The Cardinals are dealing with some questions in their rotation at the moment, but they have not actively pursued starters in free agency, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch tweets. Franchise icon Adam Wainwright is the only starter they’ve gone after with much aggression, according to Goold.
The Cardinals’ rotation took a major hit when right-hander Dakota Hudson underwent Tommy John surgery in late September. He won’t pitch at all next year as a result, while Wainwright is no sure thing to return to the team for his age-39 season. Despite his age, Wainwright remains an above-average major league hurler. The career-long Cardinal is fresh off a year in which he recorded a 3.15 ERA/4.11 FIP with 7.4 K/9 and 2.06 BB/9 over 65 2/3 innings. It’s no surprise the Cardinals want him back, then.
With Hudson unavailable and Wainwright off the roster at the moment, Jack Flaherty, Carlos Martinez, Kwang Hyun Kim, Miles Mikolas, Austin Gomber, Daniel Ponce de Leon and Johan Oviedo are among their starting options for next season. St. Louis went all of 2020 without Mikolas, a quality starter from 2018-19 who missed this year because of July surgery on his right flexor tendon. His return should prove beneficial next year, but it still seems the Cardinals would be well-served to re-sign Wainwright and/or address their rotation in other ways this offseason.
EliMorganFanClub
I can’t imagine the Cards getting a top hurler from the market, but a trade may work
Francys01
It looks like that the Cardinals have a higher chance to re-sign Wainwright after the Braves signed Morton. Mozeliak, it is time to re-sign Wainwright to start off and then Yadi.
Tim_Buck-Two
The Caridnals have potential starters in Ponce De loen, Austin Gomber, Gensis Cabrera, among other internal options I’m sure they’d rather go with over a trade if they are not able to bring back Wainwright. This will change the outlook of their bullpen, 2 of 3 whom were major contributors of in 2020, but knowing the Cardinals they have pitching depth we don’t know about they will bring up to fill either of these roles depending on what they decided to do.
RedbirdJodella
Having them get it done with Yadi and Waino asap would definitely make for better holidays for me! Yadi for 2 years with a personal contract (ala Pujols) for the rest of time! And get an early start on the statue! Waino is the other bookend! He just keeps reinventing himself, and he’s a helpful adult in the dugout and clubhouse.
Rangers29
Think Tampa would take back Liberatore in a trade for Snell?
Get Off My Mound
Wrong article bud.
juanpursuit
Why?
StlSwifty
I’m sorry, but a straight up trade of liberatore for arozarena would be hilarious! With both clubs screaming “this was a horrible idea!” LOL. Oh the irony.
jkinser20
The cardinals have liberatore. This is not the wrong article, bud.
Get Off My Mound
@jkinser20 The article is not about Blake Snell or Liberatore. Its about Adam Wainwright, it does not even mention Liberatore. So, it is the wrong article. Bud.
saluelthpops
The article is about the Cardinals’ rotation. You’re wrong.
Get Off My Mound
And yet, not a single mention of Liberatore. So I’m really only half wrong.
raiders
Reading comprehension isn’t your strong suit is it?
Get Off My Mound
Being a fan of a good sports team isn’t your strong suit, is it?
raiders
Lol boy you got me there.
Get Off My Mound
Coming from a former Raiders fan I understand the pain
stgpd
I’d settle for getting Tandy back
guinnesspelican
Even after being arrested in Mexico for domestic issues?
willyg60
That’s absurd
Rsox
Cards don’t need to make a splashy pitching signing with the depth they have. They need offense beyond Goldschmidt and De Jong so thats where the money should be spent
Tim_Buck-Two
Correct!
baseballpun
They need offense beyond Goldschmidt, full stop.
Gwynn4TheWin(field)
So the update is the same as it’s been since the off-season began? Sweet
toastyroasty
St. Louis needs a GM. Period.
troll
that’s the only rotation the cardinals need to make. rotate mo and girsch to the unemployment line.
HBan22
The Cardinals front office has low key been one of the very worst in the league for several years now. They’ve traded away many good players/prospects (Tommy Pham, Marco Gonzales, Aledmys Diaz, Luke Voit, Randy Arozarena, Luke Weaver, Carson Kelly, Sandy Alcantara, Zac Gallen) without getting a whole lot in return besides Goldschmidt. They’ve let several highly productive players go (Lance Lynn, Mike Mayers, Kolten Wong) while giving out some awful extensions (Matt Carpenter, Miles Mikolas) and free agent contracts (Dexter Fowler, Mike Leake, Brett Cecil). In my opinion, they could really use a total overhaul in the front office.
