then got hot at just the right time to save the offense in 2024.”
– Interim Orioles manager Tony Mansolino, in 2025: “It’s Jackson [Holliday] and it’s Gunnar [Henderson] and all these young stars that are nationally recognized, and nobody talks about Ramón. We know how good he is in here. I don’t think the national media understands his value. But certainly, in here, we see it every night.”
– Dan Connolly (The Athletic) after Urias won the AL Gold Glove at third base in 2022: “I’ve written this plenty of times, but I have continually — maybe, comically— underrated Urías in his time with the Orioles. I didn’t think he’d make the majors for longer than a finger snap. I didn’t think he’d hit in the big leagues. And, once he proved me wrong on those fronts, I assumed he was a utility player at best. Now he is a Gold Glove third baseman. It’s a really cool story, and couldn’t happen to a nicer, more understated guy. All he does is bust his tail, seize opportunities and quietly go about his business. He’s a pro’s pro.”
If it was important to find a worldly, perspective-filled big brother or elder clubhouse conscience to watch over the Baby Birds and counsel the little ones as they take flight in the big leagues – well it seems that Urias can handle the responsibility.
– Baltimore pitchers gushed over the Urias defense at third base, second base and (at times) shortstop.
“I didn’t even see the ball, and next thing, I turn around and Urí had it in the glove,” starting pitcher Zach Eflin told reporters last season. “He’s a ballplayer, man. He’s so much fun, watching him play. Gold Glover, you feel so comfortable with him at the hot corner.”
OK, THIS TRADE. WHAT IS THE MEANING OF IT ALL?
Instead of stressing over outfield depth, Bloom obviously believes they have enough to cover the grass out there. Which means they’re serious about using infielder Thomas Saggese in the outfield, which is a new experience for him, especially his shifts in center. A rebuild is the perfect time to try and cast Saggese as Tommy Edman II.
The club is also comfortable with the idea of Jose Fermin and/or Nelson Velazquez in left field until Lars Nootbaar returns. And Nathan Church can play effective defense at any of the three outfield spots. I think Church will do better offensively this season. And later in the season we could see outfield prospect Josh Baez take a prominent role in the corner-outfield cast.
Urias, meanwhile, is a platoon option at third base with Nolan Gorman. He probably is better defensively than Gorman at third. And though Gorman bats from the left side, he’s held his own against LHP over the last three years, producing a .723 OPS and a wRC+ that’s a tick above the league average. With Urias in the mix, manager Oli Marmol will have more flexibility to use Gorman at DH or perhaps second base.
When Wetherholt needs a breather at second base, Urias can fill in there. But don’t forget about Fermin, another right-handed hitting option at second base. In 241 innings there since the start of 2023, Fermin is a nifty +4 in defensive runs saved.
In the potential busy-bee Edman role, Saggese is capable of playing third or second base and at least some shortstop. Don’t forget that Wetherholt can play second base, shortstop or third base. All three spots are in his background.
Urias gives Marmol another piece to move and shift around without necessarily eating into much playing time for Gorman or Wetherholt. And by having an extra right-handed bat (Urias) Marmol has more ways to lock in beneficial hitter vs. pitcher matchups.
When Nootbaar return, someone will have to go (unless there is another injury.)
There's plenty of time to chat about that as soon as we have something of a timetable on Noot's comeback.
RAMON URIAS, A PRIMER
1. Since we mentioned defense, Urias is only one of three Orioles to win the Gold Glove at third base in Orioles history. The other two gentlemen: Brooks Robinson (16) and Manny Machado (2).
2. During his six-season MLB career, Urias has played 371 games at third base, 108 at second base, 61 at shortstop and 18 at first base. He’s been credited with +18 defensive runs saved at 3B, and +11 runs saved at 2B, and a minus 4 runs saved at shortstop. (He’s been average in limited duty at 1B).
3. Why did the Cardinals designate Urias for assignment in February 2020? With the DFA, Baltimore claimed Urias and he remained in place there until getting dealt to the Astros at the 2025 trade deadline.
The Cards had to clear a 40-man roster spot for pitcher John Gant after Gant and the team avoided salary arbitration. The Cards had plenty of infielders at the time: Paul Goldschmidt, Kolten Wong, Paul DeJong, Tommy Edman, Matt Carpenter, and Edmundo Sosa.
Their 40-man roster at the time also included third baseman Elehuris Montero, who later was traded to Colorado before the 2021 season in the deal that delivered Nolan Arenado to St. Louis.
Another player on the 40-man in early 2020 was Rangel Ravelo, who played first base and left field.
