Cardinals Keep Delaying the Inevitable with Matthew Liberatore

It's time the Cardinals made a change.

Sep 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) reacts after a wild pitch scores a run for the Colorado Rockies during the fifth inning at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The St. Louis Cardinals were cruising along in Saturday night's game against the Colorado Rockies until the bottom of the fifth inning. Left-hander Matthew Liberatore had a no-hitter going, but quickly let it slip away as the Rockies scored six runs and put him on the hook for the loss. St. Louis fell 10-7 in the second game of the series.

With the loss, Liberatore is 5-14 with a 5.57 ERA. The Cardinals have had several chances to make a change with him in put him in a better position to succeed. Now is another opportunity for the Cardinals to do what must be done with Liberatore, but they are simply delaying the inevitable.

Cardinals must move Matthew Liberatore to the bullpen

Sep 5, 2026; Denver, Colorado, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (32) prepares to deliver a pitch in the first inning against the Colorado Rockies at Coors Field. Mandatory Credit: Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

To be fair, there is an argument to be made that keeping him in the rotation is the only path forward this year. Kyle Leahy is on an innings limit, Andre Pallante just returned from the injured list and Hunter Dobbins is going to be out for the rest of this season and the vast majority of 2027.

However, the Cardinals have another option that has emerged. They have been doing bullpen games lately, and in each of the two games they have gone with that approach, right-hander Gordon Graceffo has pitched three scoreless innings.

It is late in the season, but stretching out Leahy worked out pretty well, and they even let him start the last game of the regular season in 2025. Who's to say they can't do this with Graceffo?

In a rebuilding year, it's good for the Cardinals to see what they have in certain guys. It's clear that Liberatore is not an effective starting pitcher, but he could be used as a long-man in the games where they have Leahy on a short leash, as he tends to start strong and fall apart towards the end.

But it also makes sense to stretch out Graceffo and have an extra option for the rotation heading into 2027. The current approach with Liberatore is not working, and even though the Cardinals are unlikely to make the playoffs, they can't afford to keep trying the same thing that isn't working.

Perhaps Graceffo can compete for a spot in 2027 while Liberatore could find success in the bullpen. He has done well as a reliever in the past, so it's certainly worth exploring for the Cardinals in the near future.