The St. Louis Cardinals were a very intriguing team to follow over the last few years. They’ve struggled to win games, but they continued to buy in free agency and at the trade deadline. Still, they continued to lose late in the year and never amounted to much, so the front office finally decided to lean into a rebuild.
They traded away a handful of players at the trade deadline to kickstart this rebuild. The trio of players traded at the trade deadline, Steven Matz, Phil Maton, and Ryan Helsley, were three of the Cardinals’ only expiring contracts on the year. That leaves the Cardinals with Miles Mikolas heading into free agency this offseason. Mikolas’ future in the big leagues is a bit cloudy considering how poorly he’s played over the course of the last few seasons.
NBC Sports’ Matthew Pouliot recently projected Mikolas would give a one-year, $5 million deal for a big-league club in free agency this offseason.
Sep 26, 2025; Chicago, Illinois, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Miles Mikolas (39) delivers a pitch against the Chicago Cubs during the first inning at Wrigley Field. Mandatory Credit: Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images / Kamil Krzaczynski-Imagn Images
“Mikolas made 98 starts for the Cardinals while earning $55.75 million the last three years, but those came with a 4.98 ERA,” Pouliot wrote. “The team that signs him to eat innings at the back of the rotation should be expecting more of the same.”
There’s a chance that one of the bottom of the barrel clubs opts to sign Mikolas in an attempt to reignite his career in a low-risk situation. Teams like the Chicago White Sox, Colorado Rockies, and Miami Marlins could look to sign Mikolas to eat innings and take up a spot in the rotation. If he plays well, he could be a trade chip in the same way veterans like Erick Fedde have in the past. But if he plays poorly, the team can cut ties with him.
But the Cardinals shouldn’t be the team that signs him.
The Cardinals have continuously thrown Mikolas for the last few years, despite the fact that he’s been one of the worst pitchers in the league. He’s also been paid nearly $20 million a year, severely handicapping the Cardinals’ payroll, in the process.
The Cardinals need to cut ties and let him walk in free agency. They shouldn’t look to sign him, even if it’s for the veteran minimum.
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