On the 4th of July, the St. Louis Cardinals watched on as fireworks were set off like everyone else. Except, it was at their own expense. Playing in Wrigley Field against the Chicago Cubs, the Cardinals watched on as the Cubs hit eight home runs in one game.
One of the main catalysts for such a performance was the starter for that game, Miles Mikolas. He allowed six of the eight home runs, setting the Cardinals’ record for most home runs allowed in a single game.
After such a terrible outing, it’s no surprise that Josh Jacobs of RedBird Rants is calling on the Cardinals to shake up their rotation by releasing Mikolas.
“For Mikolas, he has a no-trade clause, and reports indicate he is not interested in waiving it.” Jacobs wrote. “Even if he was, I don’t see a market for him, so the Cardinals could release him this month and call up Michael McGreevy to replace him.”
St. Louis was already looking to find a long-term replacement anyway, so moving on from Mikolas this season wouldn’t be out of the question. Even with his no-trade clause, Jacobs is urging the team to release him and open a spot in the rotation.
MORE: Miles Mikolas makes unfortunate Cardinals history during Cubs outing
After his latest start against the Cubs, Mikolas’ ERA jumped up to 5.26, and his WAR sank to negative 0.4. In his 17 starts, he’s 4-6 with a 1.340 WHIP and 60 strikeouts to 20 walks.
He hasn’t been good this season, and his latest outing was about as bad as it can get. Since the start of June, Mikolas has a 7.59 ERA and a 0-4 record. While he can eat innings, the Cardinals are in contention for a postseason spot. An innings eater who gives up as many runs as he does isn’t worth keeping on the roster.
Jacobs wants the Cardinals to move on from Mikolas, not just to be done with him, but to open the rotation to other moves. McGreevy has a 2.28 ERA in the minor leagues, and opening a spot for him on the roster makes a ton of sense.
With the Cardinals looking to move on from Mikolas in the future anyway, Jacobs wants to see the Cardinals make the move now before he struggles more. After his latest outing, there’s even more reason to be done with Mikolas after seven years with the team.
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