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Three key Padres pieces to watch as the Cardinals head to San Diego
After today's series finale with the Brewers, the Cardinals are headed out west to face the Padres.
Like the Cardinals, the Padres have had a difficult season and have performed well below expectations. They have plenty of talent on their roster just as the Cardinals do, but also may be sitting October out.
The Cardinals were eliminated on Tuesday with a 7-3 loss to the Brewers in Game 2 of the series, marking the first time since 2018 that they will not be playing in the postseason. As such, the focus is now on the 2024 season and beyond, as 2023 is officially a lost cause.
But while the Cardinals are in San Diego, there are going to be a few things to watch for, namely a few current Padres pieces that could impact the Cardinals in the near future, depending on what they do this offseason.
It's obvious that the Cardinals need pitching and could also stand to make a philosophical change. As things stand right now, there are only two starting pitchers under contract for 2024 and beyond for St. Louis.
Those pitchers are Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz. What the Cardinals are truly lacking is frontline starting pitching and strikeout stuff. These are things to keep an eye on as we move closer to the end of the 2023 season.
In this piece, we will take a look at three current members of the Padres to keep an eye on as the Cardinals get set to play the Friars this weekend.
Michael Wacha
Michael Wacha is somebody that I think could be a good fit for the Cardinals in 2024. He finally is pitching like the frontline guy the Cardinals thought they had all those years ago. He'll actually face the Cardinals on Sunday in the series finale, so the team will get a chance to take a look at him.
The 32-year-old is 12-4 in 22 starts with an ERA of 3.44 over 120.1 innings of work. He signed a four-year deal with the Padres this winter, but that deal includes opt-out clauses, and given his performance, one would think that he might opt out this winter.
Cardinals fans remember him for what he was able to do in 2013 as a rookie. He went 4-1 in the postseason with a 2.64 ERA and even earned NLCS MVP honors. Wacha is also currently averaging 8.3 strikeouts per nine innings.
Blake Snell
Unfortunately, Snell will not be pitching this weekend, so the Cardinals won't be able to see much of him. However, he did outduel Adam Wainwright back in August at Busch Stadium. He struck out nine over seven scoreless innings and allowed just two hits.
Snell will be a free agent this winter along with Aaron Nola, Sonny Gray, and other solid starting pitchers. He's a fierce competitor who has tremendous postseason experience. Walks are a bit of a concern, as he is averaging five per nine innings, but he's still an innings eater and is able to strike hitters out on a consistent basis.
Bob Melvin
The manager of the Padres could be someone to watch as well. Earlier this week, Ken Rosenthal and Dennis Lin reported in The Athletic that Melvin's relationship with General Manager A.J. Preller is tenuous at the moment.
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This could mean that Melvin might be on his way out at the end of the season. As of now, Oli Marmol is set to manage the Cardinals in 2024, per John Mozeliak. However, if Melvin is let go by the Padres and the Cardinals get off to a bad start next year, Marmol may be on the hot seat, which could open the door for somebody like Melvin.