Jayne Kamin / USA TODAY Sports
The St. Louis Cardinals‘ starting rotation troubles continue. Unsurprising to many, the team’s starting rotation has stumbled from the start. The starters were the number one concern for many this past off-season and the Cardinals organization did little to address the problem.
Cardinals Make One Addition to Rotation
In fact, the only thing the front office did to address the 2023 rotation was the acquisition of Jordan Montgomery via trade. Sending Bronx native, centerfielder Harrison Bader to the Yankees at the 2022 trade deadline. Montgomery has been a welcome addition to the starting rotation but he’s not the difference maker this team truly needs.
Rolled the Dice on Flaherty
The past few seasons it seems the Cardinals’ front office have pinned their hopes on Jack Flaherty becoming the ace the team sorely needs. This never materialized. He has yet to return to the dominant pitcher he was the second half of the 2019 season. Undoubtedly, his battle with injuries have not helped. Even if Flaherty can return to form, the Cardinals wouldn’t have a dominant duo in their rotation. Which is a necessity when it comes to playoff success.
In a best case scenario where Flaherty returns to form, the Cardinals still need to make some improvements. The rest of the current rotation are all solid pitchers but not dominant swing and miss types. Mikolas, Montgomery, Matz and Wainwright are all solid starters but they are third to fifth in the rotation type pitchers.
Rotation Help in Minors is Thin
The Cardinals, who seemingly always have a minor leaguer ready to come in and make an impact are stocked with position players but the pitching talent is thin.
Matthew Liberatore is one of their top pitching prospects. He was added to the organization in the Arozarena deal with Tampa Bay. So far he is doing well in triple A but is another that projects, at best, as a number 3 starter. The rest of the top pitching prospects are still a year or two from making an impact at the major league level.
Rotation Weakness Exposed Early
The first two times through the rotation the starters were abysmal. Embarrassingly ranking last in the National League in three major categories. Posting only one quality start, an opponent average of .312 and a WHIP of 1.71. Making it obvious what this year’s Cardinals biggest team need is.
They have plenty of quality prospects and depth in their outfield to make a deal on the trade market. They currently have seven or 8 players on the major league roster capable of playing the outfield. Also, there are several viable options playing in triple A as well. It would make sense to deal from a surplus to improve their starting rotation. One thing is for certain. Something needs to be done sooner than later.
