St. Louis Cardinals Sign Gold Glove Infielder
They spent most of the winter sniffing around for a right-handed outfield bat, but instead they landed a versatile right-handed infielder and, in the process, may have opened the door for internal outfield experiments to actually become real Opening Day options.
Cardinals Youth Movement Gets a Veteran Safety Net
The 31-year-old hit .241 with 11 home runs and 44 RBIs in 112 games last season, split between the Baltimore Orioles and Houston Astros, and he owns a career .257 average with 50 homers across 541 big league games.
Free-agent infielder Ramón Urías in agreement with Cardinals on one-year, $2M contract. Salary of $1.5M in 2026 with $500K buyout on 2027 mutual option. Deal also includes $2M in incentives based on plate appearances.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) February 21, 2026
The resume also includes a real calling card: Urias won a Gold Glove at third base in 2022, and he has a lot of experience at second base, shortstop, and first.
Ramon Urias Signing Impacts Left Field Plans
St. Louis can now keep its infield rotation cleaner while letting younger bats chase at-bats in the outfield, especially with left field looking like a spot the club wants to solve internally.
Reports out of camp have Thomas Saggese and Jose Fermín getting work on the grass, and Urias’ arrival makes that plan easier to stick with since he can cover multiple infield spots if the growing pains show up.
The #STLCards are closing in on an agreement with free-agent INF Ramon Urias, per @jmjones pic.twitter.com/fB8ucRESs6
— MLB Deadline News (@MLBDeadlineNews) February 20, 2026
It’s a one-year deal with a mutual option for 2027, and reporting on the structure indicates a $2 million guarantee with incentives tied to plate appearances. It’s the kind of low-risk add that gives St. Louis insurance while still keeping the focus on development and flexibility.
To make room, the Cardinals designated right-hander Zak Kent for assignment.
Photo Credit: William Liang-Imagn Images
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