Insider Suggested Cardinals 'Won't Invest' Much To Retool Rotation This Offseason

St. Louis could be in trouble for next season

Feb 16, 2011; Jupiter, FL, USA; St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak and chairman Bill DeWitt Jr. address the media after the Albert Pujols contract extension deadline expired during spring training at Roger Dean Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Scott Rovak-Imagn Images / Scott Rovak-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals have a long way to go before they can call themselves genuine World Series contenders after back-to-back seasons of missing the playoffs.

Following last year's 91-loss season, the Cardinals retooled the rotation with three veteran hurlers in hopes of turning things around in 2024. Unfortunately, the newest additions to the arsenal weren't enough and now the club needs to figure out what's next.

Many things went wrong for the Cardinals this season but there's a chance not much will change for 2025 either -- if an insider's recent prediction comes to fruition.

"We’re guessing the Cardinals won’t invest a fortune in new pitchers for next season, so they need to get more from what they already have on hand and in the pipeline," St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Jeff Gordon wrote Wednesday when discussing the status of the team's rotation.

Despite a solid start to the season, the Cardinals' rotation's production has been underwhelming -- ranking No. 23 in the league with a 4.40 ERA.

"Sonny Gray has $60 million coming to him during the next two seasons," Gordon continued. "The Cardinals can pencil Erick Fedde and Andre Pallante into the 2025 rotation behind him. They could pick up the $12 million option on Kyle Gibson and/or the $12 million option on Lance Lynn. Then there is the roughly $30 million committed to Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz for one more year. Add it all up and there’s not much flexibility for a front office that is sending strong fiscal responsibility vibes."

Mikolas is overpaid and not a reliable starting pitcher to be counted on for next season if he isn't traded this winter. Matz is much better in the bullpen and Gibson and Lynn are nearing retirement, leaving the Cardinals with Gray, Fedde and Pallante as the only guaranteed starters for 2025.

The Cardinals need at least another front-end starter to complement Gray as the team's ace. Additions to the rotation are a must this winter, so hopefully, Gordon's guess for St. Louis' offseason plans is wrong.

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