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Cardinals Have Options with Former Top Pitching Prospect

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With Matthew Liberatore‘s success in the bullpen, the St. Louis Cardinals now have expanded options as they re-tool their team. Acquired from the Tampa Bay Rays in the Randy Arozarena trade, he immediately became the number three prospect in the organization upon his arrival. At the time, the Cardinals saw him as a pitcher with a high floor and major league-caliber breaking action.

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However, he struggled in his minimal appearances as a starter in 2022 and 2023 and many within the organization had dismissed him as another failed pitching prospect. His reinvention of himself in 2024 as a legitimate bullpen arm came as a revelation, and the former top prospect’s versatility provides options to an already flexible Cardinals pitching staff.

Cardinals Have Options with Former Top Prospect Matthew Liberatore

Struggles on the Mound

Liberatore, now 25, has not put up flashy numbers as a starter since his promotion to Triple-A in 2021. In 2022 and 2023 combined, he started 40 games at the major-league level, posting an ERA over 5.00 and producing -0.9 WAR in that span. His curveball, thought to be his best pitch, did not play against big-league hitters, and his tendency to walk batters hurt his chances at clean innings.

At the same time, the Cardinals were witnessing the twilight of one-time ace Adam Wainwright‘s career and were struggling to successfully promote young prospects into their major-league system. Underwhelming performances from Steven Matz and Miles Mikolas on large contracts only served to compound the frustration.

As Arozarena barreled through the 2020 postseason and went on to win AL Rookie of the Year in 2021, pressure shifted toward Liberatore, in some ways unfairly.

However, with the signings of Sonny Gray, Lance Lynn, and Kyle Gibson for the 2024 season, Liberatore became a more permanent fixture in the Cardinals bullpen.

Success Out of the Bullpen

Through 60 total pitching appearances in 2024, he posted a 4.40 ERA over 86 innings with 76 strikeouts and only 28 walks. Not only are these the best numbers of his career, they don’t necessarily tell the whole story.

While Liberatore was primarily used as a middle-reliever, he was required to make multiple spot starts due to doubleheaders or injury. However, when he came in as a reliever in the 7th-9th innings he earned a shocking 1.35 ERA. Over 40 innings in the latter third of games, Liberatore finally looked like what the team expected of him as a top prospect.

In part, this was due to a shift in approach. In 2024, his slider saw a 15% increase in usage while his use of the curveball dropped considerably. The slider played well, producing a +4 run value, and the curveball became a seldom-used strikeout pitch.

Additionally, his four-seam fastball velocity rose slightly. While it still sits in the mid-90s, it seems as though a move to the bullpen has given Liberatore the edge he needed to produce at the major-league level.

Options for the Future

Despite his success in the bullpen, Liberatore still has eyes on a starting spot in a young Cardinals rotation. After a scoreless six-inning start against the Atlanta Braves in June, Liberatore told John Denton of MLB.com:

“I’ve been a starter for 15 years and I’ve been a bullpen guy four months total between last season and this season, and I’ve tried to embrace that [reliever] role and I’ve gotten comfortable out there [in the bullpen],” he said. “But, at heart, I’m a starter and I really enjoy trying to go through a lineup multiple times and try to outthink guys and outcompete guys.”

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The bullpen was an undeniable strength for the Cardinals in 2025, and Liberatore’s contributions to an already crowded field of improving pitchers cannot be understated. However, as the team looks to develop internally, it might be worth taking another look at their present options for the rotation.

This includes players with big-league experience, including 2024 standout Andre Pallante, as well as prospects, such as Tink Hence and Tekoah Roby. Both prospects just joined the 40-man roster.

However, Liberatore’s role on the pitching staff will be something to keep an eye on in 2025, especially in the case of injury to the team’s established starters.

 

Photo Credit: © Jay Biggerstaff-Imagn Images

The post Cardinals Have Options with Former Top Pitching Prospect appeared first on Last Word On Baseball.