Cardinals News: St. Louis removes John Gant from rotation

The St. Louis Cardinals promised changes to the rotation. The first is John Gant and Carlos Martinez is likely not far behind.

With the St. Louis Cardinals struggling, there have been changes to the rotation and promises to tweak a rotation that has increasingly come under fire as the team fell to 36-40 and seven games back in the National League Central.

One of those changes to the rotation came by moving John Gant to the bullpen, according to Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.

It’s not surprising that the Cardinals moved Gant, 28, out of the rotation, but it is perhaps surprising that the news came before potentially shifting Carlos Martinez to the bullpen. Martinez has been dreadful this season and all the optimism of his strong start to the season has virtually dissipated as his ERA has soared to 6.78 just two months after his ERA sat at 3.72 after an eight-inning shutout against the Pittsburgh Pirates.

Gant, however, is a different case. His ERA is 3.76, though his 5.17 FIP paints a different picture. But it wasn’t too long ago that Gant was the Cardinals’ best and most reliable starting pitcher not named Adam Wainwright after Jack Flaherty suffered a significant oblique injury. That Gant was removed from the rotation after rough appearances in three of his last four starts is mildly surprising and it’s curious why the team didn’t give him a longer leash to figure things out.

But Gant is likely one of a few moves the Cardinals will make to tweak the rotation. After all, they are in fourth place in what was supposed to be among the weakest divisions in baseball, just months after emerging their World Series aspirations were lifted after acquiring Nolan Arenado.

Changes needed to be made. Gant was the first and Martinez is likely not far behind. Their season very much depends on it.