St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Adam Wainwright is scheduled to make his next start Thursday against the New York Mets. What happens next is anyone's guess.
Wainwright still seeks the 200th win of his storied career with the St. Louis Cardinals. He's lost his last three attempts at getting win 198. Wainwright's last victory was July 24 against the Arizona Diamondbacks.
It's awful to see Wainwright struggle so mightily in his final season before he retires. While there isn't a fan that wouldn't love seeing him get that 200th win, some talented prospects are missing an opportunity to secure a job in St. Louis as Cardinals president John Mozelaik promises to persue pitching aggressively this offseason.
While Wainwright will have his start on Thursday, what happens next is entirely up to him and Cardinals management.
The Cards signed Casey Lawrence in July, and front office selected his contract from AAA Memphis on Tuesday. Lawrence will take the roster spot of Steven Matz, who was placed on the 15-day injured list with a lat strain.
While Lawrence may get a start, Zack Thompson, Dakota Hudson, and Matthew Liberatore all get their shots in the rotation.
Let's look at some prospects who deserve a shot with a start, even if it is to piggyback with Wainwright.
Adam Kloffenstein should get a shot at starting for the Cardinals
The Cardinals acquired Kloffenstein in the deal for reliever Jordan Hicks. The 22-year-old right-hander would be a fun, young addition to the Cardinals.
Now playing for Triple-A Memphis, Kloffenstein is 1-0 after two starts for the Redbirds. He has a 2.70 ERA after ten innings pitched. He's struck out 11 batters so far.
Having him get a couple of starts this season could serve as an incentive to work hard this off-season and have an impressive Spring Training. Here's hoping Kloffenstein can begin a youth movement for the team's pitching.
Drew Rom should get an opportunity to start this season for the Cardinals
Rom was acquired from the Baltimore Orioles in a deal for Jack Flaherty at the trade deadline.
Rom is now with the AAA Memphis. In his five seasons in the minor leagues, he is an innings-eating strike thrower. He is 33-15 with a 3.76 ERA over 444.2 innings. He's struck out 524 batters in that.
Those are impressive numbers over a relatively short period for the 23-year-old left-hander. With Matz on the injured list, having another lefty arm to pair with Liberatore and Thompson would be great.
Michael McGreevy needs an opportunity if Wainwright is removed from rotation
McGreevy is the No. 12 prospect in the Cardinals organization. He was drafted by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2021 MLB Draft with the 18th overall pick. He was drafted out of UC-Santa Barbara.
In 21 starts this season between Memphis and Springfield, McGreevy was 9-4 with an ERA of 3.91. He pitched 117.1 innings with 88 strikeouts. McGreevy's pitch arsenal tends to elicit ground ball outs. Interestingly enough, the Cardinals want to shift to more swing-and-miss pitching. He is expected to debut in 2024, but seeing him get a shot with Wainwright's struggles would be fun. It could provide McGreevy with some things to work on this offseason and into Spring Training.
Gordon Graceffo could earn an opportunity if Wainwright removed from rotation
As the No. 6 prospect in the Cardinals organization, Graceffo could get a start this season if Wainwright is moved from the rotation. At 23, the righty was the Cardinals' fifth-round selection in the 2021 MLB Draft.
Graceffo has a kinetic motion to his delivery that should be fun to watch. Graceffo's pitch arsenal includes a fastball, slider, changeup, and a curveball. Unlike McGreevy, Graceffo's pitches do induce swing and miss, which intrigues Cardinals manager Oli Marmol and pitching coach Dusty Blake, who will want to see what they have in their pitching prospect.
Getting some time in St. Louis will allow Marmol and Blake to provide some off-season homework for Graceffo to prepare for Spring Training. He should also get some time in Arizona Fall League or winter ball. He will play for a spot in the 2024 rotation.
