Cover them 1440 innings

[Alex Reyes Cy Young]

If I was forced to bet I’d go(to start the season):
May(fingers crossed! At least he threw 132 innings in 2025)
Libby
McGreevey

Followed by(?):
Fitts
Dobbins
Leahy

Pallante?- BP as fallback plan.
Mathews?- Can he make a case in ST?

I would assume some of those pitchers would be paired with an opener or piggyback/tandem on most starts.

[Melville]

McGreevy covered 170 innings in 31 starts last season and clearly STL is planning for more of the same.
They have a similar projection for Liberatore, but 150 is more probable.
While talented, May has cleared 100 innings only once in the last 4 years (with high being just 132 last season) so even if he is with the team the entire season, it is highly unlikely that he exceeds that.
Dobbins was a rookie last year, is coming off 2 significant injuries, and has never covered more than 125 innings at any level - so I suspect STL will avoid pushing him too hard and would be thrilled with 110-120 innings from him.
Fitts has his own unusual and concerning injury history but does have a 150-inning minor league season on his resume, so as with Dobbins I believe the Cardinals don't expect more than 110-120 innings from him.
Those are the starting 5 STL would like to see in the rotation initially.
I believe the durability concerns with May/Dobbins/Fitts is the real reason the Cardinals intend to stretch out Leahy in ST - giving them the option of going to a 6-man rotation or to have a ready replacement whenever the first inevitable injury occurs, possibly covering up to 100 innings in the process.
If those 6 can cover 750 innings, Bloom would be a happy man.
Pallante is simply awful and has no upside, so any starts he makes would mean a disaster has already occurred - and therefore the CORRECT number of innings he should pitch for STL in 2026 is zero.
That is a plan based on depth but highly risky and with limited upside, so do not be surprised if Bloom adds another arm in late February or sometime in March.
Though STL has no desire to see them in the MLB rotation in 2026, others such as Mautz, Mathews, and Henderson could get a cursory look in September as the situation dictates.
As for the BP, assuming a Romero trade, the primary members should be Svanson, O'Brien, Graceffo, and Fernandez - supported by a scrum of others who will be shuffled on and off the active roster.

[Melville]

It also wouldnt shock me to see Pallante and/or Liberatore in the 180 range.

It would certainly shock Bloom.

[Cranny]

McGreevy covered 170 innings in 31 starts last season and clearly STL is planning for more of the same.
They have a similar projection for Liberatore, but 150 is more probable.
While talented, May has cleared 100 innings only once in the last 4 years (with high being just 132 last season) so even if he is with the team the entire season, it is highly unlikely that he exceeds that.
Dobbins was a rookie last year, is coming off 2 significant injuries, and has never covered more than 125 innings at any level - so I suspect STL will avoid pushing him too hard and would be thrilled with 110-120 innings from him.
Fitts has his own unusual and concerning injury history but does have a 150-inning minor league season on his resume, so as with Dobbins I believe the Cardinals don't expect more than 110-120 innings from him.
Those are the starting 5 STL would like to see in the rotation initially.
I believe the durability concerns with May/Dobbins/Fitts is the real reason the Cardinals intend to stretch out Leahy in ST - giving them the option of going to a 6-man rotation or to have a ready replacement whenever the first inevitable injury occurs, possibly covering up to 100 innings in the process.
If those 6 can cover 750 innings, Bloom would be a happy man.
Pallante is simply awful and has no upside, so any starts he makes would mean a disaster has already occurred - and therefore the CORRECT number of innings he should pitch for STL in 2026 is zero.
That is a plan based on depth but highly risky and with limited upside, so do not be surprised if Bloom adds another arm in late February or sometime in March.
Though STL has no desire to see them in the MLB rotation in 2026, others such as Mautz, Mathews, and Henderson could get a cursory look in September as the situation dictates.
As for the BP, assuming a Romero trade, the primary members should be Svanson, O'Brien, Graceffo, and Fernandez - supported by a scrum of others who will be shuffled on and off the active roster.

I'd add Stanek into your bullpen. He's a given.

[Melville]

McGreevy covered 170 innings in 31 starts last season and clearly STL is planning for more of the same.
They have a similar projection for Liberatore, but 150 is more probable.
While talented, May has cleared 100 innings only once in the last 4 years (with high being just 132 last season) so even if he is with the team the entire season, it is highly unlikely that he exceeds that.
Dobbins was a rookie last year, is coming off 2 significant injuries, and has never covered more than 125 innings at any level - so I suspect STL will avoid pushing him too hard and would be thrilled with 110-120 innings from him.
Fitts has his own unusual and concerning injury history but does have a 150-inning minor league season on his resume, so as with Dobbins I believe the Cardinals don't expect more than 110-120 innings from him.
Those are the starting 5 STL would like to see in the rotation initially.
I believe the durability concerns with May/Dobbins/Fitts is the real reason the Cardinals intend to stretch out Leahy in ST - giving them the option of going to a 6-man rotation or to have a ready replacement whenever the first inevitable injury occurs, possibly covering up to 100 innings in the process.
If those 6 can cover 750 innings, Bloom would be a happy man.
Pallante is simply awful and has no upside, so any starts he makes would mean a disaster has already occurred - and therefore the CORRECT number of innings he should pitch for STL in 2026 is zero.
That is a plan based on depth but highly risky and with limited upside, so do not be surprised if Bloom adds another arm in late February or sometime in March.
Though STL has no desire to see them in the MLB rotation in 2026, others such as Mautz, Mathews, and Henderson could get a cursory look in September as the situation dictates.
As for the BP, assuming a Romero trade, the primary members should be Svanson, O'Brien, Graceffo, and Fernandez - supported by a scrum of others who will be shuffled on and off the active roster.

I'd add Stanek into your bullpen. He's a given.

Agree he is a given if healthy opening day.
Not convinced his performance will keep him there.

[Cusecards]

If I was forced to bet I’d go(to start the season):
May(fingers crossed! At least he threw 132 innings in 2025)
Libby
McGreevey

Followed by(?):
Fitts
Dobbins
Leahy

Pallante?- BP as fallback plan.
Mathews?- Can he make a case in ST?

I would assume some of those pitchers would be paired with an opener or piggyback/tandem on most starts.

Could be