The St. Louis Cardinals 2015 season was the 134th for the Major League Baseball (MLB) franchise in St. Louis, Missouri, the 124th season in the National League, and the 10th at Busch Stadium III. They entered the 2015 season as two-time defending National League Central champions and having made four consecutive NLCS appearances.
The Cardinals' 2014–15 offseason began tragically with the death of rookie outfielder Oscar Taveras in a traffic collision on October 26. On November 17, they acquired right fielder Jason Heyward and pitcher Jordan Walden from the Atlanta Braves in a blockbuster trade for pitchers Shelby Miller and Tyrell Jenkins. The Cardinals inducted Curt Flood, Bob Forsch, George Kissell and Ted Simmons into the franchise Hall of Fame. Forbes valued the Cardinals at $1.2 billion in 2015, ranking them 27th out of all sports franchises in the world, and the sixth-highest in all MLB.
By winning 22 of their first 29 games of the season, the Cardinals secured their best start since 1887, and became the first major league team of the year to reach 50 wins, the fastest since the Chicago White Sox in 2005. Outfielder Matt Holliday set a new National League record by reaching base in his first 45 games of the season. In June, reports surfaced that the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) were investigating an incident involving the Cardinals hacking into the Houston Astros' computer networks, the first known such case of corporate espionage in professional sports.
By winning their 100th game on September 30, the Cardinals clinched their third consecutive division title. It was the first time since 2005 they had won at least 100 games in a season, and they became the first team to do so since the 2011 Phillies. However, they lost to the Chicago Cubs in the NLDS in four games, ending their streak of four straight NLCS appearances.
Off-season
Overview The St. Louis Cardinals ended their 2014 regular season as the National League Central division champions with a 90–72 won–loss record, their second consecutive Central division title and ninth overall. They finished sixth in the league in batting average (.253), fifteenth (last) in home runs (105), and ninth in runs scored (619). They also ranked seventh in earned run average (3.50).
St. Louis finished two games ahead of the runner-up Pittsburgh Pirates, who qualified for the Wild Card Game. In the National League Division Series (NLDS), the Cardinals defeated the Los Angeles Dodgers, three games to one. They surrendered the National League Championship Series (NLCS) in five games to the San Francisco Giants, the eventual World Series champions. Despite the NLCS defeat, the Cardinals already had four consecutive LCS appearances, the first team to do so since the New York Yankees from 1998–2001 in the American League Championship Series. Since 2000, it was their ninth NLCS appearance.
However, tragedy launched Major League Baseball's 2014–15 off-season when Cardinals rookie right fielder Oscar Taveras was killed in a car accident in the Dominican Republic on October 26, 2014. It was 10 days after the conclusion of the NLCS, and moments before the first pitch of Game 5 of the World Series. Reports confirmed alcohol intoxication on Taveras' part, making it the second alcohol-related fatality of a Cardinals player in a car accident since pitcher Josh Hancock in 2007. General manager John Mozeliak lamented the circumstances of both players' deaths, amplifying that the team would take a greater role in instructing young players "to avoid reckless actions."
Just 22 years old, Taveras was an immensely popular athlete and heralded prospect with fans, around Major League Baseball, and in his native Dominican Republic. On October 28, the Cardinals left the right field lights on at Busch Stadium and released a Twitter photo of the scene the next day. The following January, Cardinals chairman William DeWitt, Jr., announced plans for the team to renovate a baseball field in Taveras' hometown of Sosúa in his honor, and that the team would also wear black circular patches inscribed with the initials "OT" inside a white circle on their jerseys for the 2015 season. Further, a large decal was posted in his memorial on the wall of the home team bullpen of Busch Stadium along with those of Hancock and Darryl Kile, another pitcher who died during the 2002 season while still active as a player.
Bench coach Mike Aldrete vacated the Cardinals on October 27 for the same avocation with the Oakland Athletics. The day after the World Series ended, October 30, Mark Ellis, Justin Masterson, Jason Motte, Pat Neshek, and A. J. Pierzynski all filed for free agency. Four of the five players in the group signed with different teams in the 2014–15 off-season. Only Motte, a former closer, had played for the Cardinals prior to 2014. He acceded a one-year contract with the Chicago Cubs. The only free agent who did not endorse with another club was Ellis, who announced his retirement as a player on February 26, 2015.
The Cardinals picked up the 2015 option on starting pitcher John Lackey's contract on October 30, equivalent to the minimum salary of $507,000 ($ today), an unusually low number on for a veteran of his achievement level and competitiveness. Acquired from the Boston Red Sox at the trade deadline in 2014, he signed his current contract as a free agent before the 2010 season. The Red Sox inserted a provision in the contract that, in lieu of paying insurance in case he missed any season due to an elbow injury, the club could choose to pick up an option in 2015 for the league minimum salary. At that time, the Red Sox medical staff demonstrated concern that Lackey's elbow was found not to be fully sound during a physical examination. When he missed the 2012 season due to Tommy John surgery, the league-minimum option for 2015 was actuated. The Cardinals added performance bonuses before the start of the season.
The Houston Astros appointed longtime scout Charlie González as a special assistant on November 1. Two days later, the Cardinals signed assistant hitting coach David Bell to a two-year contract to replace Aldrete as bench coach. To fill the position Bell vacated, the Cardinals hired former Cubs hitting coach Bill Mueller as assistant hitting coach on November 17.
