MLB Rumors: Braves moves, Scherzer trade match, would Cards bench Waino?

MLB rumors: Could Adam Wainwright end up out of the Cardinals rotation?

The St. Louis Cardinals‘ run in the postseason year ran shockingly short, getting swept by the Philadelphia Phillies in the Wild Card Series. With Albert Pujols and Yadier Molina officially retiring, Adam Wainwright decided to play one more season for the Cardinals. So far, that decision has not panned out like many had expected, including Wainwright.

Wainwright was in the spotlight this weekend as the Cardinals were in London to take on the Chicago Cubs. On Saturday, Wainwright pitched just three innings, where he surrendered seven earned runs on 11 hits (including two home runs), and failed to record a single strikeout.

On the year, Wainwright recorded a 6.56 ERA, a 1.821 WHIP, a 3-2 win-loss record, 24 strikeouts, and 14 walks in 46.2 innings of work.

Given those numbers, could the Cardinals do seemingly the unthinkable and bench Wainwright? That’s difficult to say, given the team’s current situation. They have one of the worst records in the National League, yet aren’t far behind for first place in the Central division. If they were to sell at the Aug. 1 trade deadline, various starting pitchers could be moved, including Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty, both of whom are free agents after this year. If they were to be moved, the Cardinals would have two open spots in the rotation.

There is plenty of time for the Cardinals to turn things around, especially with how wide open the division is. But if Wainwright continues to struggle, the team may have to make a difficult decision.