If the news that top pitching prospect Alex Reyes will lose his entire 2017 season to Tommy John surgery was a kick in the gut to the Cardinals, the subsequent investigation of available free agent starters can be called a slap to the face.
It's brutal out there, folks.
For now, it makes sense for the Cardinals to gauge what they have among their in-house candidates for the fifth starter job. Starting with Michael Wacha, the pool of possibilities includes former closer Trevor Rosenthal, Luke Weaver and Tyler Lyons before you start getting into the prospects. There are questions in this bunch, certainly.