The Cardinals avoided any friction that adversarial arbitration hearings may create with both of the starters who can be free agents this fall. But the club was unable to sidestep that possibility with two relievers in their first bid for arbitration’s bigger paydays.
Jack Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery joined shortstop Tommy Edman as three of the seven players who finalized salaries on one-year contracts with the Cardinals on Friday.
All-Star closer Ryan Helsley and lefty Genesis Cabrera were unable to reach agreement with the Cardinals on salaries for the 2023 season before Friday’s deadline to exchange numbers, the team announced.