It appears like St. Louis has to rebuild after the Cardinals raised the white flag for the season.
The Cardinals have the chance to make a number of changes in the upcoming weeks that would position them for future success as the summer approaches. The Cardinals may make some changes this month, but the main overhaul will be done in the offseason.
In recent days, Redbird Rants’ Stephen Parello encouraged the Cardinals to release veteran pitcher Miles Mikolas. The Cardinals are unlikely to re-sign Mikolas after the season since his contract is about to expire.
Miles Mikolas is on borrowed time in St. Louis
“When the Cardinals and Miles Mikolas agreed to a second contract extension before the 2023 season, things haven’t gone as planned. Mikolas, who was named an All-Star by the Redbirds in 2018 and 2022, had a significant regression in 2023, as seen by his 4.78 ERA, Parello said. “The 37-year-old’s 2024 ERA of 5.35 was even worse, and he hasn’t improved at all in 2025, registering a 5.17 ERA in the last year of his contract.
“With youngsters like Quinn Mathews looking promising down at Triple-A Memphis, it’s time to expedite the divorce between the organization and Mikolas and give the veteran a head start on deciding what his future holds.”
Over the next months, the Cardinals should make all of their decisions with the future of St. Louis in mind. There is absolutely no advantage for the Cardinals in keeping Mikolas on the roster. Whether he is on the active roster or not, they will still pay his contract.
A prospect pitcher like Quinn Mathews, Tink Hence, or Tekoah Roby might advance to the major leagues for the last few weeks of the season if he were cut or waived.
Mikolas represents the history, but this trio of young pitchers represents the future in St. Louis. Playing out Mikolas’ final few games with the squad is not nearly as vital as making place for them to advance to the major leagues.
