Why Ken Rosenthal thinks St. Louis Cardinals contend in 2022

Ken Rosenthal thinks the St. Louis Cardinals contend in 2022. Here are his reasons why.

When the St. Louis Cardinals were eliminated from the postseason after a 3-1 loss to the Los Angeles Dodgers, fans wondered what the future held. Yes, Adam Wainwright and Yadier Molina will return, but they will be a year older. There are questions in the lineup and even in the rotation entering the winter.

Would they get back to the playoffs in 2022? Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic thinks so.

On his podcast, Rosenthal went on to list the reasons he believes the Cardinals will contend again in 2022. He listed Wainwright’s return and that Jack Flaherty and Dakota Hudson will be 100 percent healthy. He expects them to add a second baseman or shortstop to upgrade the lineup. He said that while the Milwaukee Brewers will be good, that the Chicago Cubs are entering the rebuild and that we don’t know how good the Cincinnati Reds will be next season.

He’s right. That’s not to mention that Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt will once again headline the Cardinals’ lineup, giving them two stars in their lineup. It’s fair to expect even more from Arenado, given that he will finally have a full offseason in St. Louis after admitting that he was still getting accustomed to the Cardinal Way during the regular season.

That the rotation should be healthy — at least in theory — is massive for the Cardinals and shouldn’t be understated. Of course, injuries happen, as evidenced by this season so they should be prepared for anything. But my initial read is that the team will not prioritize a high-priced addition to the rotation, instead focusing on the middle infield upgrades.

Which is where the market is rich with options. The Cardinals are expected to be serious players for Trevor Story, a free-agent shortstop who is all but guaranteed of leaving the Colorado Rockies. He has obvious ties to the Cardinals, considering he was teammates with Arenado and that the two are close friends. Perhaps he signs a deal to reunite with Arenado in St. Louis? I wouldn’t rule it out.

Without Story, the Cardinals should have enough to get to the postseason. With Story, they have a chance to advance deep into the postseason. And what a way it would be to send off Wainwright and Molina with a World Series run.