3 Cardinals red flags heading into the 2024 season
By Curt Bishop
1. The age and quality of the rotation
It's obvious that the Cardinals starting rotation looks a little bit better than it did last season.
However, only one of the three moves they made to strengthen the rotation truly moved the needle. That was the signing of Sonny Gray, who finished second in the AL Cy Young race in 2023.
While Gray gives them a true No. 1 starter, he has already turned 34 years old. Gibson and Lynn are both 36, and Lynn will be turning 37 in May. Their youngest starter is Steven Matz, who is set to turn 33 this season.
Beyond that, Lynn and Gibson posted ERAs of 5.73 and 4.73 last year, respectively. Miles Mikolas also struggled and is a year older. Beyond Gray, the Cardinals rotation is questionable. While the newly signed pitchers will give the Cardinals innings, the quality of those innings isn't certain.
What would have made more sense is if the Cardinals had waited a little bit longer and added a second top-level starter. Granted, there is still time, as Jordan Montgomery and Blake Snell are still available.
But the Cardinals aren't always willing to spend big on pitchers, which casts some doubt over potential signings.
The Cardinals will instead enter the season with an aging rotation, which could come back to haunt them in 2024.