Tim_Buck-Two
Low key, those of us who follow and are in the know have been talking about it…. Many many many missteps. I am thankful I got to watch Albert Pujols for 11 years tear the cover off the ball. I am thankful I got to see Yadier Molina make some of the best pick offs and throw outs and call some of the best pitching performances I’ve ever seen. In thankful I got to see Adam Wainwright, who somehow never won a Cy Young award finish in the top 10 in at least 4 seasons. And I am thankful I got to see two World Series Championships in the past 20 years. But I am not thankful for the past 3 years and what management has done with them.
tombenton
jmlang
Agreed, Mo the PBO needs to GO, but I think Dewitt JR has a man crush on Mo.
Mendoza Line 215
Wainwright is like Ol’ Man River,he just keeps moving along.
HBan22
I bet the Cardinals are seriously wishing they hadn’t traded Marco Gonzales for Tyler O’Neill. Or Sandy Alcantara and Zac Gallen for two okay years of Marcell Ozuna.
Tim_Buck-Two
Even more than that. They looking like the Kansas City A’s
braves4life1
Question. Would the Cardinals have the prospects to send to Cleveland for Francisco Lindor? Lindor would be a fantastic addition to the Cardinals.
HBan22
I would think they would have to include DeJong and at least two top prospects (Matthew Liberatore and Nolan Gorman for example) to win the Lindor sweepstakes. Alex Reyes and Austin Gomber could be good trade chips too.
James1955
braves4life1. The Cards don’t want to trade top prospects for one year of Lindor
HBan22
And I don’t blame them. I’m just stating what I think it would take for the Cards to top all other offers for Lindor. Maybe something like DeJong, Alex Reyes and Genesis Cabrera gets it done.
stan lee the manly
Lindor isn’t going to go for that price unless the Indians eat a bunch of his money in the year of the coronavirus. Teams are poor, very few will be willing to deal for him.
stan lee the manly
That was sarcasm on the teams are poor fwiw. I guess I have to specify. But the point still stands.
CKinSTL
I think the Cards match up really well for a Lindor trade. I have my doubts on the haul the Indians will receive for Lindor. I think the Cardinals could land him without giving up Carlson, Gorman, or Liberatore.
I also wonder if the Indians would trade Lindor and Cookie Carrasco in a megadeal..
tim815
Yes. Liberatore, Walker, or Winn would be a nice start.
letsholdemandgohome
What about trading for Dominic Smith of the Mets? A good young player, and Mets need a centerfielder last i heard. Problem is he plays first base and Cards have that covered with Goldy. Dominic is going to be a very good player imo
mac1brad
The Cardinal’s are crying poor which is a joke! The pandemic sucks for everyone but they weren’t spending before all this happened. Since they are not going to field a legitimate WS contender for at least next year they could at least bring back Yadi and Waino to finish their careers as Cardinals.
stollcm
Ahhh….so easy to spend other people’s money.
guinnesspelican
Cardinals consistently rank in top ten of highest payroll. In spite of getting additional draft compensation picks for being a small market team, the only thing that seems off here are the expectations of fans who want to spend on a catcher that used to be worth it, a 30 year old second baseman still looking for his bat, and a pitcher that saw his best days 2 decades ago. The GM and Mo have made some questionable moves, no doubt, but overall the team still goes to the postseason an awful lot.
tominco
I. d like to know who is the real Jack Flaherty? Last half of 2019 or 2020? His value is viewed as huge, and the Chances of keeping him long term are minimal at best. It might be a huge gamble, but could we bundle him in a trade with maybe Carp (I wish), O’Neil, or Bader for Lindor or maybe Arenado assuming we get a couple days to negotiate contracts to keep them? It’s been very obvious that Flaherty wants to get to free agency and not sign. Just being a little off the wall.
guinnesspelican
Flaherty is real good. Covid season showed how the mental game can throw talent out the window. I would put the responsibility on the coaches for not getting the team mentally right. I did notice the Cardinals, along with the coaches leadership, made stances in their social opinions that divided the country this year, which also could have distracted players from training and impacted individual performance.
louman49
Birds r not going anywhere this off season Dewitt needs to fire Mo and clean the front office out and save money so they can used that money to get a has been Hittler.
WarkMohlers
Maybe they should focus their money on something with one less “L”.
jay13
I know one thing, I can’t see Yadier Molina in another uniform. That’s one thing the cards need to get done. That alone helps the rotation more then spending money on any other pitcher outside of Wainwright. Yadi still plays defense at a high level although the bat has diminished from the prime years(still better then a lot of catchers in the league minus the power). Just my 2 cents.
I personally would love seeing Yadi in Milwaukee. I would be one of the first people to get a jersey or shirt. Class act
Jack0207
Look to the future. Time to move on from Yadi and Wano. Not doing team any favors by trying to hold onto the past.
stan lee the manly
Except Waino was really good and ended up being a bargain for the contract he signed. Why would you not give him a cheap one year deal again?