The Cardinals have already shown this season that they’re willing to make hard calls when the roster demands it. They did it with Victor Scott II.
They did it with Nolan Gorman. And after Wednesday’s 1-0 win over the Los Angeles Angels, it looks like the next move should come in the rotation.
Matthew Liberatore has been one of the bigger problems on the staff, and the numbers tell the story: a 5.18 ERA in 20 starts. That kind of production has a way of dragging a season into uncomfortable territory, even for a team that has outperformed its low preseason expectations. Liberatore has the talent to be better than this, but the Cardinals may need to stop forcing the issue and give him a reset, whether that’s in the bullpen or back at Triple-A.
That opens the door for Hunter Dobbins, who made a strong case to stay put. Against the Angels, he delivered exactly what St.
Louis needed: six shutout innings to help snap a four-game losing streak, with the bullpen backing him up in a 1-0 win. It was the kind of outing that changes the conversation fast.
Dobbins came to St. Louis this past offseason in the Willson Contreras trade, and he’s been effective in both stops of his career.
Last year with the Boston Red Sox, he posted a 4.13 ERA in 13 appearances, including 11 starts. This season, he’s down to a 3.18 ERA in six appearances for the Cardinals, with four of those coming as starts.
Based on what he’s done so far, there doesn’t appear to be a reason to pull him from the rotation again.
The Cardinals’ bullpen situation only strengthens that case. A move that shifts Liberatore into a bulk role could make sense, especially since he’s shown he can handle opposing lineups once, maybe twice, before things start to unravel. In that kind of usage, he could be far more effective.
St. Louis has already proved it can adjust on the fly. The next adjustment should be in the rotation, with Dobbins staying in and Liberatore getting a different kind of assignment.
In Other News...
Cardinals Just Got A Left Field Bullpen Lifeline To Consider
A bullpen search can take on a different shape this time of year, especially for a club like the Cardinals that is always weighing short-term help against long-term cost. Dennis Santana fits that kind of conversation. He has shown enough in the past to make teams look twice, including a season with 16 saves and a 2.18 ERA, and his contract status means any club that takes a chance on him would not be tying itself down for long.
The appeal is obvious, but so is the caution. Santana has not been nearly as sharp this season, with the kind of command and contact issues that make a reliever harder to trust in a tight game, which is why the Cardinals would be looking at him as more of a low-risk flier than a sure fix. For a team trying to keep its relief options flexible, the question is whether there is enough of the old version left to justify a move now. [Read more 🡒]
Cardinals Face A Deadline Decision That Could Split The Fanbase
The Cardinals have spent the past two years rebuilding the kind of prospect depth that changes the way a front office can think at the deadline. Since Chaim Bloom took over before the 2026 season, St. Louis has leaned hard into trading established big leaguers for younger talent, and the result is a farm system that now sits among the best in baseball, with Rainiel Rodriguez, Liam Doyle and Joshua Bez headlining the group. For a fan base used to expecting the Cardinals to buy at the right moment, the new reality is a little different, and maybe a little more complicated.
Thats why the next move matters so much. The organization has already shown it is willing to move recognizable names in the right deal, but the current crop of prospects gives it a different kind of leverage, and a different kind of temptation. The question now is whether St. Louis stays patient and protects the premium talent it has built up, or decides the moment is big enough to push chips in for a star with years of control. [Read more 🡒]
Former Brewers Reliever Already Resurfaced With An NL Central Team
Peter Strzelecki did not stay on the open market long after leaving Milwaukee, and the Cardinals moved quickly to bring the right-hander into the fold on a minor league deal. It is the sort of low-risk bullpen add teams make this time of year, especially when they are looking for experienced arms who already know how to navigate a big league season.
Strzeleckis path has been a winding one since 2022, when he began piling up major league appearances with Milwaukee, St. Louis and Cleveland, while also spending time at Triple-A with multiple organizations. For the Cardinals, the appeal is straightforward: add another arm to the system, keep the depth chart flexible and see whether a familiar name can give the relief group another option down the stretch. [Read more 🡒]