STL Cardinals Rumors: Sell-high trade asset, top prospect concern, superstar trade target

STL Cardinals Rumors: Matthew Liberatore could be hurt by rotation shakeup

In the midst of back-to-back off days for the STL Cardinals, the club is apparently going to use that time to get the starting rotation more so in order. But in doing so, it’s going to involve one of the organization’s top prospects, 23-year-old southpaw Matthew Liberatore.

Liberatore has appeared in three games this season for the Cardinals, making two starts. In the starts, he had one in which he gave up three hits, three walks and no runs over 5.0 innings against the Brewers but then gave up four runs on five hits and two walks over the same number of innings against the Guardians. He also made a one-inning relief appearance against the Dodgers four days after his first MLB start of the year, giving up two runs off of a walk and a hit.

Even still, the signs that Liberatore was able to shake off an unsightly first partial season in the majors last year are good. But Katie Woo of The Athletic is reporting that the shakeup of the rotation is largely about determining if Liberatore or veteran Steven Matz will be the fifth starter in the rotation.

Matz has struggled overall this season in a big way — and really, that’s been the case since he joined the Cardinals — but he recently made a 2.2-inning bullpen appearance, allowing one run and looking much more comfortable. Given that and Liberatore’s showings as a starter with an ERA under 4.00 when getting the nod, it should be an easy decision.

For whatever reason, though, Oli Marmol and the St. Louis coaching staff feel like this is a tough decision for them to make in regards to the fifth starter role. But making the wrong decision with Liberatore could be detrimental to the team’s No. 4 overall prospect both in terms of confidence and possibly in his development.

The development is the biggest key, though. It’s no secret the Cardinals don’t have many sure long-term plans for the pitching staff beyond this season and the rotation will likely require some work. So having Liberatore at his most ready for 2024 and beyond should be a focal point. And if they botch this decision and hurt that, it could have effects that last well after the 2023 campaign in an unkind way.