3 Cardinals pitchers who will begin the year at Triple-A and 3 who won't

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The Cardinals added a solid bullpen depth option in Josh James on a minor league contract this past week. It's a solid high-upside zero-risk move for the Cardinals. If James is healthy, he could slot in as a high-leverage option with plus velocity and strikeout stuff. But if he's hurt or ineffective, he can be let go at no cost. The Cardinals still need to add one more veteran relief option, but James' deal is a model to follow for other minor league deals. By adding once-effective or injury-prone relievers on cheap minor-league contracts, the Cardinals could have more options for later in the season.

With so many bullpen options, the Memphis shuttle is sure to be running this season. Despite being in the Cardinals' future plans, many solid pitching options will have to open 2024 in Triple-A. Here are three Cardinals pitchers who will begin the year at Triple-A and three who will not.

Andre Pallante will be on the Opening Day roster

Andre Pallante's emergence in 2022 was one of the biggest revelations in a successful NL Central winning season. After breaking camp with the team, Pallante impressed and was never sent back down. In 47 appearances, Pallante threw 108 innings as a starter and a reliever, pitching to a 3.17 ERA. He did outperform his peripherals and had a bit of a walk problem, but was still a solid high-leverage option with a fantastic ground ball rate.

However, 2023 was much rockier for Pallante. His walk rate worsened, and despite still eating 68 innings, Pallante's 4.76 ERA marked significant regression. He did receive a demotion in mid-April, when the team was performing at its worst, but still spent most of the season on the Major League roster.

As an innings eater, Pallante definitely still has a place in the Cardinals' bullpen in 2024, but he might be even better than that. He's been working diligently this offseason on a "death-ball" pitch, a higher velocity curveball designed to complement his great fastball, and a somewhat ineffective slider. If this pitch works well for him, we could see a reformed Pallante in 2024 capable of pitching high-leverage innings in the Postseason, just like in 2022.

Matthew Liberatore will open the season in Triple-A

Once a promising pitching prospect, Matthew Liberatore has not lived up to expectations in St. Louis as a starting pitcher. The already questionable Randy Arozarena trade looks even worse as Liberatore has yet to find his form at the Major League level. His velocity and control have both been inconsistent, especially in late innings, leading the Cardinals to explore options for him as a bullpen arm instead of a starter.

Through his first two stints in MLB, Liberatore recorded a 5.51 ERA through 18 starts and 31 total appearances. He saw improvements in 2023, decreasing his walk rate and home run rate quite significantly, but still has yet to prove his ability as a competent Major League starter, even at the backend of the rotation.

With the additions of Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn, Liberatore doesn't figure into the rotation plans at all for 2024. Even if one of the starters were to suffer an injury, Zack Thompson would likely get the open starting job over Liberatore. It's been reported that the Cardinals may look to explore using Liberatore as a multi-inning high-leverage reliever similar to former Cardinal Andrew Miller during his prime. If that's the case, he'll have to open the year in Triple-A to get acclimated to becoming a full-time bullpen arm.

At just 24 years old, it's still too early to label Matthew Liberatore as a bust of a pitching prospect, but time is running out for him to prove his abilities at the Major League level. With far more options in 2024 than they had in 2023, the Cardinals are better off allowing Liberatore to try and figure something out in the Minors rather than using him in Major League action to open the season.

Zack Thompson will be on the Opening Day roster

Contrary to Liberatore, Zack Thompson started his Major League career as an effective reliever. But, with the Cardinals looking for innings in the rotation, Thompson was sent back to Memphis to work on his craft as a starting pitcher. He looked solid in a starting role during the second half of 2023, but his inability to eat innings and still relatively unproven nature as a starter led the Cardinals to pursue other roles for Thompson this offseason.

While Thompson is more likely than not the next man up in the event of an injury to the rotation, he's already proven himself as a quality option out of the bullpen. He doesn't have a high-octane fastball like some of the other options in the Cardinals' bullpen, but he's a solid lefty option for late innings and long relief. While he greatly outperformed his expected numbers in 2022, his performance and profile as both a starter and a reliever will be extremely valuable to the Cardinals at the Major League level.

Drew Rom will open the season in Triple-A

Drew Rom was one of the headliners in a large prospect pool when the Cardinals shipped Jack Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles at the 2023 Trade Deadline. He instantly impressed with Memphis, but the performance in St. Louis was far less eye-catching. With the Cardinals needing starts after trading away two of their five starters at the deadline, however, a role in the starting rotation fell upon Rom.

His 8 starts were disappointing, to say the least, as Rom recorded an 8.08 ERA in 33.2 innings. His alarmingly high 1.9 HR/9 and 5.1 BB/9 indicated that he was not yet ready for Major League action. He'll remain an intriguing depth option, especially if he keeps up his production at Memphis, but for now, there's no real spot for him on the Opening Day roster, even in the bullpen.

Ryan Fernandez will be on the Opening Day roster

While he will be one of the less trusted options to start the season, Ryan Fernandez will be on the Opening Day roster to open 2024. Because the Cardinals selected Fernandez in the Rule-5 draft, they are required to include him on the 26-man roster or they risk sending him back to the Boston Red Sox. His performance in Triple-A hasn't been great so far, but his tools are very intriguing.

His fastball approaches triple digits, and he complements it well with a high-whiff cutter and slider combination. While he posted elite strikeout numbers with the Red Sox system in Double-A, he's seen some regression in making the jump to Triple-A. On top of a high home run rate, it's uncertain if Fernandez will be a viable option at the Major League level, but he'll get some run to open the season. He's got all the tools to succeed; it's only a matter of if he can put them together.

Josh James will open the season in Triple-A

When the Cardinals signed Josh James to a Minor League contract, many feared it would be the last bullpen move for the Cardinals this offseason. However, James will be a non-roster invitee to the Cardinals' Spring Training, meaning he'll need to prove his health and effectiveness before earning his way onto the Cardinals roster.

James hasn't seen Major League action since the 2021 season, one in which he only pitched 5 innings, so it's unlikely he'll land on the 26-man roster right away. Instead, it's likely the Cardinals will let him see more game action in Triple-A before determining whether or not he's truly ready for Major League action and can contribute at a high level. If not, we could see him cut before the season starts or sometime during the early part of 2024. Rest assured, one more bullpen arm is still on the way.

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