Cardinals: Matthew Liberatore, Nolan Gorman invited to Futures Game

Two of the St. Louis Cardinals top prospects, Matthew Liberatore and Nolan Gorman, are going to the Futures Game in Denver.

The St. Louis Cardinals have two undisputed top prospects: left-handed pitcher Matthew Liberatore and second baseman/third baseman Nolan Gorman.

They are the Cardinals’ future and should be at the major-league level before too long, considering both have recently been promoted to Triple-A Memphis. The organization intends to be patient with both players, especially Liberatore, as the Cardinals need for a starting pitcher(s) seemingly increases by the day.

In the meantime, both are continuing to perform well in the minors — and they have each been invited to play at the 2021 Futures Game in Denver, Colorado before the All-Star break, the league announced on Wednesday.

It’s a deserving honor for both players, who will be the only to players representing the Cardinals at the Futures Game. Liberatore, 21, will be a long-term stalwart in the rotation and a player the team felt confident enough in to part with Randy Arozarena, who eventually went on to nearly lead the Tampa Bay Rays to a World Series championship. Liberatore has a 4.62 ERA and 37/11 strikeout-to-walk ratio in 37 innings this season while also pitching for Team USA, drawing consistent praise from his veteran teammates.

Groman, of course, has been mentioned in trade talks, but the Cardinals will not trade him. It’s not happening. Trust me. He will be with the team long terms, most likely at second base, with the team as optimistic as ever that he will be a 30+ home run hitter.

It’s an exciting honor for both players and underscores how lucky the Cardinals are to have each waiting in their farm system. The next honor that awaits each is a promotion to the majors, which could happen later this season or at the beginning of 2022.