Cardinals settle their Opening Day starting rotation debate with surprising move

One of the last big question marks surrounding the St. Louis Cardinals' rotation in camp was which five starters would they commit to their Opening Day rotation, and who they determined that group to be may come as a surprise to some people.

Per minor league transaction logs, the Cardinals have optioned right-handed pitcher Richard Fitts to Triple-A Memphis to begin the year, all but confirming their starting rotation to be Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Michael McGreevy, Andre Pallante, and Kyle Leahy to begin the season. This also means the Cardinals opted not to have Fitts serve as a long man or spot starter out of the bullpen to begin the year, but rather have him make consistent starts in Memphis.

The Cardinals finalized their starting rotation by sending Richard Fitts to Triple-A

Fitts not making the rotation is not a shocking decision. He's had some exciting moments in camp so far, but he's far from a finished product, and starting the year in the Memphis rotation will allow him to refine his game and be the "next man up" whenever an injury or underperformance happens in the rotation.

What may be surprising to some is that the Cardinals did not opt to have him be in their Opening Day bullpen, providing the club with innings and spot start potential whenever necessary. Manager Oli Marmol has been vocal about not needing a six-man group to begin the year due to the number of off-days the club has early on, but there still seemed to be a lane for Fitts to impact the big league club early.

Sending Fitts to Memphis though does allow him to focus on a starter's routine and prepare himself for that role all year, which is likely most helpful for his development long-term. With Hunter Dobbins beginning the year on the injured list and Quinn Mathews not yet on the 40-man roster, this also makes it more seamless for the Cardinals to replace a starter in their rotation early if they need to.

Pallante and Leahy winning the final two rotation spots shouldn't come as a surprise, either, although Fitts certainly made a strong push. The Cardinals have been very vocal about wanting to see Leahy in the rotation this year, so it always felt like a given that he would be one of the five they at least started the year with. Pallante, who had a rough 2026 campaign, made some adjustments to his arsenal this offseason and has seen solid results in camp so far, so the Cardinals want to see if that translates to regular-season success as well.

I fully expect to see Fitts get opportunities to start with the Cardinals this year, along with other young arms like Dobbins and Mathews. The Cardinals like what Fitts has to offer, so beginning the year in Memphis does not mean the club doesn't believe in him. This year, they have a lot of young arms they want to balance opportunities for, so some of those names will have to get work in Memphis to stay sharp and develop as the year goes on, but injuries or bad performances will open up a spot for Fitts and others as the year goes on.