The Cardinals renewed a four-year agreement in September that keeps the Redbirds as its Class AAA affiliate. At the same time, it announced plans to buy the team from the not-for-profit Memphis Redbirds Baseball Foundation.

The foundation was informed in a letter late last month that the deal is off. Redbirds president of business operations Bill Harter says the Cardinals cited the economic downturn and uncertainties about how the economy will impact baseball.

The Cardinals did not immediately return a reporter's phone calls seeking comment on the end of the deal. Harter calls the decision disappointing but says it does not affect the relationship between the Redbirds and the Cardinals.