The St. Louis Cardinals’ starting rotation could use some work right now, especially if they do end up trading Sonny Gray away before the 2026 season begins.

Gray is the biggest wild card for the Cardinals’ 2026 rotation. Since before the 2025 season even ended, there has been chatter about the possibility of flipping Gray. Towards the end of the season, Gray opened the door to the idea of waiving his no-trade clause, but only time will tell if he will do so or if the right opportunity will even come up for St. Louis.

There are some young guys to be excited about, like Michael McGreevy and Matthew Liberatore. Also, president of baseball operations Chaim Bloom acknowledged the need for more pitching this offseason. So, with that being said, here’s a prediction of what the Cardinals’ 2026 rotation could look like with an explanation.

Will Sonny Gray be back?

Sep 19, 2025; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Sonny Gray (54) pitches against the Milwaukee Brewers during the first inning at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

In this scenario, the Cardinals would cut ties with Gray in an offseason trade. He was a solid pickup in free agency before the 2024 season, but he’s expensive and 35 years old. Giving him the opportunity to go pitch for a contender would open a rotation spot for a young guy while also hypothetically helping the payroll.

McGreevy and Liberatore seem like rotation locks. Pallante struggled in 2025 with a 5.31 ERA in 31 starts, but it’s hard to believe the Cardinals will move him out of the rotation unless they add multiple pieces this offseason. That’s because there isn’t a lot of depth at the top of the minors ready to go, aside from potentially Matthews. He’s the team’s No. 5 overall prospect and had a 3.73 ERA down in the minors in 2025 across 24 starts. He’s knocking on the big league door and spent most of his time in Triple-A last year. It’s only logical that he gets a chance in 2026.

Now, to the final spot. If the Cardinals are going to add a veteran, it’s not going to be someone expensive. Montgomery missed the entire 2024 season and struggled in 2023 and will be a free agent. May is someone else who has dealt with injuries left and right, but had the healthiest season of his career in 2025. He did have a 4.96 ERA, though. May is 28 years old whereas Montgomery is 32 years old. Both should be in the market for short-term, prove-it deals. These are the types of pitchers the Cardinals should be targeting.