JUPITER, Fla. -- The Cardinals on Tuesday announced they have ended their relationship with longtime medical director Dr. George Paletta as the club turns over player care to Mercy Sports Medicine.

"The Mercy Sports Medicine model allows us to improve the level of innovative care available to our team by tapping into a remarkable team of physicians who are leaders in sports medicine," senior vice-president and general manager John Mozeliak said in a prepared statement. "The biggest change I see with the approach is that it is truly a team model -- a model that leverages the strengths of multiple physicians within the Mercy Sports Medicine group. This is a strategic plan that will handle our short-term needs, but also focus on long-term goals."

The club also announced it is severing ties with Dr. Lyndon Gross. Paletta and Gross are orthopedic surgeons affiliated with the Orthopedic Center of St. Louis.

Paletta had served as the Cardinals' medical director and head team physician since 1998.