In the last 22 seasons, the only team to have a better rotation ERA than the 2015 Cardinals’ 2.99 was the 2011 Phillies. There would be too much risk involved in doing so. We’ve yet to see Martinez make it into the postseason as a starter, either due to injury or demotion and each of the last two seasons have had either Wainwright or Wacha pitching out of the ‘pen.
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Even with John Lackey hitting free agency the St. Louis Cardinals figured to be in good shape with their starting rotation heading into the 2016 Major League Baseball season.
St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Lance Lynn underwent Tommy John Surgery on Tuesday and will miss the entire 2016 season, the team’s official twitter account announced. ESPN.com’s David Schoenfield threw out Zack Greinke and David Price as options as well, citing a heightened desperation from the Cardinals to bolster the pitching staff after shoulder issues ended Carlos Martinez’s season prematurely.
Lynn, 28, owns a career 3.37 ERA in five seasons with the Cardinals, compiling a 61-39 record.
Asked to explain what he meant – bulk innings? something else? – he said that when it comes to rotation pitchers, they fall into the definitions of Nos.
It would help to have more defined roles and avoid a situation where a pitcher has to be plucked out of a key bullpen role at midseason and move back to the rotation, so it would be more favorable to have a dedicated sixth starter who can be stashed in a long relief role to start the season. Marco Gonzalez, so promising in 2014, took a step back due in health and performance in 2015.
As if Cardinal Nation needed any more bad news. Additionally, the St. Louis Cardinals recently signed a billion dollar TV deal that goes into effect in 2018.
“The moment you think you have enough”, he said, “you’re probably wrong”.
As you wade into the free agent market, it becomes readily apparent that David Price is the top free agent available this year. The most recent Cardinal free agent signing of effect was Jhonny Peralta, who also was not extended a qualifying offer.
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Mozeliak traded away a starting pitcher, Shelby Miller, a year ago to land Jason Heyward, and now must face going into the free agent market to either re-sign or replace Heyward and add that starting pitcher.
