Cardinals May Have Discovered New Weapon Out of Bullpen

Dobbins made his Cardinals debut in April, pitching 4 2/3 innings and allowing three runs in his first start. He returned to the big leagues earlier this week and earned a save against the Chicago Cubs, pitching 3 1/3 innings and allowing just one run, but his performance against the Reds was certainly special.

When the Cardinals began their rebuild, Chaim Bloom knew that the team needed young, controllable starting pitching, and they finally got that when they acquired Dobbins from the Red Sox.

This is especially important, as they also picked up Richard Fitts for Sonny Gray. But Fitts is out for the season, so the Cardinals needed somebody to step up and be ready to fill a spot on the pitching staff if need be.

Fortunately for St. Louis, Dobbins appears to be that guy.

“He’s very confident, he's very prepared, he believes in his stuff, there's conviction behind every pitch,” Manager Oli Marmol said. “I like his overall demeanor and mentality that he brings to the table. He wants to help win, and you want as many of those guys as possible.”

The Cardinals will likely want to look into adding more of those pieces at the trade deadline if they decide to sell, but for now, Dobbins is exactly what the doctor ordered, and he has been one of St. Louis' biggest surprises this season.

It will be interesting to see what ultimately happens with Dobbins as the Cardinals assess their pitching needs, but so far, the trade to acquire him from Boston for Contreras is looking like a win for the Cardinals. He can also start if need be, so there are a lot of different things the Cardinals can do with him.