The St. Louis Cardinals are considering a unique solution for roster crunch issue

The St. Louis Cardinals starting rotation has been a consistent subject of conversation during spring training, ranging from trade chatter to final roster spots, and Derrick Goold posted a very interesting update on the status of the group that could be heading north.

The Cardinals may be considering a six-man rotation.

One of the biggest roster battles has surrounded the back end of the rotation, and with a week of exhibition games remaining, those conversations are still front and center. Goold's recent update discussed that, in a potential change of heart, the team may be open to beginning the year with a six-man rotation, with rookie Michael McGreevy's spring performance prompting the discussion.

Early in the offseason, it appeared that the first four spots were mostly set with Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, Miles Mikolas, and Andre Pallante, creating a competition for the fifth spot between veteran Steven Matz and McGreevy. However, more news out of Jupiter has gone back and forth, saying that Pallante, Matz, McGreevy, and Matthew Liberatore were all fighting for spots, but Libby was just confirmed in a bullpen role with Pallante being mentioned as a roster lock.

At the start of Spring Training, it appeared that Matz was the preferred option to round out the rotation as the team attempts to recoup any value from their initial contract with the lefty. Matz has responded in a positive way thus far, leading the team with 13.2 innings pitched and has totaled a 2.63 ERA with nine strikeouts. On the downside, Matz has allowed nine hits and five walks but has been able to limit the overall damage. If Matz can stay healthy, I think it is in his and the team's best interest to keep him in the rotation until he pitches his way out of St. Louis via trade, release, or injury.

In the competition, though, McGreevy was going to make sure he showed his value to the team. After a nice debut last season, he came to camp looking to prove that he can continue to compete at the major league level for a full season. McGreevy has made good on that promise so far, and his performance is the reason why the team is even open to the six-man rotation idea. In 11.2 innings, McGreevy has yet to allow a walk and has struck out eight batters, putting up a 1.54 ERA. If the team feels that he has shown enough to warrant a stay in the big leagues, it would make the most sense to keep him on the starter's workload instead of working as a reliever.

With the discussion of young pitchers being blocked by veterans taking the stage, it appears the Cardinals are at least aware of that possibility and will weigh the pros and cons of a six-man rotation. Having veterans at the top of the rotation could make this easier, as it could allow an extra day of rest for some of the aging arms, but it could also take them off of their normal routine if this is the way they go. Manager Oli Marmol plans to have a decision on the state of the rotation in the very near future.