Some astute trades, yet, involving Romero and Nootbaar could make Cardinals very competitive in '26

[sdaltons]

I see no indication Pallante won't be in the 26 rotation. And that's enough to guarantee a crummy season.

[CCard]

Maybe include a young catcher and Gorman. Bloom just needs to get the Cardinals more offense for the lineup. Especially, since losing Contreras. He already has the starting pitching is in a lot better shape than last season. And he still has Donovan.

How is the starting pitching in better shape? All of these guys he's gotten are unproven minor league pitchers with not a lot of innings under their belts. Expecting big things from these guys is a fool's paradise. Sorry to say, we may be looking at a last place team and maybe the worst in the league.

Maybe Dobbins will be a pleasant surprise for fans. This article thinks so

Hunter Dobbins will emerge as Cardinals' breakout pitcher in 2026

There should be no confusion as to why the Cardinals targeted Dobbins in this trade — the right-hander was originally selected by Bloom in the eighth round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of Texas Tech, while the front office executive was leading the Red Sox.

I actually had the opportunity to cover Dobbins earlier in the season (prior to his injury) at Talk Sox, a site dedicated to Red Sox coverage. He was exceptionally impressive in his limited stint in the majors, and Cardinals fans should be thrilled that he's coming to St. Louis.


His surface-level stats are impressive enough on their own; he recorded a 4.13 ERA and 3.87 FIP in 61.0 innings in Boston this past season, walking just 6.6% of hitters on his way to 1.0 fWAR. And though he doesn't generate a lot of strikeouts or whiffs, he was a brilliant contact manager, finishing in the 75th percentile in barrel rate allowed and the 78th percentile in ground-ball rate.

That's attributable to a deep, six-pitch arsenal that's far more advanced than other rookie hurlers. Four of his offerings (his curveball, sweeper, splitter, and sinker) yielded xwOBA's below .300 from opposing batters, and even his two primary pitches (his four-seam fastball and slider) showed impressive shape and spin.


Dobbins also has more strikeout ability in him, as his fastball averaged 95.5 mph and his movement profile is diverse. Perhaps by tightening a few screws, he can emerge as more than just a pure contact manager.

There should be some fun competition for the last few rotation spots in St. Louis once Dobbins is healthy, though he should be considered a lock given his talents and his five remaining years of team control. His potential is considerable, and it's clear Bloom wanted another chance to work with him years after originally selecting him in the draft.ording to this , Hunter Dobbins future is bright.

I get there might be some potential. But throwing 60 innings isn't exactly noteworthy if a rotation spot is up. Maybe he can be all that, I don't know. One thing is clear though, he's struggled to stay healthy and that never bodes well for a pitcher. Let me be clear, I hope he wins the Cy in a Cards uniform, but I'd be more inclined to bet against it. Maybe I'd be more optimistic if the Cards had a top tier pitcher anchoring the rotation and maybe a 2 or 3 type to help. Then Dobbins would be welcome as competition for the Pallante's of the world.

[CCard]

Maybe include a young catcher and Gorman. Bloom just needs to get the Cardinals more offense for the lineup. Especially, since losing Contreras. He already has the starting pitching is in a lot better shape than last season. And he still has Donovan.

How is the starting pitching in better shape? All of these guys he's gotten are unproven minor league pitchers with not a lot of innings under their belts. Expecting big things from these guys is a fool's paradise. Sorry to say, we may be looking at a last place team and maybe the worst in the league.

Well, when you look at Fedde, Pallante and Miko, the bar isn’t that high. But it’s very possible the 2026 rotation performance is better than 2025s.

And though losing gray hurts those chances, he isn’t getting younger…

The trap though. "They can't be any worse!" They can always be worse. Let's say they have some talent. Now they're put in the position to hold down a spot in the rotation against major league hitters. That's a different animal than the minor leagues.

[CCard]

Maybe include a young catcher and Gorman. Bloom just needs to get the Cardinals more offense for the lineup. Especially, since losing Contreras. He already has the starting pitching is in a lot better shape than last season. And he still has Donovan.

How is the starting pitching in better shape? All of these guys he's gotten are unproven minor league pitchers with not a lot of innings under their belts. Expecting big things from these guys is a fool's paradise. Sorry to say, we may be looking at a last place team and maybe the worst in the league.

I'm taking May over Gray at his age. And McGreevy over Pallante. And Dobbins and Fitts over Fedde and Mikolas. And, hopefully, an improved Liberatore over last season.

Libby was okay. For a while he was actually their best pitcher stats wise. McGreevy...the jury is still out on him. Pallante...Needs to be in the bullpen as a reliever that can get you a double play and soak up innings when needed. Dobbins...Sounds like he has potential, but unproven. Fitts...Same, unproven. Fedde and Mikolas....Ugh.

[zuck698]

Shady wrote: ↑23 Dec 2025 16:57 pm
Both are 21. It seems Eldridge is more advanced. Bloom seems to have fortified the starting pitching prospects in the organization. His focus now should probably be adding a young power hitter. Unfortunately, trading Donovan may be be the primary avenue to do that.

What happened to your Dominguez and Lagrange from the Yankees trade?

How is the post above dissimilar to the one you posted in this O.P.?