Cardinals Should Avoid Surprising Decision With Michael McGreevy

The St. Louis Cardinals' starting rotation obviously has some question marks right now.

Will the Cardinals roll with the standard five-man rotation or could they make a decision to extend the rotation to six pitchers? That is a question that has been brought up over the last few days thanks in large part to Michael McGreevy's red-hot Spring Training.

St. Louis has a handful of capable starting pitchers. This is a good problem to have. The Cardinals haven't had enough pitching at points over the last few years and now that doesn't seem to be the case, thanks in large part to the fact that the Cardinals didn't trade away veterans this offseason.

If the Cardinals were to move to a six-man rotation, it seems like the most likely staff would be Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, Steven Matz, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante, and Michael McGreevy. That's pretty solid on paper.

MLB.com's John Denton shared the news that the Cardinals could consider a six-man rotation on Monday, but also reported that McGreevy could bounce between the rotation and bullpen.

"Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said he and the coaching staff are discussing using a 6-man starting rotation early on," Denton said. "It would involve Sonny Gray, Erick Fedde, Steven Matz, Miles Mikolas, Andre Pallante, and Michael McGreevy. McGreevy could swing between starting and relieving."

It would be great to have McGreevy in the starting rotation to begin the season, but the Cardinals certainly should bounce him around between different roles. He's just 24 years old and has appeared in just four games at the big league level. He has a bright future and could help the Cardinals in 2025. But, the Cardinals shouldn't risk messing him up. Whether it's starting or relieving, the Cardinals should pick a lane and roll with it.