Cardinals expect to decline Holliday's 2017 option

Matt Holliday's tenure with the St. Louis Cardinals appears to be nearing its end, as general manager John Mozeliak said Friday the club is unlikely to pick up its $17-million option on the 36-year-old for 2017.

"I told him the probability of us picking it was probably low," Mozeliak told reporters, according to Rick Hummel of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

Should the Cardinals decline his option, Holliday will receive a $1-million buyout.

Holliday, a seven-time All-Star who's been with St. Louis since July 2009, spent the last seven weeks on the disabled list with a fractured thumb, but was activated ahead of Friday's series opener against the Pittsburgh Pirates at Busch Stadium. Mozeliak said the club will try to give him one last at-bat in a Cardinals uniform.

"I asked him if he would like that moment, if he could get that chance to play this weekend," Mozeliak said. "It's been seven-and-a-half years and they've been great years and Matt's been an amazing teammate."

In a statement released Friday evening, Holliday acknowledged his time in St. Louis was likely to end after this weekend.

"It has been an honor to play in front of such great fans and for such a historic organization," Holliday said. "I can honestly say it has been a dream come true. While I'm disappointed this could be it here in St. Louis, I understand that it might be time to move on."

Though injuries have limited him to just 180 games since the start of 2015, Holliday was a major part of the Cardinals' success for the better part of the last decade, helping the club to six playoff appearances, four division titles, two National League pennants, and a World Series title in 2011.

"The unfortunate part of baseball or sports is injuries. He literally got a bad break, no pun intended," said Mozeliak. "I feel bad about that. But when you sit in my seat, it can’t solely be on relationships and maybe the short view. I have to think about this long term."

In parts of eight seasons with the Cardinals, Holliday hit .292/.379/.493 (138 OPS+) in 979 games, averaging 24 homers and 37 doubles per year from 2010 through 2014.

If the Cardinals, one game back of the San Francisco Giants for the second wild-card spot, manage to secure a spot in the postseason proper, it appears unlikely Holliday would be named to their National League Division Series roster.