9 Cardinals who have been on fire the first month of the 2024 season, 9 who are cold

On fire: Matthew Liberatore

One of the other options the Cardinals have turned to in their bullpen so far in 2024 is left-hander Matthew Liberatore,

Liberatore has been working his way through the Cardinals system as a starting pitcher ever since they traded Randy Arozarena for him, and in recent years, he has been unable to make his mark in the Cardinals' rotation when given a shot. This spring, he battled with Zack Thompson to win a starting role in Sonny Gray's absence, but once again lost out on that opportunity.

The Cardinals did put Liberatore in their bullpen though, and so far are seeing excellent results from that decision. Liberatore has a 2.93 ERA so far this year, providing the Cardinals a stable arm in their bullpen outside of their "Big 3". Liberatore also gives the Cardinals another solid left-handed option to go to, allowing them to save Romero for high-leverage spots if there are some left-matchups they want to play earlier in the game.

I don't think the Cardinals have ruled out Liberatore as a starter in the future, but he's sure making a name for himself in their bullpen at the moment. With the amount of close games the Cardinals seem to find themselves in so far this year, they could use as many quality arms as they can out of their bullpen. Liberatore clearly fills that role right now, and the Cardinals are hoping that continues all season long.