Back in early January I wrote up a piece about the “State of the Cardinals Rotation.”
Many Cardinal fans believed there was much left to be desired with the Cardinals current rotation.
And in January, I’d have to say I agreed, but I’m starting to change my mind.
I wrote about the idea of signing Jake Arrieta or trading for a guy like Chris Archer. Many Cardinals fans wanted us to re-sign Lance Lynn. As of this past week, both Lance Lynn and Jake Arrieta finally signed contracts. On top of that, it seems as though Chris Archer isn’t going to be traded to St. Louis. Lynn signed for considerably cheaper than what he was valued at, and Arrieta was only able to sign a 3 year deal, although worth $75M. Archer still intrigues me, but with the way the Cardinals have everything set up, I would be shocked to see a deal take place. The only move I can realistically see them pulling off is a deal for Greg Holland, and that’s IF and only IF the Cardinals suffer multiple injuries to the back of the bullpen before Spring Training ends. (Knock on wood)
Current Rotation
- Carlos Martinez
- Michael Wacha
- Luke Weaver
- Adam Wainwright
- Miles Mikolas
Next Guys Up
- Alex Reyes
- Jack Flaherty
- Dakota Hudson
There is a reason that the Cardinals don’t want to go out to get another starter. And that reason is simple…They don’t need one. Would it be nice to have another proven guy like Arrieta, Lynn, or even Archer? Absolutely! But the Cardinals have a considerable amount of depth at Starting Pitcher. Alex Reyes is one of the best pitching prospects in baseball. Jack Flaherty has proven that he can pitch in AAA and should be primed for another solid season. Hudson has solid stuff and should be able to turn more heads this season in AAA Memphis.
Carlos Martinez is under appreciated. Fans expect him to contend for a Cy Young every season. We have to remember… he’s only 26 years old. He has pitched extremely well given his age and that needs to be considered. His stuff is fantastic and should give him an opportunity to get a Cy Young in the future, but he does need to grow more. I’m not saying we should lower our expectations, but we should be realistic and realize that he still has much to learn.
I’m still a huge fan of Michael Wacha. I want him to succeed as I’m sure many fans do. His delivery has been known to give him some issues when it comes to durability, but the stuff is there. I think we expect a lot from him given his burst on to the scene back in 2013. Something we need to consider, like Martinez, is that Wacha is only 26 years old. This is a fairly young rotation besides Wainwright. I personally think that the addition of Mike Maddux could drastically change how Wacha performs this season.
I truly believe that Luke Weaver could have the best season out of all the current members of the rotation and here’s why. His last two starts for the Cardinals last season don’t tell the full story. He gave up 14 of his 26 ER in those two starts over only 7.2 innings. Before this he had a 2.05 ERA over 52.2 innings. Also quite impressive is that over 138 innings (between AAA and MLB) he struck out 148 while only issuing 36 walks. He is 25-11 with a 1.99 ERA over four minor league seasons. I don’t think he has anything else to prove. There is a possibility the Cardinals will still try to limit his innings, but he should still be effective over that time.
Spring Training has certainly been good for Adam Wainwright. Over 10.2 innings he has a 0.84 ERA while striking out 10. His WHIP is rather high at a 1.41, but there is still much to be excited about. His fastball velocity has been higher than last season and his curveball is looking good as well. If Wainwright can stay healthy, his presence won’t be the only thing the Cardinals can use.
As much as I like Miles Mikolas, I do see why Cardinals fans were skeptical. You might have read that I believe Mikolas could be a dark horse for this season. His stats in Japan were stellar, and I thought he had made significant improvements. His last Spring Training start has helped his stock after two unsuccessful starts earlier in Spring. He has given up quite a few hits, but his curveball is getting sharper and I can see a few Major Leaguers buckling this season.
If any of the above pitchers get injured or begin to struggle, they have a number of arms in waiting. Alex Reyes is a name that comes to mind. He has one of the best fastballs in the organization and has the stuff to be an ace in the near future. Jack Flaherty is probably the most MLB ready starter in the organization having a spectacular 2017 in the minor leagues. His Major League stats weren’t the best, but there isn’t much else he can do in the minors. Another name that comes up is Dakota Hudson. He had much better stats last season in AA than in AAA, but should see a bounce back this season in Memphis. He isn’t a swing and miss pitcher, but does eat up innings and could contend for some spot starts later in the season.
The Cardinals rotation is fine. If they went out and signed another pitcher, they lose opportunities for the younger guys to contribute. They did go out and sign Mikolas, but at a considerably lower price than Darvish, Arrieta, and even Lynn. I think he can contribute, but in the end he is more of a bridge piece for the younger guys to take over. In three years time the rotation could look like this.
- Carlos Martinez
- Luke Weaver
- Alex Reyes
- Michael Wacha
- Jack Flaherty
That’s a pretty scary rotation… and also an exciting one.
The Cardinals don’t need another starter. This team is shaping up to be a solid competitor this season. Most fans seem to think they will be a 3rd place team again, but I disagree. I’m confident in this team and am excited to see how the season shapes up.
Thanks for reading!
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