St. Louis Blues extend Alexey Toropchenko

 

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed right wing Alexey Toropchenko to a one-year contract extension, worth $1.7 million. Toropchenko, 25, currently has played 7 games with 1 assist, and 1 point in 2024-2025. 

Toropchenko had his best season in 2023-2024. That season, Toropchenko played 82 games with 14 goals, 7 assists, 21 points, and a -3. The games, goals, and points were all career highs for Torpchenko. 

In 2022-2023, Toropchenko had a career high (9) assists. 

Overall, Toropchenko is currently in his 4th NHL season. Toropchenko has played 186 games with 26 goals, 17 assists, 43 points, and a -6. In the playoffs, Toropchenko has played 12 games with 2 assists, 2 points, and a plus 2. 

St. Louis Blues extend Jake Neighbours

 

The St. Louis Blues have re-signed left wing Jake Neighbours to a two-year contract extension, worth $7.5 million. Neighbours, 22, currently has played 6 games with 2 goals, 1 assist, 3 points, and a -2 in 2024-2025. 

Neighbours had his best season in 2023-2024. That season, Neighbours played 77 games with 27 goals, 11 assists, 38 points, and a -16. The games, goals, assists, and points were all career highs for Neighbours. 

Overall, Neighbours is currently in his 4th NHL season. Neighbours has played 135 games with 36 goals, 17 assists, 53 points, and a -39. 

The Blues did a good job to re-signed Neighbours now. If the Blues hadn't signed Neighbours to a new contract a team could have given him an offer sheet next summer to try to steal him. 

St. Louis Cardinals hire Brant Brown as hitting coach

 

The St. Louis Cardinals have hired former outfielder Brant Brown as their new hitting coach. Brown, 53, played five seasons in the MLB (1996-2000). Brown spent most of his career four seasons (1996-1998, 2000) with the Chicago Cubs. Brown also played for the Pittsburgh Pirates and Florida Marlins (now Miami Marlins). 

After retired from the MLB, Brown went into coaching. Brown was a hitting coach for in the Texas Rangers minor leagues for six seasons (2007-2012). After, leaving the Rangers, Brown was the Seattle Mariners outfield coordinator for four seasons (2013-2016). Brown was then the Mariners minor league offensive coordinator for one season (2017), and minor league hitting strategist for two seasons (2018-2019). 

Brown ended up being hired by the Los Angeles Dodgers as their assistant hitting coach for five seasons (2018-2022). In 2020, Brown helped the Dodgers win the World Series.

Brown became the Marlins hitting coach in 2023. The Marlins offense was successful under Brown. That season, the Marlins hit .259 as a team. The .259 team batting average was tied for fourth with the Houston Astros overall in the MLB. 

The Mariners then decided to hire Brown as their offensive coordinator and bench coach. The offensive coordinator was a new position. The Mariners offense ended up doing badly, and Brown was fired on May 31, 2024.  

How much of the Mariners offense doing badly was because the Mariners had let one of their best hitters in Teocar Hermandez go in free agency? The Mariners didn't like that Hernandez struck out a lot. How much of it was because Brown was doing two different jobs instead of one? Would either of those made a difference for the Mariners offense? 

Brown has the potential to be a good hire for the Cardinals. Brown has been successful in his coaching career. 

Brown is also reunited with new Cardinals assistant coach Jon Jay. Both Brown and Jay were on the Marlins coaching staff in 2023. 

St. Louis Cardinals add Jon Jay to coaching staff

 

The St. Louis Cardinals have hired former outfielder Jon Jay to the coaching staff. Jay, 39, replaces Willie McGee as an assistant coach. Jay played for the Cardinals for six seasons (20010-2015). In 2011, Jay helped the Cardinals win the World Series. The past two seasons (2023-2024), Jay was the first bases coach for the Miami Marlins. 

Jay is reunited with former Cardinals teammate, bench coach Daniel Descalso. Both Jay and Descalso are close friends, too. 

McGee, 65, was part of the Cardinals coaching staff for seven seasons (2018-2024). McGee will now join the Cardinals front office and be in an advisory role. McGee will help with both the major and minor leagues. That also includes spring training. 

Jay won't be the only new coach on the coaching staff. The Cardinals are looking for a new hitting coach.