McGreevy and Matz are the early finalists for the Cardinals' fifth rotation spot

The St. Louis Cardinals expected to enter the 2025 season with a roster full of fresh, young faces as the team went through an organizational reset period. To this point, however, the only notable moves are the ones they did not make. So far, the team declined affordable options on veterans Kyle Gibson and Lance Lynn and allowed reliever Andrew Kittredge to sign elsewhere, and they are looking likely to have Nolan Arenado as their Opening Day third baseman.

These non-transactions have a trickle-down effect on the rest of the roster, as expected roles for some young players will now be put on hold. The Cardinals' decision to hold on to other trade pieces like Erick Fedde and Steven Matz also points to the likely scenario that each of them has a firm hold on a roster spot. Fedde can be penciled in as the third or fourth starter, while Matz's role is more up in the air. Neither player is likely to be in St. Louis in 2026, so it would be in the team's best interest to have them pitch well enough to up their trade value across the league. If either of them were to be shipped away, that would open up plenty of innings for younger arms who are on the cusp of contributing at the Major League level.

What does the current rotation look like at the start of Spring Training?

De facto ace of the rotation Sonny Gray told the team early in the offseason that he had no desire to waive his no-trade clause to get out of St. Louis. His recent comments show that he is slowly starting to build more excitement after the inactivity of the offseason, but he is expected to be a leader on the mound and in the clubhouse. Behind Gray slot veteran innings-eater Miles Mikolas and the aforementioned Fedde. Recent arbitration-hearing winner Andre Pallante will fill the next spot, with the only opening in the rotation being the fifth and final spot. While the team has thrown around the idea of a six-man rotation, they are likely to break camp with the traditional five-starter makeup.

The fifth starter competition is full of names both new and old, including players on expiring contracts, those who have gotten a cup of coffee at the major league level, and prospects or non-roster invitees who look to put their names in the ring. With the Cardinals looking to recoup any value from their signing of Steven Matz, they plan to give him a long run to see if he can prove his health and effectiveness in the rotation as they initially intended. Understanding his injury history, the Cardinals also have Michael McGreevy and Gordon Graceffo waiting in the wings, who each showed flashes of potential in their short stints with the big league club at the end of last season.

Beyond those three sit a host of failed starters turned relievers, like Matthew Liberatore, or forgotten pieces like Zack Thompson, while prospects Tink Hence and Quinn Mathews look to open some eyes in camp. John Mozeliak recently noted that Mathews is expected to open the season with Memphis, but his spring training locker being situated next to Gray's will hopefully allow the young lefty to gain some mentoring while in Jupiter.

Manager Oli Marmol is excited to open camp with a litany of names for one spot because it shows the potential depth that the team has with its pitching staff. In a recent piece by St. Louis Post-Dispatch writer Benjamin Hochman, he specifically asked Marmol about McGreevy, who shone in his limited major league starts last season. Hochman asked what happens if McGreevy pitches so well that he forces Marmol's hand into keeping him in St. Louis.

"“Then I’m a very happy manager,” Marmol said. “That stuff works itself out, man. It just does. And I’m not trying to avoid the question. I hope he balls out. I really do. That’d be phenomenal for everybody involved. And as we get closer, we’ll know exactly what that means for others.”"

Manager Oliver Marmol

There is a real possibility that McGreevy finds himself in the rotation at the start of the season based on this quote and his performance from last year. At the moment, it appears that the fifth spot is looking more like a two-man competition, with Matz and McGreevy looking like the most likely arms to fill the final spot.

McGreevy does not have overpowering stuff and was mediocre in his 150 innings at Triple-A Memphis last season before his call-up. He has built a reputation as a mechanically sound and command-oriented pitcher who has never tallied more than 8.5 K/9 but has limited free passes with a walk percentage that has never gone above 7% at any level. This skill set has allowed him to pitch further into games, as he consistently pitched to contact and got ground balls about 50% of the time. In the same piece, McGreevy is quoted as saying his sinker-slider combination is his bread and butter on the mound, but he features a six-pitch mix including a changeup, curveball, cutter, and four-seam fastball.

While the current rotation is filled with those veteran arms, the team could shift focus and go full reset mode based on early-season performance. Just because some players have not changed teams yet, it does not rule out the possibility that teams around the league will eye the Cardinals' established players as the injury bug makes its way through camps. McGreevy knows he has a shot at cracking the major league roster but is not taking anything for granted as he works to establish himself during camp.

"“They just said, ‘Come in ready to go,’” he said. “That’s exactly all I want. ... (Spring training) is a great opportunity, especially with all the talks of young guys getting opportunities, young guys getting chances. Super encouraging, not only for me but for other guys as well. It’s easy to be chomping at the bit for a spot, but at the end of the day, it’s spring training and you’ve got to prove it every day. Go out there and compete and get better. And hopefully, when the dust settles, we’re in St. Louis."

Cardinals starter Michael McGreevy

Michael McGreevy's late-season debut was encouraging, as he put up a sub-2.00 ERA in 23 innings, and he looks to build off that experience during 2025. As the Cardinals begin to look toward the future, it would be in the team's best interest to get McGreevy on a big-league mound as often as possible.