Let's dive into some of the latest rumors surrounding the St. Louis Cardinals, including news about the rotation for 2023 and the offseason.
There are plenty of reasons why the St. Louis Cardinals entered Tuesday's play tied for last place in the National League Central. Among them are the failures of the rotation this season, a group that ranks 23rd among MLB's 30 teams in ERA at 4.73 and 29th in batting average against at .283.
It's clear that the Cardinals will need to rebuild that rotation this offseason, and St. Louis president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has his potential shopping list already put together.
St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Mozeliak dishes on pitching needs for offseason
Speaking to reporters on Tuesday, Mozeliak was very blunt about his team's failures not only in the rotation, but also ensuring that there would be enough depth to withstand any injuries or incompetence.
The only guarantees (if you can use that word with what is expected to be a volatile offseason ahead) for the rotation in 2023 are Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz. The other three holes are ones that will be vacated by Adam Wainwright's impending retirement and the Cardinals' decisions to ship out Jordan Montgomery and Jack Flaherty at the MLB trade deadline.
Whether St. Louis spends to land quality starters or uses a mix of its minor league system and free agency to fill the voids, it will be an offseason focused on the mound in St. Louis.
St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Wainwright will get more chances to grab his 200th win
While the entire rotation has stumbled this season in St. Louis, one of the sharper falls has come from the veteran Wainwright, who began the season by singing the national anthem on Opening Day and in quest of his 200th career victory.
A season that began with such high hopes for both Wainwright and the Cardinals has dissolved, with the 41-year-old right-hander posting a 14.87 ERA over his last seven starts, allowing 53 hits in 23.0 innings of work, helping push his WHIP during that stretch to 2.87.
While he has been ineffective, Wainwright, who hasn't posted a win since June 17, will get another start in his chase for the pitching milestone, thanks in part to Steven Matz going on the 15-day injured list with a left lat strain. The absence of Matz on the mound will push Wainwright back into a starting role when the New York Mets visit Busch Stadium on Thursday night.
"He understands that he knows he's got to do better," Mozeliak told reporters. "He's appreciated that he's getting an opportunity but he understands that things could change."
St. Louis Cardinals rumors: Paul Goldschmidt moving in the lineup?
Could the reigning National League MVP move down in the Cardinals batting order after slashing just .252/.357/.387 in his 111 at-bats since the All-Star break? There have been whispers about what to do with Goldschmidt in the batting order after his recent struggles, but performances like Monday night's will likely keep Goldschmidt in the heart of the order.
Facing the Oakland A's at Busch Stadium, Goldschmidt went 2-for-2 with a home run, single and three walks to help push the Cardinals to a 7-5 win. Moments like that will remind Cardinals fans of what Goldschmidt can do when his swing comes together, manager Oliver Marmol said.
"He goes in and out of feeling good with his swing, and sometimes it's a lengthy period, but his ability to survive during that time by taking the singles the other way, he's good at that," Marmol said after the win. "Some people end up slumping through the entirety of that stint. But he still figures out a way to do a little bit and help."
This season, Goldschmidt has only batted second or third, including Tuesday night's win when he settled into the second spot of the order behind Tommy Edman and ahead of Nolan Arenado. With flashes of production, it would likely take a prolonged slump (and a lot of conversations between the veteran Goldschmidt and Marmol) for any kind of move down in the lineup to happen.