Cardinals rumors: Mozeliak dishes, Wainwright update, Goldschmidt moved
By Kevin Henry
Let’s dive into some of the latest rumors surrounding the St. Louis Cardinals, including news about the rotation for 2023 and the offseason.
There are plenty of reasons why the St. Louis Cardinals entered Tuesday’s play tied for last place in the National League Central. Among them are the failures of the rotation this season, a group that ranks 23rd among MLB’s 30 teams in ERA at 4.73 and 29th in batting average against at .283.
It’s clear that the Cardinals will need to rebuild that rotation this offseason, and St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has his potential shopping list already put together.
St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Mozeliak dishes on pitching needs for offseason
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mozeliak was very blunt about his team’s failures not only in the rotation, but also ensuring that there would be enough depth to withstand any injuries or incompetence.
Mozeliak today: "Realistically we know we have to add 3 starters this offseason. We know we have to add depth. We went into this season thinking we had that covered and it didn't work out that way. A repeat of that would not be in the best interest of the franchise." #STLCards https://t.co/gxafordAoM
— Ben Frederickson (@Ben_Fred) August 15, 2023
The only guarantees (if you can use that word with what is expected to be a volatile offseason ahead) for the rotation in 2023 are Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz. The other three holes are ones that will be vacated by Adam Wainwright’s impending retirement and the Cardinals’ decisions to ship out Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty at the MLB trade deadline.
Whether St. Louis spends to land quality starters or uses a mix of its minor league system and free agency to fill the voids, it will be an offseason focused on the mound in St. Louis.