ICCFIM2 wrote: ↑03 Sep 2025 14:22 pm I am guessing Bloom is going to target SP prospects that are ML ready that are in the bottom half of the top 100 prospects or just outside the top 100 prospects. Some combination of 3-4 players mentioned above should be able to acquire 2 of those types of pitchers. Just because they are ML ready, does not mean they have to start in the MLs immediately in 2026. Assuming they cannot trade Gray, I would assume the starting rotation next year will be
1. Gray
2. Liberatore
3. McGreevy
4. One of pitchers traded for
5. Pallante (I hate to give him a spot after this year, but he will have it until someone passes him up, which could happen quickly.)
As bad as this rotation sounds and may be, if 1 or both pitchers traded for turn out to be at least as good as McGreevy and if Doyle and or Mathews become ready in 2026, the staff could turn out pretty decent and be in good shape going into 2027.
The team has been quite clear they want to accumulate talent. Talent as in multiple guys so the success is not pinned on any one guy.
The only guys I would not trade outside of the pitchers we need are Winn, Wetherholdt and Josh Baez. I am also close to putting Herrera in that bucket. Despite his defensive short comings, he appears to be the one young hitter who is closest to being one of the MOTOBs we need. Since they are so difficult to develop, trading one seems to be not a good idea.
Whether it is somebody from the current staff, in the organization, or a traded for pitcher, they need to
leapfrog Sonny as the #1. Preferably 2 will do that.
The team won't be going into the FA market for TOR pitching.
Nor did you say they would or should. No intention there just added discussion.
I just think the target needs to be higher and more impactful. The FA market for the Cards is
more in the Lynn, Gibson, Wacha, mode. Therefore, aim high, 2's are better on trade targets and identifying TOR's
in the Cardinals system.
So, if you ID a target like a Eury Perez, and need to include a pitcher like one of
Hence, Mathews, or Henderson, and in their evaluation those are 3's or less,
then you do it to take that much needed step in this rotation.