The St. Louis Cardinals appear to be entering a rebuilding phase after dealing several key players this offseason, and the organization also saw one of its minor leaguers step away from the game on Friday.
Third baseman officially retired, according to his MLB transaction log. His decision follows a torn triceps tendon suffered during the sixth game of the Double-A season on April 12. Although Buchberger had been rehabbing with hopes of returning, he ultimately chose to end his playing career. He originally joined the Cardinals organization in 2020 after signing as an undrafted free agent.
Buchberger impressed early in his minor league career, posting a .275/.353/.384 slash line in his first season and advancing to High-A. The following year, he reached Double-A, where he hit .267/.352/.399. He spent the past three seasons with Double-A Springfield as he worked toward a major league opportunity.
Defensively, Buchberger showed versatility, logging time at third base, second base, first base, and in the outfield. While he primarily played third base in 2024, he was shifted to the outfield this season. Since the start of 2023, he appeared in 232 Double-A games.
He opened last season strongly, batting .300/.417/.500 over six games before his injury abruptly halted his momentum. Speaking in August, Buchberger expressed disappointment, noting that he finally felt comfortable and confident at the plate and was settling into left field.
At age 28, Buchberger had previously acknowledged that coaching could be a future path, though his focus at the time remained on recovery. Now retired, he can begin exploring that next chapter. Over five seasons in the Cardinals system, he hit 39 home runs and recorded a .735 OPS.
