On Monday, the St. Louis Cardinals made a frustrating move, sending their No. 10 prospect and promising starter, Michael McGreevy, back to Triple-A. After just one outing on the season during Sunday’s double-header, McGreevy threw 5.2 one-hit innings, blanking a frightening Mets lineup in relief of Andre Pallante, who was chased after just 3.1 innings. McGreevy is now headed back to Memphis, where he owns a 4.08 ERA on the season.
Since embarking on his journey as a professional, the 24 year-old righty has seen more success in the Majors than in minor league ball, where he owns a 4.13 ERA. Last season, during his debut year, McGreevy pitched a stellar 1.96 ERA throughout 23 big-league innings. One would think his recent success would have earned him a well-deserved place in the rotation, but apparently, Cardinals’ management doesn’t quite share the same sentiment.
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St. Louis’ decision only could be detrimental to the team
At this point, optioning McGreevy makes no sense. Having failed to achieve any progress on a rebuild, the team is in a desperate race to prove 2025 is not just a wasted season as they try to unload former superstar Nolan Arenado. Thus far, their fourth-place NL Central standing has provided little to no encouragement. And dropping McGreevy from the roster certainly won’t help improve their standing.
Entering Monday, the Cards pitching staff maintains an unpleasant 4.32 ERA as a whole, placing them No. 22 in the league. Three of their starting options currently sport ERAs over 4.65, one of which is Pallante, whose ERA grew to 4.78 on Sunday.
It goes without saying, the Cardinals are in dire need of pitching help, not just for their rotation, but their bullpen as well. This makes their decision to option McGreevy more confusing. Management has acted as if finding a spot for him presents a confounding dilemma. In doing this, they’ve only sent a message to their hopeful young prospects that hard work and great results aren’t rewarded.
With a 16-19 record, it isn’t too late to salvage the season; but should the Cardinals keep their best talent from flourishing in the Majors, it will only be a matter of time before this window closes. For now, Cardinals fans can only hope optioning McGreevy was just a strategic move to bring up a rested arm following the double-header sweep.