As the St. Louis Cardinals continue to slip in the playoff race, one problem stands out above the rest: the starting rotation. The struggles of two veteran pitchers on expiring contracts have persisted for over a month, and it’s taking a toll on the team’s performance. If the Cardinals hope to remain in contention with the trade deadline approaching, fixing their rotation issues will be essential.
Blowout Losses Highlight Problem with Cardinals Starting Rotation
The struggles of the Cardinals’ two veteran right-handers came to a head over the weekend in a series against the division-leading Chicago Cubs. Miles Mikolas started game one, while Erick Fedde took the mound in game three. The results were lopsided defeats—an 11-3 loss in the opener and an 11-0 shutout in the finale. Sandwiched between was an 8-6 win in game two, started by Matthew Liberatore.
Mikolas was shelled for a franchise-record six home runs by the Cubs, while Fedde lasted just 1.1 innings, throwing less than half of his pitches for strikes and issuing four walks. Following the blowout loss on ESPN’s Sunday Night Baseball, manager Oliver Marmol acknowledged that changes may be necessary to get the team back on track.
“We’ll use (Monday) to take a step back and figure out what that looks like,” manager Oli Marmol told The Athletic‘s Katie Woo. “(Fedde) needs to find a solution to what’s going wrong and make the necessary adjustments to get through a start effectively. Continuing down this current path doesn’t appear to be helping right now.”
Mikolas and Fedde Both Struggling for Weeks
Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde have both been mired in extended slumps for the past month and a half, with neither pitcher earning a win since May. The Cardinals are just 4-9 in games started by the duo since the beginning of June. Fedde has struggled with control, walking 12 batters and posting a 9.30 ERA over his last five outings. Mikolas, on the other hand, has been serving up hittable pitches, allowing 11 home runs and recording an 8.31 ERA over the same span.
“We evaluate every time,” manager Oli Marmol said following Mikolas’ outing on Friday, in which he gave up a franchise-record six home runs. “We’ll look at all of it tomorrow.”
The Cardinals have now slipped to a game and a half out of the final Wild Card spot. They trail the San Diego Padres for the top spot outside the playoff picture, with the Cincinnati Reds close behind. In games not started by Mikolas or Fedde since June, the team has gone 11-9. Overall, they sit at 15-18 in that stretch.
While injuries to key hitters like Ivan Herrera, Nolan Arenado, Willson Contreras, and Jordan Walker have slowed the Cardinals’ offense in recent weeks, the most pressing concern remains the rotation—specifically, the starts by Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde. The team has managed just a .307 winning percentage in games started by the two struggling veterans, a glaring weakness that continues to drag down their postseason hopes.
A Quick Fix to the Rotation
The Cardinals find themselves in a position where a clear internal option could help stabilize their struggling rotation. Right-hander Michael McGreevy, who has already made several spot starts this season due to a tight schedule with limited off-days, is a leading candidate. While tough outings against division leaders like the Cubs and Dodgers have inflated his ERA to 4.22, that mark still sits lower than both Erick Fedde’s and Miles Mikolas’ season averages. In his other two appearances, McGreevy has shown promise, pitching 10 2/3 innings and allowing just one run.
“McGreevy is lurking, and we can only hold him down so long. At some point, he’s going to get an opportunity,” Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said during a Sunday interview with KMOX radio.
McGreevy, the Cardinals’ 2021 first-round pick, has looked MLB-ready since last year and could soon get his shot to stick with the big-league club for good. With an off day on Monday, the Cardinals reshuffled their rotation to ensure ace Sonny Gray starts two of the team’s final six games before the All-Star break. While they’ve yet to announce the full weekend rotation, McGreevy is lined up to pitch the same day Fedde’s next turn in the rotation would come—setting the stage for a potential changing of the guard.
Uncertainty About Long-Term Solution
Nearly a year has passed since the Cardinals acquired Erick Fedde in a trade that sent future NLCS MVP Tommy Edman to the Dodgers. At the time, Fedde—on an expiring contract—was seen as a potential trade asset for this season. However, his recent struggles have significantly diminished that value. Meanwhile, Miles Mikolas is unlikely to be moved; he holds a no-trade clause and is owed \$17.6 million this season, making his contract difficult to unload if his poor performance continues.
While Michael McGreevy appears ready to step into the rotation if either veteran can’t turn things around, the Cardinals do have another internal option in veteran left-hander Steven Matz. After starting the season in the bullpen, Matz has quietly put together a solid campaign, posting a 3.45 ERA over two starts and 23 relief appearances.
Sliding Matz into the rotation, however, presents some challenges. He would become the third left-handed starter in the mix, joining Matthew Liberatore and Andre Pallante. More importantly, his departure from the bullpen would be a significant loss—he’s been the team’s most dependable left-handed reliever so far this season.
Trade Deadline Looms Over Rotation Issues
If the Cardinals opt to be buyers at the trade deadline, adding a starting pitcher may suddenly jump to the top of their priority list. But the situation is complicated. The team remains in a state of limbo—straddling the line between buying and selling—and how they perform over the next few weeks will likely dictate their approach.
“We have to be a little patient, see how this plays out,” team president John Mozeliak said during his Sunday appearance on KMOX Radio. “I hope we have a really strong, molten July and we have some tough decisions to make come July 31st.”
The Cardinals are in desperate need of the All-Star break to get their injury-depleted lineup back to full strength. But if they want to stay in the race and put themselves in a position to buy at the deadline, it may come with tough decisions—particularly regarding their two struggling veteran starters, Miles Mikolas and Erick Fedde.