6 things to watch out for as the Cardinals skid into September

3. Starting rotation decisions

The 2024 offseason brought hope with the acquisition of Sonny Gray and Kyle Gibson and the return of Lance Lynn. Steven Matz struggled with his health, allowing Zack Thompson, Matthew Liberatore, and Andre Pallante to compete for a spot in the rotation.

Gray was expected to be the staff ace. Fans still need him to be the staff ace. However, Gray has not lived up to expectations, which makes one wonder if he's hurt. He started the season on the injured list with a hamstring injury. Now, he is out of sorts and lost on the mound. After he started talking to the media, he said he knew what he needed to do, and we would see it. But we still need to see it. Hopefully, he makes the best of his last starts of this season and returns fresh and ready for the 2025 season.

Lynn and Gibson have been helpful, but the Cardinals will likely move on from one or both as they try to determine whether Matz is the pitcher they've hoped he would be.

Since returning to a starting role, Pallante has been so good that the team must keep him in the rotation. Pallante is cool, calm, and collected as he gets outs and eats up innings. He's been an excellent addition to the rotation, and the Cardinals would be foolish to remove him after getting him into such a good groove.

After throwing a shutout in July, Michael McGreevy should get another shot at starting this season. Gordon Graceffo should as well. The team has many talented young arms in the minor leagues, such as Tink Hence, Cooper Hjerpe, and Quinn Mathews, who we should look forward to watching.