Cardinals' Michael Wacha: Still considered a starter

Manager Mike Matheny said the Cardinals still view Wacha as a starting pitcher despite injury and performance concerns in 2016, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports. The club may consider revising his mechanics or having Wacha put on "15 to 20 more pounds of muscle," in Matheny's words, to help him better adapt to a full season of starter work.

Analysis:

They've debated simply making him a reliever permanently, but they want to extract more value out of him. The 25-year-old's frustrating combination of durability issues and high ceiling makes him worth watching this offseason. Also deserving attention is how a potentially crowded group of St. Louis rotation options will fare come late March.