The St. Louis Cardinals have been painfully mid in 2025, that much is clear especially after they suffered an 8-3 loss to the Pittsburgh Pirates on Tuesday night. Their record on the season following that loss is 65-68, and their gradual descent into stagnant mediocrity has been very painful to watch — with Cardinals fans responding with historically low attendance records.
At this point, all the Cardinals could hope for is to end the season on a high note in preparation for a better season in 2026. Just because they aren't in a position to compete for a playoff spot doesn't mean that they're simply going to throw in the towel.
As for Cardinals manager Oli Marmol, he is considering what some fans would think is a long-overdue rotation change after starting pitcher Andre Pallante allowed seven runs on eight hits and one walk in five innings of work.
“We have to take a look and figure out what's best for him, but also take into consideration all the other variables of what we have below and what that would look like,” Marmol said, per Jeff Jones of BND. “It's more than just…there's more moving parts to it, for sure…We'll sit down tomorrow and review everything and make a decision on next steps.”
Pallante has had some gems in the past, but good pitching performances have come few and far between for the 26-year-old Cardinals starter. Over his past four starts, he's allowed 22 earned runs, and he's allowed seven earned runs or more on three separate starts.
Suffice to say, Pallante hasn't been doing enough to earn his keep in the Cardinals rotation. And for Marmol, some tough decisions will have to be made.
Cardinals fans believe a demotion is due for Andre Pallante
In 2024, Pallante put up an ERA of 3.78 in 121.1 innings, earning himself a full-time rotation spot for the Cardinals in 2025. But 2025 hasn't been going according to plan for Pallante. As a result, Cardinals fans have been turning on the 26-year-old, with some welcoming the possibility that Marmol demotes him to the bullpen.
“Pallante better be off my team in the morning,” X user @cardsfan255 wrote.
“This team sucks! Pitching once again is the laughingstock of the league. How about we do what every cardinals fan expects and just give pallante his extension now since we as a franchise love to hold onto 3 of the 5 worst pitchers in the league every season,” @MeintsJavan added.
