Cardinals on My Time

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The St. Louis Cardinals pitching rotation is taking shape, but it doesn't look like anyone expected. Scott Plaza is joined by Nate Schwartz (Pitcher List) and Thomas Gauvain (Redbird Rants) to break down a dominant spring performance from Matthew Liberatore. Is he ready to be the "face" of the rotation? In this episode:The "Libby" Leap: Analyzing Matthew Liberatore’s improv...

The St. Louis Cardinals have extended manager Oli Marmol — but the real drama might be unfolding in Spring Training. Join at patreon.com/redbirdrundown for free! You can also access our bonus tier there! In this episode of Redbird Rundown , Scott, Matt, and Jonathan discuss the Cardinals’ decision to give Marmol a two-year extension with a 2029 team option and what it says about the organization’s...

Before Julio Rodriguez was a household name, there was another J-Rod patrolling the outfield in St. Louis. In this week’s edition of Random Cardinal of the Week , Jim Plaza dives into the career of John Rodriguez . A classic "late bloomer," Rodriguez spent eight grueling years in the minor leagues and logged over 2,500 at-bats before finally getting his shot at age 27. Discover how a &qu...

Our patreon is here! Find us at patreon.com/redbirdrundown. Going forward these episodes will be only for our premium patrons. Take advantage of our special launch deal to get a bonus episode each week for only $1 for the first month. In this bonus episode we share something we're buying so far from spring training, something we're watching for, and a mild, medium, or hot take. Matt pulled...

The future of the St. Louis Cardinals is on the clock. This week on Redbird Rundown, Jonathan, Matt, and Scott welcome Kareem from the Birds on the Farm for a full-on Cardinals prospect draft . Each of us built our own big board, drafted our favorite prospects. We debate sleepers, upside plays, risky picks, and which young Redbirds could impact the big league club sooner than you think. Plus, we s...

The 1982 World Champion St. Louis Cardinals are often remembered for the backflips of Ozzie Smith and the genius of Whitey Herzog. But the engine that truly powered that team sat behind the infield dirt. In this special Black History Month finale of Random Cardinal of the Week, Jim Plaza dives into the stories of three men who formed one of the most dynamic outfields in baseball history: Lonnie Sm...

SHHHH: https://www.patreon.com/posts/you-found-it-in-151595607 Spring Training is in full swing at the brand-new Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium! Scott Plaza is joined by Matt Smith and special guest JD Hafron from Locked On Cardinals to break down the early highs and lows from Jupiter. We dive deep into the starting rotation's health—from Libby’s impressive splitter to the "batting practice...

What will decide the 2026 season for the St. Louis Cardinals? In this episode of the Redbird Rundown, Matt, Jonathan, and Scott break down the biggest make-or-break storylines that could define the year — from rotation health to roster surprises. We’re also joined by special guest Daniel Shoptaw (C70 on Twitter) to hear what storylines he’s watching most closely. Plus, Jonathan highlights a lesser...

In this special Black History Month edition of Random Cardinal of the Week , we look at the man who revitalized the Cardinals' outfield during one of the toughest decades in franchise history. Arnold Ray "Bake" McBride didn't even play high school baseball in his hometown of Fulton, Missouri—yet he became a 37th-round draft pick who took the National League by storm. In this epis...

Could things actually be worse in St. Louis than they are on the South Side? This week, Scott Plaza is joined by Sean Anderson (@Sean_W_Anderson) of CHGO White Sox (@CHGO_WhiteSox) to perform a "rebuild wellness check" on two of baseball's most storied (and currently struggling) franchises. While Cardinals fans are bracing for a "reset," White Sox fans are finally seeing li...

The St. Louis Cardinals are heading to Jupiter, Florida, and we’re building the ultimate “packing list” for the players who need a big spring. Andy, Matt, Jonathan, and Scott each pick position players, pitchers, and under-the-radar guys and decide what survival item and luxury item they need to take the next step in 2026. We talk names like Jordan Walker , Lars Nootbaar , Matthew Liberatore , Iva...

In honor of Black History Month , Random Cardinal of the Week steps away from the usual deep cuts to profile a true pioneer. Meet William Henry Greason , the man who broke the pitching color barrier for the St. Louis Cardinals. While the story of Jackie Robinson is well-known, the integration of the Cardinals—the southernmost and westernmost team in MLB at the time—was a unique struggle set agains...

