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3 players playing their final home games with the St. Louis Cardinals

It's safe to say these three Cardinals likely aren't back next year.
ByJosh Jacobs|
May 6, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) is congratulated by right fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) after hitting a two run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
May 6, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals third baseman Nolan Arenado (28) is congratulated by right fielder Lars Nootbaar (21) after hitting a two run home run against the Detroit Tigers during the fifth inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
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Miles Mikolas

Since 2018, Miles Mikolas has been a staple of the Cardinals' starting rotation. While the early years were successful, things have gone poorly for years now, and it's hard to imagine Bloom bringing Mikolas back into the fold for next year.

Following his All-Star selection in 2022, things have been bad on the mound for the right-hander. He's posted 4.78, 5.35, and 4.80 ERAs in consecutive seasons, and although he eats a lot of innings, he's been one of the worst pitchers in baseball for three years running. Yes, Mikolas enjoys being a Cardinal, but I don't see how it would make sense for the club to bring him back for another campaign.

The Cardinals desperately need a breath of fresh air for their rotation moving forward. Fans won't take another year of having Mikolas in the rotation. It's time for the club to add different kinds of arms to their mix while also keeping space open for young arms to have opportunities at the big league level.

Since 2023, Mikolas ranks in the bottom ten in baseball in ERA, xERA, K%, and batting average allowed. I wouldn't be surprised to see another team add him as a rubber arm for next year, but he's not the kind of arm that benefits the Cardinals anymore.

The Cardinals need stuff in their rotation. If they are going to sign pitchers to free agent contracts, they should be taking chances on guys who could surprise them, not someone who could just eat innings. The state of Cardinals pitching is bad right now, and while the stable of MLB-ready arms caught the injury bug this year, they need to keep providing chances for young arms to snag rotation spots.

As I said before, there are plenty of others Cardinals who could be traded, released, or not resigned this offseason, but these three feel like almost guarantees at this point. The club needs a makeover this offseason, and this would be a massive step in that direction.

Honestly, moving on from Mikolas may be one of the biggest messages they can send. For years now, Mikolas has been associated with losing baseball. The Cardinals need to rid themselves of as many of those players as they can in order to turn a new leaf, and letting Mikolas seek opportunities elsewhere is a great step in that direction.

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