Liberatore is now the Cardinals Ace--LOL--That Arozarena trade really paying dividends

[dugoutrex]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Bloom will add more pitching. If not this is a 100 loss team.

I'm pretty sure they care more about it being a 9X win team in 2028, 2029 than an 9X loss team in 2026.

Great way to lose the fan base or what's left of it. See Kansas City. They made the playoffs in 2025 and were 25th in attendance.

so are you saying the 'tank crowd' will not show up in droves ?

[mattmitchl44]

Still hoping they find a way to trade Donovan (plus if necessary) to the Mets for Nolan McLean.

McLean - 24 with six yrs. of team control
Fitts - 26 with six (?) yrs. of team control
Liberatore - 26 with four yrs. of team control
McGreevy - 25 with six yrs. of team control
One cheaper FA signing (like a Dustin May)

Then Doyle, Mathews, Henderson, Matuz, etc. developing as depth.

[rockondlouie]

H e l l not to Pallante being in the SR, let alone the #3.

Bloom's going to hopefully land a young ML starter w/years of control when he deals Donovan, at least a AAA starter who's ready to make the jump to MLB in 2026.

2026 was always going be a poop storm of starting pitching. They need to add more arms just to get through the season. In the bizarro universe, it's even feasible that they bring back Mikolas for a year!?!

Still more trades to make and add ML ready pitching as you say. Off season has just begun

There is a gaggle of injured pitching prospects at AAA. If some subset recover and develop by the 2nd half of 2027, there will be critical mass by 2028 adding in what's developing in the rest of the system.

H E L L DOUBLE NO to bringing back that Big Stiff.

I look for Bloom to land another arm when he deals Donny, likely a young major league starter w/years of control left or a AAA starter who's ready to make the jump to MLB in 2026.

[Carp4Cy]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Cards don’t have an ace and haven’t in a long time.

Cards were 38-22 in games Gray started. Trouble is, everyone else was 26 games under .500 over the past 2 years. He was 8th in W, 11th in K's, and 19th in IP. That's not Cy Contender but if we'd had 4 of him in our rotation plus Libby we would have an elite pitching staff. Gray was never the problem - we need to get more like him, not less.

[alw80]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Cards don’t have an ace and haven’t in a long time.

Cards were 38-22 in games Gray started. Trouble is, everyone else was 26 games under .500 over the past 2 years. He was 8th in W, 11th in K's, and 19th in IP. That's not Cy Contender but if we'd had 4 of him in our rotation plus Libby we would have an elite pitching staff. Gray was never the problem - we need to get more like him, not less.

4 Sonny Grays in the rotation?! How much are you expecting to spend on just the starting rotation?

[Ozziesfan41]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Cards don’t have an ace and haven’t in a long time.

Cards were 38-22 in games Gray started. Trouble is, everyone else was 26 games under .500 over the past 2 years. He was 8th in W, 11th in K's, and 19th in IP. That's not Cy Contender but if we'd had 4 of him in our rotation plus Libby we would have an elite pitching staff. Gray was never the problem - we need to get more like him, not less.

4 Sonny Grays in the rotation?! How much are you expecting to spend on just the starting rotation?

And if cards had a couple of Aaron judges and maybe a Soto they would be really onto something then they would have an elite offense to go with that elite pitching staff

[mattmitchl44]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Cards don’t have an ace and haven’t in a long time.

Cards were 38-22 in games Gray started. Trouble is, everyone else was 26 games under .500 over the past 2 years. He was 8th in W, 11th in K's, and 19th in IP. That's not Cy Contender but if we'd had 4 of him in our rotation plus Libby we would have an elite pitching staff. Gray was never the problem - we need to get more like him, not less.

4 Sonny Grays in the rotation?! How much are you expecting to spend on just the starting rotation?

You can have 4 Sonny Grays. It's just that three of them need to be named Brandon Clarke, Liam Doyle, and Nolan McLean (if they can get him from the NYM). Then you can go pay for another one.

[Braund241]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

As of today, the club has reduced the payroll to $35 million, with a projected $30-35 million in arbitration salaries. There is enough payroll room to add 2 pitchers and an OF, while staying below last year’s payroll.