Spring Training 2026 is underway at the newly renovated Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium, and the vibes are… vibin'. As the Cardinals embrace a true rebuild, the rotation is a blank slate. This week on Cardinals On My Time , Scott Plaza is joined by Josh Jacobs (Site Expert at Redbird Rants) to perform a "vibes check" on the pitching staff. We move past the box scores and look at the &qu...

The Cardinals made another big move — and this one might shape the next few seasons. On this episode of Redbird Rundown , we break down the Brendan Donovan trade and all of its ripple effects. What did Donovan mean to the Cardinals during his time in St. Louis? How should fans feel about the return, and what does this deal signal about the organization’s direction heading into 2026? We also step b...

In this episode, we revisit a night in September 2001 that should have been the start of a legendary career. Bud Smith was the Cardinals' #1 prospect—ranked even higher than a young Albert Pujols. At just 21 years old, he achieved what Bob Gibson and Jesse Haines only did once, and what modern aces like Adam Wainwright never could: he threw a no-hitter. But while Bud Smith still holds the titl...

The Brendan Donovan era in St. Louis has officially come to an end. After months of "waiting to be blown away," Chaim Bloom pulled the trigger on a complex three-team deal with the Seattle Mariners and Tampa Bay Rays. On today's episode, Scott Plaza is joined by Redbird Farmhands, Aidan Gray (Redbirds on the Arch), and Roman Rodriguez to answer the big questions: Did the Cardinals wi...

ZIPS projections are out… and Cardinals fans are once again staring straight into the void. In this episode of Redbird Rundown , we dig into Dan Szymborski’s ZIPS projections from FanGraphs and ask the only questions that matter: 👉 Are the Cardinals actually better than they look on paper? 👉 Who’s being underrated, overrated, or outright disrespected? 👉 And how much copium is too much copium? W...

In the premiere episode of Random Cardinal of the Week, we look back at one of the most talented—and tragic—shortstops to ever wear the uniform: Khalil Greene. Acquired in December 2008 to anchor a position previously held by legends like "The Wizard," Greene arrived in St. Louis with a highlight reel that rivaled the best in the game. But beneath the diving plays and the "monster&q...

What stat actually defines Alec Burleson’s value to the Cardinals? On this episode of The Redbird Rundown , we’re drafting the Baseball Savant metrics we believe matter most when evaluating Alec Burleson—both now and in the years ahead. After a quick five-word vibe check from the past week, we jump into a stat draft designed to separate the noise from the numbers that truly matter. Using 15 Baseba...

The Cardinals are officially rebuilding, but the energy at the 2026 Winter Warm-Up didn't feel like a 73-win team. Today, we’re recapping our time at Busch Stadium, featuring exclusive interview reactions from the next generation of St. Louis baseball. In this episode:The Leadership Gap: How Alec Burleson and Masyn Winn are handling the "Veteran" tag at age 27.The Pitching Lab: Why e...

It finally happened — the Cardinals traded Nolan Arenado. On this episode of The Redbird Rundown , Andy, Matt, Jonathan, and Scott react to the long-anticipated Nolan Arenado trade to the Arizona Diamondbacks . We unpack the full deal, reflect on Arenado’s time in St. Louis , and discuss what the move means for the Cardinals’ future at third base . Scott also joins with live insight from Cardinals...

Scott Plaza is joined by Jake Wood of Viva El Birdos to break down the blockbuster trade sending Nolan Arenado to the Arizona Diamondbacks. We discuss the $26 million cash swap, the return of Jack Martinez, and why Chaim Bloom finally hit the "reset" button on the veteran core. We also dive into the fallout for the rest of the roster: • The Winners: Who takes over at third base? Weatherh...

Welcome back to Redbird Rundown , your go-to podcast for everything St. Louis Cardinals ⚾️ Andy is joined by Matt, Jonathan, and welcoming Scott Plaza as a new regular voice on the show . You’ll be hearing a lot more from Scott (@MrPlaztastic17 on X) moving forward — on this podcast and beyond. On this episode, we start with a quick vibe check from the past week (five words or less), then dive in...

In this family fun version of Redbird Rundown, the wives of the guys hop on to give hot takes, play some games, and offer advice to all those people out there with a spouse or partner who just can't quit the Birds. Thanks for supporting the show! Follow, rate, and review to help grow the community.