Inside The Cardinals

Cardinals Announce Decision Regarding Former First-Round Draft Pick's 2025 Role

St. Louis is putting the pieces together for this upcoming season
Nate Hagerty|
Sep 17, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (52) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
Sep 17, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Matthew Liberatore (52) pitches against the Philadelphia Phillies during the seventh inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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St. Louis Cardinals

The St. Louis Cardinals are officially two weeks away from Opening Day 2025 and must make several significant roster decisions within the coming days.

One of the Cardinals' top priorities will be determining who will be the club's Opening Day starting center fielder. As it stands, Michael Siani and Victor Scott II are competing for the role, with Lars Nootbaar filling in as backup to whoever earns the position.

Also, the Cardinals must determine how they'll utilize a young left-handed pitcher St. Louis has used in the rotation and bullpen throughout his career with the organization. Fortunately, it sounds as if the club has a plan for the southpaw.

"Additional news today from John Mozeliak: Matthew Liberatore will break camp with the team (of course) and likely be in the bullpen in the majors, but the team sees that as a pathway to the rotation and may yet use him there, pending needs," St. Louis Post-Dispatch's Derrick Goold reported Thursday morning.

Liberatore has logged an 8-12 record with a 4.99 ERA, 150-to-71 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .269 batting average against and a 1.43 WHIP throughout his three-year career with the Cardinals.

After being selected 16th overall in the first round of the 2018 draft by the Tampa Bay Rays, St. Louis traded first baseman Jose Martinez and 2021 American League Rookie of the Year Randy Arozarena in exchange for catcher Edgardo Rodriguez and LHP Liberatore.

Since joining the Cardinals in the 2020 offseason, Liberatore has deviated from the rotation to the bullpen. Last year, the 25-year-old pitched in 60 games but recorded only six starts -- posting a 3-4 record with a 4.40 ERA, 76-to-28 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .251 batting average against and a 1.27 WHIP in 86 innings pitched for the Cardinals.

St. Louis doesn't currently have a solidified rotation, with ace Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde and Miles Mikolas as the only hurlers guaranteed a spot. Variables such as Andre Pallante, Steven Matz and Michael McGreevy could see action out of the bullpen this year.

Wherever Liberatore is used this upcoming season, let's hope he has a more prolific campaign than the first three of his young big-league career.

More MLB: Ex-Cardinals 2-Time Gold Glover 'Very Thankful' For Landing With AL East Contender

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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