For the Cardinals, getting a new starting pitcher creates as many questions as it answers. But with Tony La Russa coming to town for Friday’s 2004 reunion, this situation hearkens back to one of his classic quotes: “Worry about tomorrow tomorrow.” In other words, go get the guy — and then figure out how everything else, such as the roles of Lance Lynn and Andre Pallante or maybe Miles Mikolas, falls into place.
The 4.40 ERA by Cardinals starters ranks 22nd in Major League Baseball. They’ve thrown the ninth-most pitches in baseball — and allowed the ninth-most home runs.
Now, for sure, the starting pitching has been strong in stretches. And they’ve currently got five healthy guys. But a trade for a starter would likely bolster the rotation, which will make many critical starts in the final two months.
With the trade deadline coming Tuesday, the Cards (53-49) are right in the wild-card mix. Could come down to a game or two. And St.
Louis sits six back from first-place Milwaukee, which awaits news about the severity of Christian Yelich’s back injury. He’s hitting .315 with a .
909 on-base plus slugging percentage. If he’s out for a while, that could sway the National League Central Division. Now, the Cardinals also need help in two other areas more glaring than the rotation.
They need another reliable reliever . And they need a guy who can hit left-handed pitching. As for the starting pitcher, you can debate whether it leans more toward “necessity” or “l.