Matthew Liberatore

March 13, 2025

Expected to open season in bullpen

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak said Thursday that Liberatore is likely to open the season in the bullpen, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

Analysis

Liberatore has been stretched out this spring and has pitched well, allowing just two runs with a 5:2 K:BB over 9.2 innings. However, while the Cardinals are not ruling out the left-hander making starts for them in the future, Liberatore has a much clearer path to opportunities in relief. The southpaw has a career 3.89 ERA as a reliever versus a 5.86 ERA as a starter.