Palante, Fitts and Leahy are fine for 5th starter/ bullpen.

Actually they are not close to fine for a winning organization, but they will probably be 3, 4 and 5 with Libby the Ace. Add to that no offense. Yikes.

[ScotchMIrish]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Bloom will add more pitching. If not this is a 100 loss team.

I'm pretty sure they care more about it being a 9X win team in 2028, 2029 than an 9X loss team in 2026.

Great way to lose the fan base or what's left of it. See Kansas City. They made the playoffs in 2025 and were 25th in attendance.

so are you saying the 'tank crowd' will not show up in droves ?

I'm not showing up regardless but I doubt that is the formula for getting revenue up.

[BrockFloodMaris]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Cards don’t have an ace and haven’t in a long time.

Cards were 38-22 in games Gray started. Trouble is, everyone else was 26 games under .500 over the past 2 years. He was 8th in W, 11th in K's, and 19th in IP. That's not Cy Contender but if we'd had 4 of him in our rotation plus Libby we would have an elite pitching staff. Gray was never the problem - we need to get more like him, not less.

We need to DEVELOP four of him for our rotation.

[Carp4Cy]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Cards don’t have an ace and haven’t in a long time.

Cards were 38-22 in games Gray started. Trouble is, everyone else was 26 games under .500 over the past 2 years. He was 8th in W, 11th in K's, and 19th in IP. That's not Cy Contender but if we'd had 4 of him in our rotation plus Libby we would have an elite pitching staff. Gray was never the problem - we need to get more like him, not less.

4 Sonny Grays in the rotation?! How much are you expecting to spend on just the starting rotation?

And if cards had a couple of Aaron judges and maybe a Soto they would be really onto something then they would have an elite offense to go with that elite pitching staff

If the Cards had a single Judge we wouldn't be complaining. Not sure why some have a problem with Sonny "sweating too much" when only 18 pitchers covered more innings.

[Vinegar Ben]

Cardinals are in a horrible situation if Liberatore and Pallante are 2 of our top starters. Both are below average pitchers but they don't cost the Cards much money, that's the most important thing!

[zuck698]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Bloom will add more pitching. If not this is a 100 loss team.

I'm pretty sure they care more about it being a 9X win team in 2028, 2029 than an 9X loss team in 2026.

Great way to lose the fan base or what's left of it. See Kansas City. They made the playoffs in 2025 and were 25th in attendance.

KC squeaked into the playoffs in 2024 as an 86 win team after a decade of not making the playoffs, and then failed to follow up on it in 2025.

The Cardinals want to be back to being a healthy organization where they can win 90+ games a year on a regular basis (like 2 out of every 3 years or so). Do that, and all worries about attendance will take care of themselves.

Winning cures all that ails.

Bulldog, "If you want a remedy for all that ails you, let the "winning" take you and the feeling heal you! Love the Crowes

[Bushiro]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Bloom will add more pitching. If not this is a 100 loss team.

Who cares if the lose 90 or 100...no difference than who cares if they win 70 or 80...

[ScotchMIrish]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

Bloom will add more pitching. If not this is a 100 loss team.

Who cares if the lose 90 or 100...no difference than who cares if they win 70 or 80...

In the past the fans would care if we lose 90 or 100. Matheny never had a losing season and got fired.

[Melville]

I saw somewhere where he's our new ace.
Mo got himself an ace in the Arozarena trade.
We just never knew it.
The rotation now features the following:

1. Liberatore
2. McGreevy
3. Pallante
4. Leahy
5. Fitts

Look on the bright side....
In 2027-2028 we might have:

1. Liberatore the ace
2. Doyle
3. Clarke
4. McGreevy
5. Matthews

GO CRAZY FOLKS!!! LOL!!!!!!!

I wish it had been one of those exceedingly rare occasions in which my analysis was not correct when I was the only person on the planet who predicted imminent stardom for Arozarena and urgently advised STL to not trade him.
But, as was inevitable, my analysis was absolutely spot on.
I suppose there is a chance that Liberatore could yet balance the scales, and we certainly hope that is the case next year.