JUPITER, Fla. – If the St. Louis Cardinals had to name a traditional five-man starting rotation for the Opening Day roster today, there wouldn’t be much hesitation to do so, in large part due to adding three experienced starting pitchers this winter.

That said, the Cardinals may need some reinforcements down the road, and two young candidates will have a chance to prove they’re capable of important innings early into spring training.

The Cardinals will open their spring training schedule with split-squad action on Saturday. Left-handed pitchers Matthew Liberatore and Zack Thompson will draw starts between both games, one against the Miami Marlins in Jupiter and another against the New York Mets in Port St. Lucie.

Saturday’s assignments represent the start of an audition to see if Liberatore, Thompson, or both fit the mold of this year’s retooled pitching staff come Opening Day. They will likely be limited to around 35 pitches or two innings. Coaches will certainly keep a close eye on their pitch command, efficiency, and ability to limit base runners.

Liberatore and Thompson started a combined 20 games for St. Louis last season. As prospects, both profiled as pitchers who could claim a big-league rotation role for the long haul. That hasn’t necessarily been the case for Liberatore or Thompson since their Cardinal debuts, but that doesn’t mean they’re completely out of the picture to make big-league starts.

St. Louis Post-Dispatch Cardinals beat writer Derrick Goold reports that the Cardinals are considering a six-man rotation to open the 2024 regular season due to schedule demands. The Cardinals will play their first 21 games over 23 days. That stretch includes two West Coast road swings and the first five series against postseason-bound squads from the last two seasons.

The matchups could prove challenging for the Cardinals, and having extra time to rest veteran starters early could be key for the long haul.

That’s where Liberatore and Thompson enter the picture. If they build up a starter’s workload now, it could pay dividends for the rotation and bullpen alike. They can either piggyback for several innings in the case that one starter sees an abrupt exit or take on a spot start during a stretch of inconsistent start times. In the scenario that one of St. Louis’ five veteran starters suffers an injury this spring or early in the regular season, Liberatore or Thompson would likely get the first call to fill the void.

For now, the Cardinals are preparing for a starting rotation of Sonny Gray, Kyle Gibson, Lance Lynn, Miles Mikolas and Steven Matz to start the new season, with Gray presumably lining up for the start on Opening Day in Los Angeles. The Cardinals have not yet disclosed any potential visions for rotation order this spring or come regular season.

Where Liberatore and Thompson fit into the picture remains to be determined, but the Cardinals project to have around three roster spots for pitchers up for grabs based on spring performance.