According to the Cardinals front office, the starting rotation is set. But there are huge question marks regarding how long this rotation will last. As it sits, the only surefire quality starter is Carlos Martinez. In 3 years as a full time starter, Carlos is 42-27 with a 3.24 ERA. He is widely considered to be the ace of the staff and one of the best young pitchers in baseball.
Michael Wacha could still be held back with lingering shoulder concerns as well as his inability the third time through most lineups.
Luke Weaver looks poised to take a step in the right direction, competing for a rotation spot after a few good outings last season. He doesn’t have anything else to prove in the minor leagues and this could be his time to shine. Unfortunately for him, he will most likely be limited on innings this season.
The Cardinals signed pitcher Miles Mikolas who spent his last 3 seasons pitching in Japan. While in Japan Mikolas worked on mechanics and saw much success in his time spent there. We will have to see how that success translates back into the Major Leagues.
And as for Wainwright. He is the one we all want to root for. The past couple years have been tough for him. Injuries and obvious velocity issues have made it hard to justify his spot in the rotation. There is a good chance that at some point during the season, his rotation spot will make way for the likes of Alex Reyes, or perhaps Jack Flaherty.
This brings me to a possible solution… Sign Jake Arrieta.
MLB Network on Twitter
The #Cubs/#STLCards rivalry has reportedly turned its attention to the courting of free agent hurler Jake Arrieta. #MLBTonight https://t.co/Cxpz4NzsS9
According to MLB Network, not only are the Cardinals interested in the veteran, but his former team the Chicago Cubs are as well. It has been reported however not confirmed that the Cubs have offered along the lines of 4 years and 110 Mil to sign Arrieta. Many Cardinals fans may ask if that is worth it and I must say… Yes.
Arrieta has one thing going for him already. He has pitched inn the division. He knows these teams and he would easily slide in as your number 2 starter. He had 30 starts last season with a 3.53 ERA over 168.1 innings. He had a much better second half and could be poised for a huge season in 2018.
Another option for a starter is… Trade for Chris Archer (and Colome)
Both Colome and Archer have been shown following or being interactive with Cardinal players and outlets. It’s no shock that the Cardinals are looking for a closer, but another great option out of Tampa Bay is starter Chris Archer.
Chris Archer on Twitter
@carskelly @ParkerKelly20 You look possessed in that picture of you hosing someone
Archer has shown to be very durable over the past few years. Over the past 4 years he averages over 200 innings pitched. Although his ERA was over 4.00, numbers show that poor defense could have inflated that number. He is a hard thrower and is still in the prime of his career. Only 29 years old, he has 200 strikeouts the past three seasons. He could use a change of scenery with a team that is consistently contending.
The Cards seem convinced that they have plenty of arms waiting in the minor leagues, but I feel like there will be a lot of pressure thrown on those kids. Weaver has had a couple chances to get used to the Majors, but if we suddenly have to rely too heavily on these young arms, it may backfire. The best option the Cardinals have is to pick up a veteran starter who is going to eat up innings. Both of these guys would easily be placed as the number 2 starter in the Cards rotation and would make a great addition to the team.
You know what to do. Go out and get one of these guys.
