The St. Louis Cardinals optioned starting pitcher Richard Fitts to the Triple-A Memphis Redbirds on Wednesday. This move settles the Cardinals' internal discussion of a six-man rotation that the team was considering for the upcoming season. While this is not going to be the end of Fitts in a Cardinals uniform this season, spot starts and injuries happen. The Cardinals' rotation this season looks to begin with Matthew Liberatore on Opening Day, with Dustin May and Michael McGreevy to follow, with Kyle Leahy and Andre Pallante beating out Fitts for the final two spots in the rotation.

Fitts was acquired by St. Louis over the winter when the team sent their rotation headliner, Sonny Gray, to the Boston Red Sox. Fitts had a 5.00 ERA in Boston last season in only 10 starts, but struck out 40 hitters in 45 innings pitched.

Pallante has had a strong spring after an abysmal campaign last season, which put him in the position to lose the spot in the first place. Pallante is not going to be a strikeout artist for the Cardinals, but his biggest kryptonite last season was the long ball, giving up 1.2 per nine innings. He has cut that in half this spring, which puts him back on par with his 2024 season when he finished with a 3.78 ERA and 1.7 WAR. The Cardinals' right-hander will likely be one of the first guys to get the hook for Fitts if things begin to go south.

Leahy, on the other hand, has not had a strong spring. The 6.39 ERA and 2.1 HR/9 in the Grapefruit League may not be the line fans expected for the 28-year-old right-hander, but he showed out last season at the end of the year when he got his opportunities, and that likely has some factor into the Cardinals' decision.

The Cardinals will look to lean on Liberatore, May, and McGreevy at the front of their rotation as the team looks to correct course and move toward the future. Liberatore faced some fatigue issues down the stretch of the season last year, but after a tumultuous start to his career flipping between starter and reliever, he has found his home and will start the season opener at Busch Stadium for the first time.

The injury-riddled right-hander May will also be in the Cardinals' rotation. The biggest offseason acquisition to the major league roster will be looking to right the ship, and as the Cardinals had no injuries to their pitching staff last season, he might have picked the right place.

McGreevy has shown that he can pitch effectively at the major league level, and after joining the staff down the stretch of last season, he is going to be one of the most interesting pitchers the Cardinals have on the roster this season.

Overall, the Cardinals' rotation is set, but 162 games is a marathon, and Fitts will likely play a part in the Cardinals' staff during the summer.