The St. Louis Cardinals starting rotation has been an absolute nightmare this season. Cardinals starting pitchers have compiled an ERA of 4.29 so far this season. Hitters have also been able to have an OPS of .765 against red bird starters as well. Steven Matz was struggling so much that they demoted him to the bullpen. However, given how weak the NL Central is this season, the Cardinals still have a chance to win it. The pitcher who would help improve this rotation is Shane Bieber.
John Mozeliak’s Big Offseason Mistake
As the season has progressed, it has become obvious that Cardinals President of Baseball Operations John Mozeliak made a big mistake by not bolstering the rotation. Mozeliak thought that the Cardinals could make it to the postseason with a questionable rotation. However, when we look deeper into their 2022 season, their 93 wins were a little misguided. St. Louis had a losing record against teams with a .500 or better record, pitching was a big reason why they hadn’t had more postseason success, and the schedule was going to be more balanced meaning St. Louis could no longer beat up on last-place teams. All this has resulted in the Cardinals being in last place for the majority of the first half of the season.
The Cardinals Are Still In The Hunt
However, despite their record, all hope isn’t lost. Nobody in the NL Central has truly been able to pull away with the division. Despite being in last place, the Cardinals remain in the hunt for the division title as they are only seven games out of first place. To make a run at the NL Central, the Cardinals need starting pitching help. Acquiring Shane Bieber would be a step in the right direction.
Bieber Is Having an Off Year but Cleveland’s Offense Hasn’t Helped
So far this season, Shane Bieber has had an up-and-down year. He’s currently 4-3 with an ERA of 3.57, 55 strikeouts, and a FIP of 4.06. This is off from the past four seasons when Bieber was one of the most dominant pitchers in all of baseball. However, Cleveland’s offense has had a hard time scoring runs all year. They are near the bottom of the league in many major statistical categories offensively. This is perhaps part of the reason why he’s been having an off year after dominating the past four years.
Cleveland Will Be Just Fine Trading Shane Bieber
Every year, Cleveland often parts ways with a star player and very rarely hands out long-term deals. Shane Bieber is no exception to this. The organization is tremendous at developing pitchers as they currently have two rookies in their rotation with more to come. Rookies Tanner Bibee and Logan Allen have both been excellent since joining the rotation. Young veteran pitchers Triston McKenzie and Aaron Civale all seem capable of anchoring this rotation. Heading into the 2023 season, Cleveland’s farm system boasted three pitchers who cracked MLB’s top 100 list.
Cleveland Needs Outfield Help
St. Louis currently has a surplus of outfielders. So far this season, Cleveland’s starting outfielders Myles Straw, Will Brennan, and Steven Kwan have combined to hit .255 with six home runs and 50 RBI. All three of them have also posted OPSs of .616, .725, and .689 respectively. Cleveland needs more offensive production from their outfielders. Aside from young star Jordan Walker, Cleveland would have their choice of outfielders from St. Louis.
The Deal Makes Sense for Both Clubs
Shane Bieber has one more year of team control left and it’s doubtful he’s getting a long-term deal with Cleveland. With St. Louis needing starting pitching help and Cleveland needing more production from their outfielders, this deal is perfect for both clubs. Given how weak both the AL and NL Central are this season, this deal has the potential to get both teams back in their respective races.
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