Cardinals: 5 most valuable trade assets this offseason

#4 – Matthew Liberatore

Acquired in a deal that sent Randy Arozarena to the Tampa Bay Rays, Matthew Liberatore was heralded as a big time, left-handed pitching prospect who the Cardinals could slide into their rotation for years to come.

Liberatore had a disappointing MLB debut this years, posting a 5.97 ERA in 9 games of work for the Cardinals. His time in Triple-A Memphis was not much better, as his ERA was 5.17 across 22 starts. Still, Liberatore is just 22-years old and sports a repertoire that will lead to success over the next few years.

If it wasn’t for the emergence of other arms like Tink Hence and Gordon Graceffo this year, and a rotation that already has five guys penciled in along with others waiting in the wings, the Cardinals would likely want to hold onto Liberatore even longer. He could spend another year in Memphis or find his way into the Cardinals bullpen or receive spot starts, but it seems more likely that a rebuilding team would value him more that St. Louis at this point.