The Cardinals are considering moving to a six-man rotation to help battle the loss of ace Adam Wainwright, the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.
"It’s not something we would rule out," general manager John Mozeliak said Saturday. "It’s something we’ve talked about, but we haven’t decided if that’s the best option for us. It’s something I think a lot about, and I know (manager) Mike (Matheny) and (pitching coach Derek Lilliquist) do too. It’s on the table."
With Michael Wacha and Carlos Martinez not being ticketed for 200-inning seasons, the team is considering whether to roll out a six-man rotation or to go with a five-man rotation and periodically skip starts of the two younger pitchers while giving others spot starts in their place. However, a six-man rotation could throw off the routines of Lance Lynn and John Lackey. If the team does opt for a five-man rotation, Jaime Garcia is the preferred long-term option over Marco Gonzales.
"If Jaime is good to go, we’ll try to find a spot in the rotation for him," Mozeliak said. "When he’s been healthy, Jaime has been a very good pitcher."
Garcia is set to begin a rehab assignment with Triple-A Memphis Sunday.