Cardinals designate starting pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment

New York Times

2 days ago

DENVER — The St. Louis Cardinals have designated right-handed starting pitcher Erick Fedde for assignment, the team announced Wednesday morning.
Fedde, 32, had struggled mightily over his last several starts. In his nine starts since June 1, he logged just 39 1/2 innings and posted a 7.32 ERA, allowing 32 earned runs, 51 hits and 21 walks. Despite those struggles, the Cardinals kept Fedde in the starting rotation, hoping he would be able to turn his performance around and boost potential trade value.
Advertisement
But the organization reached its reckoning point after Fedde's start on Tuesday, where he allowed six earned runs over three innings against the Colorado Rockies.
'The truth is I've been awful,' Fedde said after Tuesday's game, an 8-4 loss. 'I'm putting the team in terrible spots, giving up runs early, putting our batters in tough spots. Confidence? For sure, all-time low. But I've had lows, I've had highs in this game, and I'm just trying to be professional, show up every day and give it my best. The team deserves better.'
With the Cardinals (52-50) clinging onto their season, and president of baseball operations John Mozeliak expected to make trade deadline decisions in the near future, the club could not justify having Fedde, who was acquired in a deadline deal with the White Sox last July, take another start.
'(Fedde) understood it,' Cardinals manager Oli Marmol said Wednesday, before St. Louis' series finale against the Rockies. 'He understood that we gave him several starts to try to correct and get on the other side of it. Unfortunately, it wasn't translating into games. He was working hard at it, but he also understands where we are as an organization, and that this opens up a spot for one of the young guys to contribute going forward.'
Right-hander Michael McGreevy will slot into the rotation after spending the first half of the season shuffling between Triple A and the majors. He remained with the team after making a spot start against the Rockies on Monday, scattering two runs over seven innings in the Cardinals' 6-2 victory.
The expectation is that McGreevy, the club's first-round pick in 2021, will spend the rest of the season in the Cardinals rotation. McGreevy holds a 3.49 ERA in the majors this season over five appearances (four starts). Reliever Andre Granillo was recalled from Triple-A Memphis as the corresponding move for Fedde.
(Top photo of Erick Fedde:)