4 young Cardinals pitchers who could benefit from a bullpen role, 3 who would not

Matthew Liberatore has already proven his worth as a reliever, and unless they trade someone, that's the role he should fill.

Going into the spring, I had very little confidence that Matthew Liberatore would have a shot at starting games for the Cardinals this year. It was nice that he was an option, but I did not believe that at this point in camp, it would be a real discussion.

So far, Liberatore has done about everything he could possibly do to earn a rotation spot this year.

Liberatore has allowed just four hits and two runs in 9.2 innings during camp, with his secondary stuff grading out very well and his fastball doing enough to play in those extended runs. I still have my doubts about him as a starter moving forward, but if the Cardinals truly want to give "runway" to young talent this year, he should be considered for a starting role.

Here's the issue though: Until the Cardinals commit to giving opportunity to young arms and begin to trade, release, or send veteran arms to the bullpen, there are just too many arms vying for roles to give Liberatore that chance this year. McGreevy is a more deserving candidate today, and Quinn Mathews would be ready very, very soon. At some point this year, Tekaoh Roby and Cooper Hjerpe could become real options as well. What about Sem Robberse? These arms won't be making their starting five to begin the year, and yet they already represent five other options for the club this year.

Should the Cardinals make one of those moves, I find Liberatore's case very compelling. The Cardinals would need depth, and frankly, he's just a few years removed from being one of the better left-handed pitching prospects in baseball. The president of baseball operations in waiting, Chaim Bloom, drafted Liberatore in the first round during his time with Tampa Bay, so perhaps he's a believer in Liberatore's future. Plus, Bloom and company have been revamping the Cardinals' pitching development, so maybe there are brighter days ahead for Liberatore.

But assuming the Cardinals don't make those moves with their veteran arms, Liberatore excelled in a bullpen role last year and could carve out a nice career for himself in that capacity moving forward. While the Cardinals need to figure out who can fill their rotation for future seasons, they also need high-quality bullpen arms to rely on long term as well. Liberatore seems to be ready to become that.