The Cardinals got a quiet but meaningful piece of offseason business done before the winter really starts: Jon Jay and Pop Warner are both set to return to the coaching staff for 2027.
Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch reported on X that the two coaches, both on expiring deals, will remain with St.
Louis. Team officials were still finalizing the staff, but the update settles one of the lingering questions around the dugout.
News to follow up on story below.
The 2 coaches on expiring contracts mentioned, #WorldSeries champ Jon Jay and longtime coach Pop Warner, set to return on #stlcards '27 field staff.
Team officials, members only say they're still finalizing staff. https://t.co/0OHJMrBn8k
- Derrick Goold (@dgoold) October 12, 2026
Jay’s return stands out in particular because his name has come up over the past few years in connection with managerial openings. He’s earned strong reviews for his work with both the Cardinals and the Miami Marlins, and that kind of reputation tends to travel fast around the league.
In St. Louis, Jay has been a valuable voice in the dugout and a hands-on teacher on the field.
His responsibilities include outfield defense and baserunning, and he also plays a part in helping Oliver Marmol run the club. That mix of on-field instruction and bigger-picture support has made him an important part of the staff.
The Cardinals have also leaned on Jay as they look to sharpen their young talent. Joshua Baez and Jordan Walker are among the players the club hopes to help on defense, and Jay is expected to keep working to get the most out of them.
On the bases, St. Louis didn’t produce huge stolen base totals, but the team’s baserunning value was still strong.
The Cardinals ranked eighth in baserunning value in 2026.
There’s also a familiar St. Louis flavor to the coaching mix. Jay and Daniel Descalso, both former Cardinals, have taken prominent roles on the staff, and that matters in a clubhouse trying to keep building the kind of winning culture that shaped the organization in the 2000s and early to mid 2010s.
Warner’s return is just as notable in its own way. He’s heading into his 27th season in the Cardinals organization and has worked as the team’s third-base coach in recent years. He’s a respected fixture inside the building and wasn’t linked to outside opportunities, but keeping him around was clearly a priority for the Cardinals.
For a team in the middle of developing younger players and trying to shape the next version of itself, retaining coaches who can teach, communicate and guide matters. Jay and Warner give St. Louis that continuity.
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