Cardinals: Here’s what a 2022 dream rotation could look like

The St. Louis Cardinals have already made one big move to shore up their rotation. Another could take the pitching staff to new heights.

The Cardinals made it to the NL Wild Card game but they need to be proactive this offseason to set up an actual playoff run for 2022.

They got started with an addition to the rotation, signing Steven Matz from the Blue Jays to a four-year deal.

Adding a left-hander coming off his best career season should be a good way to make life harder for opposing hitters. Now, St. Louis is one more big move away from having a truly formidable lineup.

Cardinals dream rotation for 2022

Max Scherzer
Adam Wainwright
Jack Flaherty
Steven Matz
Miles Mikolas
Dakota Hudson
Jake Woodford

Buster Olney projected the Cardinals rotation with Matz in the mix Adam Wainwright, Jack Flaherty and a trio of support arms like Miles Mikolas, Dakota Hudson and Jake Woodford.

That’s a good rotation headed by Wainwright and Flaherty. It would be outstanding with Missouri native Max Scherzer coming along for the ride as well.

The 37-year-old was an All-Star in 2021 with an ERA of 2.46 between his time in Washington and Los Angeles. He hasn’t shown signs of slowing down and St. Louis knows with their Wainwright experience that older pitchers can still be incredibly effective.

Scherzer looks most likely to re-sign with the Dodgers but the draw of coming home shouldn’t be ignored. Reports have suggested there is a “mutual” interest between the player and the Cardinals. If they’re serious about their pursuit of the World Series, no move would make it more clear than that one.

A rotation including Scherzer, Wainwright, Flaherty and Matz could absolutely tear through the National League.