The St. Louis Cardinals called up Michael McGreevy for Monday night's game against the Colorado Rockies, and the youngster excelled on the mound, pitching efficiently in his fourth start of the season for the Cardinals. But even before first pitch, manager Oliver Marmol already knew he wanted to see the young righty stick around.
“I hope it’s not a spot start,” Marmol told John Denton of MLB.com. “My hope is that he can stay with us. I hope it works out that way.”
As it would turn out, the Cardinals' rookie would give up two early runs and then nothing more en route to an efficient outing. McGreevy pumped out seven innings of work on 91 pitches, guiding the Cardinals to their first win since the All-Star break.
With the trade deadline looming and the Cardinals in playoff limbo, team president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has a decision on his hands.
The Cardinals sent down Gordon Graceffo to make room for McGreevy and are now reportedly shopping Erick Fedde, which is likely a fruitless endeavor. Fedde has been fading fast over the past month, as his 4.83 ERA and 5.3 K/9 simply don't stand up against other competitive starters from around the league.
McGreevy has to stay. His presence for the stretch run of a Major League season, starting games every fifth day while learning and growing from the ups and downs of that role--it would all prove invaluable for McGreevy's future.
While deciding who must go to clear a path for McGreevy isn't an enviable position, the time has come. There is little reason for Mozeliak to cling to Fedde in the rotation beyond Tuesday's start in Denver.
Whether the Cardinals are buyers or sellers at the deadline, Mozeliak must concede that Fedde’s time in St. Louis up. They've delayed it long enough. It's McGreevy's time to shine.