3 teams that need to make the Guardians a Shane Bieber trade offer
By Tim Boyle
The St. Louis Cardinals could use more of a sure thing with Shane Bieber in their rotation
The St. Louis Cardinals have one very weird starting rotation. There are youngsters Jordan Hicks and Dakota Hudson pitching well. Then there’s Steven Matz, a free agent signing brought in this offseason who has gotten shelled a few times already. Adam Wainwright remains productive but the problem could be keeping him on the field. He has already landed on the 10-day IL. There’s also their best pitcher this season, Miles Mikolas, a guy who reinvented himself overseas and has been reliable for several years already.
The Cardinals don’t desperately need Shane Bieber. They also kind of do.
If Matz is going to remain a disaster for the Cardinals, they are going to be out there looking for an upgrade later this year. Hicks’ time in the rotation may be short-lived. Until this season, he had never started for the Cardinals. It’s too early to tell whether or not he’ll be more effective as a starter or reliever. Considering how well he pitched in his first two years out of the bullpen, it might be the better option—at least temporarily if they were able to pull off a trade for Bieber.
In likely what will be the last year of Wainwright’s career, the Cardinals can view Bieber as the obvious replacement for him in the rotation next season. Far younger and talented enough to even earn himself an extension shortly after a trade to St. Louis, it’s something for the front office to ponder.