The St. Louis Cardinals picked up a little bit of momentum when they took two out of three from the defending World Series champion Los Angeles Dodgers this week. They return home tonight to take on their archrivals, the Chicago Cubs. They were sellers at the trade deadline, dealing away any players on expiring contracts that won't be back in 2026.
This year, they have tried to create "runway" for younger players, but some of them have remained blocked, despite the team's best efforts to spin it the other way. There are still plenty of veterans on the roster.
One that remains is right-hander Miles Mikolas, who is 6-9 with a 5.11 ERA in 22 starts. Meanwhile, left-hander and top pitching prospect Quinn Mathews fired seven shutout innings last night at Triple-A Memphis. Before long, the Cardinals should pull the plug on Mikolas and give Mathews a chance.
Cardinals should dump Miles Mikolas in favor of top pitching prospect
Mathews has had his own share of struggles this year, but he has pitched well for most of the season. He is 3-4 with a 3.63 ERA in 15 starts with Memphis this year.
If he continues to pitch at that level, then there is truly no reason for the Cardinals to keep him in the minors, especially when Mikolas continues to be lit up. The 36-year-old right-hander allowed five runs over three innings against the Los Angeles Dodgers.
But if the rest of 2025 is truly about runway, then the Cardinals need to clear a spot for Mathews and give him an opportunity to prove himself, and perhaps have a chance to compete for a rotation spot in 2026. Having Mikolas around only blocks guys like Mathews.
St. Louis finally cleared a spot for Michael McGreevy by designating Erick Fedde for assignment, but at a certain point, Mikolas cannot stay in the rotation. Even though the Cardinals are likely out of contention, it doesn't make sense to keep running Mikolas out to pitch every five days.
Despite all their minor league pitching injuries, St. Louis does have options and can easily replace Mikolas. Mathews might just be the perfect choice to replace the struggling veteran.
Cardinals fans have long been frustrated with Mikolas, and they'll certainly feel better if the organization finally decides enough is enough. He also will not be back in 2026, as he is a free agent at season's end.