Another reason? The Cardinals’ front office probably underestimated his talent to some extent. In 2018, Urias had a .872 OPS at Double A and Triple A. And in 2019, he posted a .781 OPS at three different levels of the STL system. The Cardinals just didn’t have a place for him.
4. Urias was more than just a passenger for the Orioles from 2022 through 2024. The 2022 Orioles had the first winning record (83-79) for the franchise since 2016. The 2023 O’s won 101 games and the AL East. The ‘24 Orioles won 91 games and made the postseason as a wild card.
Over those three positive seasons Urias played in 334 games for Baltimore and batted .255 with a .721 OPS. He was especially good in 2024, generating an OPS+ that made him 17 percent league average offensively that season.
5. From 2022 through 2024, when Urias started a game for the Orioles, the team went 161-119 for a .575 winning percentage. That included a .619 team winning percentage when he started games in 2023 and ‘24.
6. Urias has been generally effective against left-handed pitching, rating three percent above league average offensively vs. lefties during his big-league career. Last season Urias got to LH pitching for a .262 average, .322 on-base percentage, .421 slug and a .743 OPS. That batting line translated to Urias being nine percent above league average offensively against lefties in 2025. For a utility man, that works just fine.
7. Urias didn’t play a lot of second base over the past two seasons (201 innings) but did an exceptional job there in 2025. His defense at third base has leveled off but Urias was still a net +2 in defensive runs saved at 3B over the last two seasons.
8. The potential downside? Urias experienced a drop in numbers last season despite a healthy increase in his hard-hit rate. Since the start of 2022, Urias has a sea of blue on the Statcast metrics charts, which isn’t good, but he manages to provide decent offense. But in 2025 he batted .241 with a .675 OPS and scraped to the worst adjusted OPS of his career – coming in at 12% below league average offensively. Unfortunate batted-ball luck has been a factor in the downturn.
9. That said, Urias was plenty good against lefties last season, slugging .421 with a .743 OPS. Here’s another likable thing about him: though he bats from the right side, Urias has been slightly better against right-handed pitching in his career (.725) compared to his OPS (.719) vs. lefties.
10. For much of his career, Urias has hit too many ground balls, a habit that suppresses his power capability. But he’s been lowering that ground-ball rate, which is smart. And with that he’s pulled more pitches – and his 48.7 percent “pull” rate last season was the best of his career. If Urias is in the process of making adjustments that matter, then the Cards could be plugging him in at a good time; last season when Urias pulled a ball in the air, he batted .323 with a 1.161 slug.
I like this low-key but important signing from Chaim Bloom.
Thanks for reading ...
--Bernie
Bernie was inducted into the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame in 2023. During a St. Louis sports-media career that goes back to 1985, he’s won multiple national awards for column writing and sports-talk hosting – and was the lead sports columnist at the Post-Dispatch from 1989 through 2015. Before that Bernie spent a year at the Dallas Morning News, covering the Dallas Cowboys during Tom Landry’s final season (1988) plus the sale of the team to Jerry Jones and the hiring of Jimmy Johnson as coach. Bernie has covered several Baseball Hall of Fame managers during his media career including Tony La Russa, Whitey Herzog, Earl Weaver, Joe Torre and (as an interim) Red Schoendienst. In his career as a beatwriter and columnist, Bernie covered Pro Football Hall of Fame coaches Joe Gibbs, Tom Landry, Jimmy Johnson and Dick Vermeil on a daily basis.
Bernie has covered and written about many great St. Louis sports team athletes including Albert Pujols, Kurt Warner, Brett Hull, Yadier Molina, Adam Wainwright, Jim Edmonds, Marshall Faulk, Scott Rolen, Mark McGwire, Orlando Pace, Isaac Bruce, Torry Holt, Adam Wainwright, Chris Carpenter, Al MacInnis, Brian Sutter, Bernie Federko, Chris Pronger, Dan Dierdorf, Jackie Smith and Aeneas Williams. Bernie covered every baseball Cardinals’ postseason game from 1996 through 2014 and was there to chronicle teams that won four NL pennants and two World Series. He provided extensive coverage on the “Greatest Show” St. Louis Rams and has written extensively on the St. Louis Blues, Saint Louis U, and Mizzou football and basketball. Bernie was/is a longtime voter for the Baseball Hall of Fame, Pro Football Hall of Fame, Heisman Trophy and the St. Louis Cardinals Hall of Fame.
You can access his columns, videos and the podcast version of the videos here on STL Sports Central, catch him regularly on KMOX (AM or FM) as part of the Gashouse Gang, Sports Rush Hour, Sports Open Line or Sports On a Sunday Morning shows. And you can catch weekly “reunion” segments here at STL Sports Central featuring Bernie and his longtime friend Randy Karraker.