St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins returning to same Roger Dean Stadium for 2025 spring training

JUPITER — The St. Louis Cardinals packed their big red duffel bags last Saturday in their cramped clubhouse following the final home game this spring training at Roger Dean Chevrolet Stadium against the Washington Nationals.

When the Cardinals come back next spring for another round of exhibition games in Jupiter at the 27-year-old stadium, things will look exactly the same. And that seemed surprising to the Cardinals interviewed by The Palm Beach Post.

The $108 million overhaul of the stadium has yet to take place, other than a new scoreboard, despite the original plans for a 2023 renovation.

On July 10, 2023, the stadium's Florida State League occupants, the Palm Beach Cardinals and Jupiter Hammerheads (Marlins), were moved to West Palm Beach, to the newer CACTI Park of the Palm Beaches so construction work could begin.

But it never happened. The revamp will eventually include state-of-the-art clubhouses, new team stores, eateries and a fan area beyond the outfield. But it won’t start until after the 2025 spring training ends.

Hence, the Palm Beach Cardinals and Hammerheads will spend the entire 2024 season in Jupiter and won’t be moved again to West Palm Beach as originally planned. They face each other in the FSL opener on April 5.

Mike Bauer, general manager of Roger Dean Stadium, explained that the decision to delay was based on “minimizing the impact to the players and staff and allow the minor league teams to operate year-round without leaving."

But Cardinals catcher Willson Contreras didn’t seem pleased.

"What do I like about the stadium — this one?" Contreras said. “Nothing. They have to redo it. It’s pretty awful now. But we don’t mind. We’re here on business to do hard work."

Palm Beach Cardinals, Jupiter Hammerheads will stay put in 2024

Bauer said COVID-19 post-construction costs had some influence.

“With this delay and new strategy, we’ll be able to get everything done in that 10-month window between spring trainings and not have to play anywhere else and lose games," Bauer said. “Logistically, this will be a much better plan. Hence, the yearlong delay."

As it turned out, the two teams were moved needlessly in 2023 but it ended with a first-ever Florida State League title for the Hammerheads.

All agree the stadium, which opened in 1998, needs an overhaul.

Contreras, who used to play for the Chicago Cubs, who hold spring training in Arizona, is used to splashier amenities.

Indeed, the clubhouse is not nearly the size of the Houston Astros’ and Washington Nationals’ digs at West Palm Beach’s stadium. The players also have a longer walk to the dressing room beyond the stadium and into the minor league complex.

“It’s a long walk but it’s an easy walk," Contreras said. “But it’s 2024. It needs to be done. You can tell when you walk in there. It’s below standard. If they’re going to do it, they’ll redo it. If they don’t want to redo, we’ll still come out and work."

Bauer agrees, saying the clubhouses being 30,000 square feet is “an issue."

The original blueprint called for demolishing the two buildings in the minor league complex and building new ones. Bauer said the new plan is to renovate the existing buildings and erect one new structure.

“The building we’ll add on either side will grow that square footage so we can take care of the deficiencies we had," Bauer said. “There’ll be more space for a larger weight room, more space for physical training and hydrotherapy."

Bauer added that the Cardinals “are adding a kitchen with cafeteria-style seating so they can control the nutrition going into the guys’ bodies. We’re adding more batting cages.

“When you bring in 200-plus players and all are on top of each other … we’d have to rotate players through the gym."

Cardinals averaged 5,411 fans in 14 spring home games

The St. Louis baseball fans, regarded as one of the top three in baseball with the Yankees and Red Sox, still flocked to the ballpark this spring. The Cardinals averaged 5,411 fans in 14 home dates.

“I really love the fans coming here day in and day out to support us," Contreras said. “We really appreciate it."

But when told the newest plan has renovations not taking place until after training in 2025, Contreras said with surprise:

“After next spring training? That’s something we can’t control. We’ll be working hard and getting better but it’s pretty old, bro. You look around at other places. They put a lot of work into their teams’ (spring training). This whole complex, it’s time to redo it."

One of the plans was to add fan areas behind the outfield fences. There are no patrons currently in the outfield and sources indicated a beach area for patrons would be installed.

“When you play in the big leagues, you love having fans behind you in the outfield,"  Cardinals outfielder Dylan Carpenter said. “Having seats in center field or behind the outfield would be a pretty cool upgrade.

“I definitely think this place has been around a little bit," Carpenter added. “You go into spring training you see the visiting sides. It’s tough to compare because we don’t see the home side but some other stadiums are built a little differently."

Bauer said there will be a new fan area in left field which he termed “a social space."

Minor stuff will be done after the FSL season. Bauer said the field will be redone as workers will go 24 inches below the surface to improve drainage. He said the bullpens that are now on-field could be moved beyond the outfield walls next season, though that temporarily wouldn’t benefit the fan experience.

Cardinals players enjoy the area, too, and a handful started buying property in Jupiter to train in the offseason. And there are plenty of St. Louis natives spread about both coasts of Florida in retirement who drive to Jupiter in March. Others get away for a vacation from their wintry Midwestern homes.

On Saturday, it was a sea of red, and not Washington Nationals red. Fans come decked in all sorts of Cardinals jerseys — either all red, the road grays, the road blues and the traditional home whites. There are names of players on their backs — from McGwire to Musial.

Fans still come out despite $35 seats and $11 beers for spring training

The fans haven’t been deterred by rising ticket prices, with even cheaper seats at $35, to go along with $11 beers.

“From a fan base, a lot of Cardinals fans come here," catcher Pedro Pagés said. “They come a long way. It’s a good thing to see out there, always fun to play in front of people cheering us on.

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“As for the clubhouse, it’d be nice to see a new clubhouse," Pagés added. “It would be nice see that if they do it. It’s not my place to say. You want to upgrade stuff, make it more modernized, make the clubhouse a little bigger. But at the end of the day, we’re able to get all our work done here. Let’s see what they do and we’ll keep playing."

Carpenter has been with the Cardinals since 2020.

“It’s all I’ve ever known," Carpenter said. “I don’t know any different. But if they’re willing to upgrade and make it better, who is to say no to that? The fans show up out there. It’s a great time of the year with a season to come. But it’s now better to get out of here and play games in St. Louis."

This article originally appeared on Palm Beach Post: St. Louis Cardinals, Miami Marlins returning to same Roger Dean Stadium in 2025