With a void in right field that emerged following the death of Taveras, the Cardinals settled a surprising blockbuster trade with the Atlanta Braves on November 17. St. Louis arrogated former Baseball America Minor League Player of the Year Jason Heyward and relief pitcher Jordan Walden in exchange for starting pitcher Shelby Miller and reliever Tyrell Jenkins. For the second time in the 2014–15 off-season, the Athletics drew from the Cardinals' staff, hiring director of scouting Dan Kantrovitz to be assistant general manager on November 24. To replace Kantrovitz, director of baseball development Chris Correa was promoted to director of scouting on December 2. One week later, the Missouri Sports Hall of Fame announced former ace Chris Carpenter as an inductee in their 2015 class.
The Cardinals signed free agents relief pitcher Matt Belisle (December 2), from the Colorado Rockies, and first baseman Mark Reynolds (December 11) from the Milwaukee Brewers. They initially imported veteran reliever Carlos Villanueva on a minor league deal in February, but selected him for the major league roster out of spring training.
In March 2015, Forbes appraised the Cardinals' outright value at $1.4 billion, making them the 27th-most valuable sports franchise in the world, and sixth-principal franchise in Major League Baseball (MLB). It was an increase from an $800 million pricing and eighth in the echelon in 2014. Their revenue was $294 million while their operating income was $73.6 million, and their overall assessment was approximately $200 million higher than the MLB average of $1.2 billion. Mike Ozanian of Forbes remarked that the Cardinals were "baseball's biggest anamoly", with outsize value outpacing their status as one of baseball's "smallest markets", and the recently opened Ballpark Village – adjacent to Busch Stadium – was a popular destination for dining and entertainment. The Cardinals' local television ratings (7.76) graded the highest among all major league teams.
Acquisitions, departures and roster moves
Ownership, club officials, managers, and coaches Club officials Charlie González Departed St. Louis Cardinals Scout Hired by Houston Astros Promoted to Special assistant November 1, 2014 Dan Kantrovitz Departed St. Louis Cardinals Director of scouting Hired by Oakland Athletics Promoted to Assistant general manager November 24, 2014 Chris Correa From St. Louis Cardinals Director of baseball development Remained with St. Louis Cardinals Promoted to Director of scouting December 2, 2014
Managers and coaches Mike Aldrete Departed St. Louis Cardinals Bench coach Hired by Oakland Athletics To Bench coach October 27, 2014 David Bell From St. Louis Cardinals Assistant hitting coach Remained with St. Louis Cardinals Promoted to Bench coach November 3, 2014 Bill Mueller Departed Chicago Cubs Hitting coach Hired by St. Louis Cardinals To Assistant hitting coach November 17, 2014
Players
Contract options October 30, 2014 John Lackey (RHP) $500,000 team option for 2015 St. Louis Cardinals Exercised
Trades November 17, 2014 To St. Louis Cardinals Jason Heyward (RF) Jordan Walden (RHP) To Atlanta Braves Tyrell Jenkins (RHP) Shelby Miller (RHP) November 20, 2014 To St. Louis Cardinals Ty Kelly (IF)(added to the 40-man roster and assigned to the Memphis Redbirds) To Seattle Mariners Sam Gaviglio (RHP) February 3, 2015 To St. Louis Cardinals Michael Ohlman (C)(added to the 40-man roster and assigned to the Springfield Cardinals) To Baltimore Orioles Cash considerations March 28, 2015 To St. Louis Cardinals Cash considerations or a player to be named later To Texas Rangers Sam Freeman (LHP)
Major league free agents (IF) Departed St. Louis Cardinals October 30, 2014 Contracts expired after World Series Retired as a player February 26, 2015 (RHP) Signed with Boston Red Sox December 12, 2014 1 year, $9.5 million (RHP) Signed with Chicago Cubs December 15, 2014 1 year, $4.5 million (RHP) Signed with Houston Astros December 15, 2014 2 years, $12.5 million (C) Signed with Atlanta Braves January 7, 2015 1 year, $2 million (RHP) Departed Colorado Rockies October 30, 2014 Contract expired Signed with St. Louis Cardinals December 2, 2014 1 year, $3.5 million (IF) Departed St. Louis Cardinals December 2, 2014 Non-tendered contract as arbitration-eligible player Signed with Colorado Rockies December 16, 2014 2 years, $3.6 million (1B) Departed Milwaukee Brewers November 4, 2014 Contract expired Signed with St. Louis Cardinals December 11, 2014 1 year, $2 million
Minor league free agents (IF) Departed Indianapolis Indians AAA affiliate of the Pittsburgh Pirates November 4, 2015 To St. Louis Cardinals Added to 40-man roster Optioned to Memphis Redbirds November 11, 2014 (RHP) Departed Iowa Cubs AAA affiliate of the Chicago Cubs November 4, 2014 To St. Louis Cardinals Signed to minor league contract with invite to spring training November 19, 2014 (RHP) Departed Las Vegas 51s AAA affiliate of the New York Mets November 4, 2014 To St. Louis Cardinals Signed to minor league contract with invite to spring training November 11, 2014 (OF) Released by St. Louis Cardinals November 18, 2014 To Minnesota Twins Signed to minor league contract with invite to spring training December 4, 2014 (RHP) Departed Chicago Cubs October 30, 2014 To St. Louis Cardinals Signed to minor league contract with invite to spring training February 4, 2015
Arbitration-eligible players (OF) St. Louis Cardinals Tendered contracts December 2, 2014 Signed $1.65 million, one-year contract January 15, 2015 (C) Signed $775,000, one-year contract January 15, 2015 (OF) Signed $10.975 million, two-year contract