Andre Pallante has done a very good job as a starting pitcher since the Cardinals put him in their rotation on May 29. Pallante has the team's best starting-pitching ERA this season, and since May 29 he's the only St. Louis starting pitcher with an earned-run average less than 4.31.
But here's what amazes me: It was Pallante, and not the Cardinals, to realize he'd be a better starter than reliever. And when the Cardinals demoted him to Memphis early this season -- after he'd been blasted for a 6.30 ERA in relief -- Pallante requested to go down to Triple A and work on being a starting pitcher.
For a couple of years, the front office and the manager and the pitching coach had Pallante pegged as a reliever -- period. And he wasn't good at it because he struggled to tame right-handed batters. It was up to Pallante to TELL the Cardinals that he would be more effective as a starting pitcher ... and they agreed. But why does it take a young pitcher to initiate the change? Why couldn't the Cardinals see this, and understand this, themselves?
Also: more on Chaim Bloom and John Mozeliak and what (if anything) it means for manager Oli Marmol. Thank you for watching, and please subscribe.
The 2024 Cardinals will conclude a disappointing season at the end of the week. I'll be handing out some awards -- and some penalties...
The St. Louis Cardinals are messing with Jordan Walker in a way that could lead to yet another failure of a young and talented...
In my latest video I cover several Cardinals-related topics: 1) The Cardinals so-called youth movement. If Nolan Arenado stays, and unless they make room...