It's safe to say the St. Louis Cardinals' starting rotation has not been the same since Adam Wainwright was lost for the season in late April. As a result, general manager John Mozeliak is likely preparing to put the team in a good position to make a trade before the deadline.
Perhaps Saturday's outing from Tyler Lyons was the final straw. The left-hander surrendered three earned runs on seven hits and two walks in just 3 2/3 innings of work, which added to the starting rotation's woes and further overworked the club's bullpen. Bernie Miklasz of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch documented the club's issues and thinks the rotation needs to undergo some changes.
"Since April 26, the day after Wainwright went down, Cardinals starting pitchers have lasted fewer than six innings in 11 of 20 starts and have a 4.56 ERA. They've cranked out only eight quality starts in the 20 games," Miklasz wrote after Saturday's loss.
"The rotation erosion has put an enormous strain on relievers that pitched 76.1 innings since the Wainwright injury, the most by an MLB bullpen over that time."
Mozeliak has continued to be patient ever since engaging in trade talks with the Philadelphia Phillies about Cole Hamels during the offseason. The swirling rumors ensued, but St. Louis did not make a move after it was reported the Phillies wanted Carlos Martinez in a deal for the left-hander. Mozeliak was not willing to do that.
They were also linked to Detroit Tigers' starter David Price and then-free agent starter Max Scherzer, but nothing ever came to fruition. Miklasz thinks the wait will soon be over - for any trade regarding a starter.
"It's just a matter of time, and maybe he can even stall for a while. But Mozeliak won't be able to ignore reality, or avoid the inevitable.
"Mozeliak will make the phone call. Another GM will be on the line, and the negotiations will commence. Mozeliak will try to preserve as many assets as possible to keep the terms reasonable, but it won't be easy."
Lyon was sent back down to Triple-A Memphis and the club will give a shot to Jaime Garcia, who is returning from injury. However, to say Mozeliak is confident in the longevity of the left-hander would be a lie because Garcia has pitched in only 36 games since 2012. Additionally, Martinez's inconsistency has created more concern and the fact they'll have to keep a close eye on Michael Wacha's workload further limits their options.
Luckily Lance Lynn and John Lackey have regained their composure in recent weeks, but that won't be enough to keep St. Louis atop the National League, let alone the NL Central.
There are a number of names that are expected to be made available before the trade deadline. If the Cardinals' starters can't get back on track in the near future, it's almost a foregone conclusion Mozeliak will have to make a trade if he wants his team to remain atop the league's contenders.
