The St. Louis Cardinals suffered a big loss a few weeks ago when Adam Wainwright suffered a torn Achilles tendon and was ruled out for the 2015 season. Since then he's been replaced by prospect Tyler Lyons, but general manager John Mozeliak may have other ideas in mind for the starting rotation.
Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch suggests the club "must come up with filler innings in a way that won't overextend" starters Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez. The two right-handers are the future of the Cardinals' rotation, but Wacha dealt with a stress reaction in his shoulder last season and Martinez has previously experienced shoulder tendinitis. Trade rumors also followed the club throughout the offseason.
Is a six-man rotation about to be implemented in St. Louis?
"It's not something we would rule out," Mozeliak told Miklasz. "It's something we've talked about, but we haven't decided if that's the best option for us. It's something I think a lot about, and I know [manager] Mike [Matheny] and [pitching coach Derek Lilliquist] do too. It's on the table.
"We're trying to decide if it's best to go with a six-man rotation or find another way of banking the innings," he added. "The upside to a six-man rotation is that it allows you to protect some pitchers."
It's a reasonable consideration. Prior to Wainwright's injury the Cardinals' rotation ranked atop the MLB in starter's ERA (1.97), but since they've slipped to fourth (3.38). As a result, the recent decline has affected the team's bullpen.
"The Cardinals' bullpen leads the NL in innings pitched, and setup man Jordan Walden is expected to be out at least two months with right biceps inflammation," writes FOX Sports' Ken Rosenthal. "One possible solution, as noted by Miklasz: Acquire another starter, then move [Carlos] Martinez back to the bullpen."
The question is: who would become a mainstay in the rotation as the No. 5 and No. 6 starters?
Miklasz notes Jaime Garcia and Marco Gonzales could be options. However, Garcia's health is nothing to rely upon (once he actually returns) and Gonzales is dealing with a shoulder issue right now, which, coupled with his limited experience at the MLB level, casts some doubt as well. St. Louis has been patient on the trade market and did not make any hasty moves during the offseason because Mozeliak trusted the current cast he had heading into 2015. But things have changed.
"Will Mozeliak stay calm and press on with the organization's current collection of starting pitchers _ or does the GM aggressively enter the sweepstakes and go for a big trade? If the St. Louis rotation continues to slip, a trade becomes more mandatory than optional," writes Miklasz.
Let's not forget about the potential fruitful trade market for starting pitchers throughout the league. Cole Hamels is on the block. Johnny Cueto, David Price, Jordan Zimmermann, Zack Greinke, Scott Kazmir, Doug Fister, Jeff Samardzija and others are expected to hit free agency after the season and could be mid-season trade candidates depending on a variety of factors.
The Cardinals have been linked to Hamels and Price to varying degrees, but it's likely both left-handers will cost too much for Mozeliak's liking. Look for St. Louis to solve their issues internally before they explore options outside of the organization.
