7 players who should be entering their final days on the Cardinals

Steven Matz

Speaking of another arm that I don't really understand prioritizing over their younger options, all three of Steven Matz's seasons with the Cardinals have been riddled with injuries and bad performances.

I think Matz is a better pitcher than what we've seen from him overall, and if he could remain on the mound for a prolonged stretch, I do think you'd see more production. But honestly, they cannot cross their fingers with him anymore and should be looking to see if they could possibly offload him to another club, even if it requires eating a bit of the contract.

Steven Matz is set to make $12.5 million for the Cardinals in the final year of his contract in 2025, which is not nearly as bad as the $17.6 million due to Mikolas. Matz also has bullpen versatility if he does not make the rotation, something that I do not think you can really say about Mikolas at this point.

I could see another club taking on some of Matz's contract in hopes that he bounces back for them, knowing that they can slot him in the bullpen if needed. For a Cardinals organization that will likely cut costs this offseason, saving even just a portion of his money could be worthwhile.

I'll address all of the starting options in a moment, but I don't think the Cardinals would miss a beat depth-wise not having Matz in the mix. From a bullpen perspective, you can never have enough arms, but paying Matz $12.5 million when JoJo Romero, Matthew Liberatore, and John King are all cheaper and better options from the left side would certainly be a choice.

If the Cardinals don't find a suitor for Matz this offseason, I think it would be perfectly fine to allow him to earn a role during Spring Training, and if he can't then release him and hope another club picks him up.