The St. Louis Cardinals have been quietly putting together some solid baseball lately. They opened their series against the Colorado Rockies on Friday with a 3-2 victory, giving St. Louis three wins in its last four games.
Earlier this week, the Cardinals joined the Major League Baseball waiver-wire activity by acquiring Everson Pereira. However, because of Pereira’s contract situation, St. Louis will need to make room on its roster. Reports indicates the 27-year-old who is out of options, is the player expected to be designated for assignment.
St. Louis Cardinals Reportedly Set to Cut Outfielder
St. Louis Cardinals reporter Jeff Jones wrote (via X.com): “Cardinals will be removing Nelson Velázquez from the active roster tomorrow to open an active spot for Everson Pereira. He is out of options, so that will require a DFA or release.”
There is still a chance the Cardinals could avoid the DFA process by granting Velázquez his release, although the team has yet to officially announce the roster move.
Velázquez, 27, has appeared in 34 games for St. Louis this season. In 74 at-bats, he is hitting .216. With MLB teams making roster changes and players changing clubs throughout the league, Velázquez could soon find himself looking for another opportunity.
His most recent appearance for the Cardinals came on August 4, when he went 1-for-4 and recorded a double.
Inside Nelson Velázquez’s MLB Career
Originally drafted by the Chicago Cubs in 2017, Velázquez made his major league debut with the Cubs in 2022. He spent two seasons in Chicago before moving to the Kansas City Royals, where he played parts of two seasons. He did not appear in the majors during the 2025 season before joining St. Louis this year.
Velázquez professional career has included several notable accomplishments. In 2021, he was named Arizona Fall League MVP after batting .385 with nine home runs and a 1.191 OPS. He was also selected as an AFL Rising Star that year and was recognized by MiLB.com as a Cubs Organization All-Star.
Velázquez also displayed significant power during his time with Kansas City in 2023. After joining the Royals during the season, he hit a career-best 17 home runs in just 53 games.
Across 228 career MLB games, Velázquez owns a .212 batting average with 35 home runs, 99 RBI, and a 98 OPS+.
Now, with St. Louis preparing to add Pereira to its active roster, Velázquez appears to be the likely casualty. The Cardinals’ official roster decision will determine whether his time with the organization ends through a designation for assignment or an outright release.
