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The St. Louis Cardinals’ 2024 rotation needs work
By Greg Simons
While the St. Louis Cardinals already have a solid set of starting pitchers for next year, the rotation for the ’24 season has lots of question marks.
Adam Wainwright, Miles Mikolas, and Jordan Montgomery are virtual locks to be in the St. Louis Cardinals’ starting rotation when the 2023 MLB season commences. In addition to that trio, Jack Flaherty, Steven Matz, and Dakota Hudson are strong candidates for the last two spots in the rotation. There’s even the possibility of all of them serving as starters in a six-man rotation, though there’s no indication that idea has been discussed.
That’s fine for the upcoming season, even though it’s not exactly a dominant starting staff. Partner those pitchers with a strong offensive unit, with Paul Goldschmidt and Nolan Arenado leading the way and manager Oli Marmol working a slew of younger players into various roles in the field and lineup, and St. Louis once again should have a playoff contender.
But what happens with the starting rotation after next year? Wainwright is calling it a career following the ’23 season, while Mikolas, Montgomery, and Flaherty are on track to be free agents at season’s end. That leaves up to four holes in the rotation, with little clarity about who will step into the void.