As the MLB trade deadline draws closer, the St. Louis Cardinals are continuing to manage their pitching staff carefully, addressing immediate bullpen needs while recognizing that their starting rotation could still see notable changes before the week ends.
With several veteran arms attracting interest on the trade market and every inning becoming more important during the playoff push, each roster move carries added significance. That was on display Tuesday when the Cardinals cleared a spot on their major league roster for their latest addition.
The Cardinals optioned right-hander to Triple-A immediately after a harsh outing against the Chicago Cubs, a move that corresponded with the addition of a new reliever.
“Dobbins gave up four earned runs in 5.1 innings while serving in a piggyback role Monday, and he’ll now head back to Triple-A to make room in the bullpen for Peter Strzelecki,” CBS Sports reported. “Despite a poor showing Monday, Dobbins still owns a 3.74 ERA through 33.2 innings in the majors and could potentially join St. Louis’ rotation soon if the Cardinals unload another starter before the trade deadline.”
But even though the move came right after Dobbins’ harsh outing against the team’s historic rival, it seemed to be one that the team had been working toward for a while.
“The move came after Dobbins pitched 5 1/3 innings in relief on Monday against the Cubs, meaning he would be unavailable over the next couple days,” Amber Winkler reported for the St. Louis Post-Dispatch. “Following his start against the (Los Angeles) Angels last Wednesday, the Cardinals made an effort to keep Dobbins on the active roster as long as feasible, even though it meant they would be short an arm in the bullpen.”
After Dobbins’ made an extended appearance against the Cubs, the team was ready to cut him from the roster and make room for a more traditional reliever.
St. Louis Cardinals Cut Starter To Clear Room For Newest Addition
With Dobbins unavailable for several days after his extended outing, the Cardinals quickly turned to another experienced arm.
“Now that the Cardinals are in need of relief arms, Strzelecki’s contract was selected and he was added to the major league roster,” Winkler added. “The Cardinals signed Strzelecki to a minor league contract last Saturday after he was released from the Class AAA Nashville Sound, the affiliate of the Milwaukee Brewers.”
For now, though, the priority is preserving bullpen depth. The Cardinals needed an available reliever more than a starter recovering from a 77-pitch appearance, making Dobbins the logical roster casualty despite his otherwise solid work during his first extended opportunity in the major leagues.
