The Cardinals are going through a significant impediment as they try and retool their roster in direction of a youthful (and cheaper) product for the 2025 marketing campaign: they’ve been unsuccessful so far of their makes an attempt to maneuver on from veteran third baseman Nolan Arenado. It’s in opposition to that backdrop that president of baseball operations John Mozeliak revealed yesterday (as reported by Katie Woo of The Athletic) that the membership’s payroll state of affairs might not be fairly as dire because it appeared earlier this winter.
“(Chairman Invoice DeWitt Jr.) is giving me somewhat little bit of flexibility as a result of we haven’t been capable of accomplish what we thought we’d by now,” Mozeliak mentioned, as relayed by Woo. “He’s been very understanding about what which may seem like.”
Mozeliak went on to explain transferring a special vital wage like that of left-hander Steven Matz or righty Erick Fedde as not one thing the membership must do in the event that they’re unable to deal Arenado. Whereas he acknowledged that making such a deal could be “useful” from a payroll perspective, he additionally emphasised that he was not desirous about making a deal “for the sake of simply attempting to get to a quantity.”
That the Cardinals’ entrance workplace gained’t essentially be compelled to slash payroll in different areas of the roster in the event that they’re unable to maneuver on from Arenado and his wage is unquestionably a reduction for followers in St. Louis who’re hoping to see the staff compete in 2025. RosterResource at the moment tasks the membership for a $148MM payroll in 2025, which represents a $35MM haircut relative to the membership’s 2024 payroll. Shifting most of Arenado’s contract, which requires the Cardinals to pay him $27MM in 2025, would come near doubling the hole between the 2024 and ’25 payrolls. That may absolutely present the membership with the room under even their lowered payroll capability so as to add expertise to the bullpen and herald a right-handed bat who will help stability a lineup that figures to revolve round Lars Nootbaar, Nolan Gorman, and Alec Burleson in 2025.
With that mentioned, it appears as if Mozeliak shouldn’t be desirous about dealing away wage from his rotation in an effort to make these upgrades to different elements of the roster occur at this level. When he spoke on the Cardinals’ Winter Warmup fan occasion yesterday, Mozeliak made clear that he values the depth the membership at the moment has within the rotation. With that being mentioned, St. Louis has reportedly expressed some degree of curiosity in reuniting with veteran right-hander Kyle Gibson all through the winter, and it’s at the very least believable to think about a situation the place the membership manages to commerce away Matz or Fedde earlier than turning round and re-signing Gibson for a decrease wage than that of the starter they dealt. That might create some further room within the payroll to signal a reliever or bench bat even within the occasion the membership is unable to commerce Arenado.
If the Cardinals do find yourself dealing from their rotation combine this winter, there’s one participant within the group specifically who might be poised to grab on that chance: southpaw Matthew Liberatore. A former high prospect who the Cardinals traded for within the deal that despatched Randy Arozarena to the Rays, the lefty was principally used as a reliever in 2024. Whereas he made six begins for the Cardinals within the majors final 12 months, solely a kind of outings noticed the southpaw end the fourth inning. That’s not stopping Liberatore from stretching again out in 2025, nonetheless, as John Denton of MLB.com relayed this afternoon that the lefty plans to work in direction of beginning in Spring Coaching and all through the 2025 season.
As Denton notes, it’s arduous to think about Liberatore discovering success within the rotation over the long-term with out substantial enchancment in opposition to right-handed hitters, as he’s been torched to the tune of a .292/.368/.510 slash line all through his profession when pitching with out the platoon benefit. That held true in 2024 as nicely, as Liberatore surrendered an unsightly 6.16 ERA with a 5.22 FIP in opposition to right-handed batters this previous season whereas limiting lefties to a 1.98 ERA and a pair of.59 FIP. If the lefty can kind his platoon points out, nonetheless, he might be an choice value contemplating for the membership’s rotation combine alongside right-hander Michael McGreevy within the occasion that the membership offers from its rotation with out bringing in Gibson or one other veteran arm.
