The St. Louis Cardinals could have some holes to fill in the starting rotation this offseason.
Sonny Gray has been the subject of trade rumors since before the 2025 season ended. On top of that, veteran starter Miles Mikolas is going to be a free agent this offseason. That’s already 40 percent of the rotation with some sort of question mark.
Beyond these two, Michael McGreevy and Matthew Liberatore should at least be locks for 2026. Andre Pallante had a brutal 2025 season, but is just 27 years old. In the minors, the hurler seemingly with the best shot of making an impact early is Quinn Matthews. All of this is to say, the rotation could be very young. Mikolas is someone who has been written off as someone with a small chance of a return, but MLB.com’s John Denton didn’t rule out a return.
“Miles Mikolas, a Cardinal since 2018, is the team’s lone free agent this offseason,” Denton said. “He has been very open to a return, but the club might be ready to move on after three forgettable seasons. An All-Star in 2018 and ’22, Mikolas has been too often victimized by homers and two-strike hits over the past three seasons when he posted ERAs of 4.78, 5.35 and 4.84. However, he has been a very dependable workhorse and made at least 31 starts each of the past four seasons. If the Cardinals can’t replace him with a younger, more promising pitcher, the club could look to bring Mikolas back on a one-year deal.”
It wouldn’t be the worst idea to bring Miles Mikolas back
Wouldn’t that be something? All season there were people clamoring for the Cardinals to move on from him, but St. Louis stuck it out with him. For months, it seemed like the 2025 season would be the end for Mikolas in St. Louis, but this is at least a sign that may not actually be the case.
There aren’t veteran options behind him in the organization and the minor league depth is thin. Mikolas actually had his best season since 2023. On top of this, he also made it clear over and over again that he would love to be back.
If an insider like Denton isn’t ruling out a return, that is interesting at the very least. Imagine if the Cardinals essentially ran it back with the rotation? Gray has a no-trade clause so he’s not guaranteed to be moved. McGreevy and Liberatore figure to be key pieces. Mikolas coming back is at least a veteran innings-eater.
It wouldn’t be the most popular move in the fanbase, but if the Cardinals don’t expect to fight for a playoff spot in 2026, it wouldn’t be the worst idea as a transition piece until someone like Liam Doyle is ready to go down in the minors.
Mikolas’ role with the Cardinals was an ongoing conversation throughout the entire 2025 season. It certainly would be a surprise to see that trend continue, but having a guy who gets the ball every fifth day consistently is important in itself.