Budget-friendly starter slips through the Cardinals' grasp as rotation depth thins

The St. Louis Cardinals have had some hiccups within the starting rotation, and even though that was expected this season, it is more frustrating since the team has been more competitive than anticipated. With the major league rotation struggling and the minor leagues either lacking major-league-ready talent or dealing with injuries, free agency was always an option for Chaim Bloom if he saw a need for an addition to the pitching staff. The Cardinals were not active on the open market during the offseason, but as needs become more present, fans have looked at names still available for a fraction of their worth and kept coming back to a starter who has revamped his game to become a viable starter in the majors.

Lucas Giolito signed a $3 million deal with the San Diego Padres

The Cardinals' rotation consists of former relievers and bounce-back candidates, and they have performed as such so far this season. Despite the Cardinals sitting above .500 and hanging on in a competitive NL Central, they never had interest in adding to their rotation beyond Dustin May, even with reliable starter Lucas Giolito sitting on the open market. The former White Sox pitcher was recently quoted as saying he just wanted somewhere close to what he felt he was worth, and after a month into the season, he apparently got that offer from the San Diego Padres. Giolito, coming off a 10-4 season, received a shockingly low amount of interest, even though he seemed like a decent fit for the Cardinals' staff. Now, it is even clearer that the Cardinals are planning to stick with their own guys in their fact-finding season.

What may hurt fans more is the fact that Giolito's price tag was a simple $3 million salary with a mutual option for 2027. For a Cardinals team that is spending way less than years prior, swallowing a few million for a quality starting pitcher seemed like an easy, low-risk move. Now, with Richard Fitts on the IL, Hunter Dobbins still rehabbing, and other prospects like Quinn Mathews working through his own stuff in the minors, the Cardinals are going to stick with their guys. With a stretch of 17 games in 17 days, the coaching staff may try to find a way to go to a six-man rotation with Dobbins being the guy to fill the roll. Beyond Dobbins, though, there are slim pickings in Memphis if something were to go wrong with the major league staff.

Of course, the playoffs are not top priority for the 2026 season, but the Cardinals' fast start created some new optimism among the fanbase who are now clamoring for more. Unfortunately, Giolito was the last capable free agent that was remaining, so additional major league support would have to come from a deal. With Bloom being hesitant to subtract from these cost-controlled assets, we should expect to see more of the same five guys we have seen so far this year, with a Dobbins start or two mixed in.

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