The Cardinals and Liberatore avoided arbitration by agreeing to a one-year, $2.26 million contract Thursday, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Liberatore was eligible for salary arbitration for the first time as a Super 2 qualifier. The left-hander had a solid first full season in the Cardinals' rotation, finishing with a 4.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 122:40 K:BB in 151.2 innings over 29 starts. Liberatore will be counted on as a member of the St. Louis rotation again in 2026.

Liberatore is no longer scheduled to start during this weekend's series against the Cubs, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch reports.

EDGE Analysis

Liberatore has logged 151.2 innings in 2025, 65.2 more than he threw in 2024, so the Cardinals will shut the lefty down now that they're officially eliminated from playoff contention. The 25-year-old slowed considerably after an excellent first two months of the season, but he had a strong September and will finish with a 4.21 ERA, 1.31 WHIP and 122:40 K:BB over 29 starts in his first full season as a big-league starter. Liberatore is locked into a rotation spot in 2026 in what is looking like another rebuilding year in St. Louis.

Liberatore (8-12) allowed a run on five hits and a walk over five innings Sunday, striking out six and earning a win over the Brewers.

EDGE Analysis

Liberatore worked through four scoreless frames before the Brewers scratched a run across in the fifth inning. He's 2-1 over his last four outings after going 0-5 with a 5.77 ERA over his previous nine starts. Liberatore forced nine whiffs on 85 total pitches Sunday; he has not generated double-digit swinging strikes in any outing since June 23. The 25-year-old southpaw owns a 4.21 ERA with a 122:40 K:BB through 151.2 innings. Liberatore's final start of 2025 is projected to be a road matchup with the Cubs next weekend.

Liberatore did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing three runs (two earned) on four hits and a walk over six innings against the Reds. He struck out six.

EDGE Analysis

Liberatore didn't pick up the win Monday but did log six innings for the first time since June 29. The southpaw has flashed stretches of success but struggles to sustain it at the big-league level, carrying a 4.30 ERA and 1.31 WHIP across a career-high 28 starts and 146.2 innings this season.

Liberatore (7-12) took the loss Tuesday against the Mariners, allowing five runs on six hits and three walks in four innings. He struck out one.

EDGE Analysis

It was the fourth time this season that Liberatore fanned one or zero, and he also hurled a season-low 65 pitches. It's possible the Cardinals are monitoring the southpaw's workload during the second half -- Liberatore has worked fewer than five frames in six of his nine starts since the All-Star break. He has a 4.35 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 110:38 K:BB over a career-high 140.2 innings. Liberatore is next set to take the ball against the Reds next week.

Liberatore (7-11) earned the win over the Athletics on Wednesday, allowing four hits and one walk while striking out seven batters over 5.1 scoreless innings.

EDGE Analysis

Liberatore came into Wednesday with no victories over his past nine starts. He snapped that winless stretch in impressive fashion against the A's, recording his first scoreless outing since June 29. The southpaw also notched seven punchouts, his most since he struck out eight Pirates on May 6. Liberatore still hasn't completed six frames since that June 29 start, however, which was also the date of his most recent win prior to Wednesday.

Liberatore came away with a no-decision in Friday's 7-5 extra-inning win over the Reds, giving up three runs on eight hits and two walks over five-plus innings. He struck out four.

EDGE Analysis

The southpaw served up two home runs, including a solo shot by Spencer Steer in the top of the sixth inning that helped chase Liberatore from the game. He's been taken deep at least once in five straight starts, and since the beginning of July he's stumbled to a 2.1 HR/9, helping to fuel a 5.77 ERA, 1.69 WHIP and 26:17 K:BB in 39 innings over that stretch. Liberatore will try to keep the ball in the yard in his next outing, which lines up to come at home next week against the A's.

Liberatore (6-11) took the loss Sunday against Tampa Bay, allowing four runs on three hits and three walks across 4.1 innings. He struck out five.

EDGE Analysis

Liberatore hasn't completed five innings in six of his last seven outings, and a fourth-inning solo homer marked Liberatore's fourth consecutive outing yielding a long ball. The 25-year-old left-hander has endured a rough August, going 0-3 with a 5.40 ERA and a 15:8 K:BB across 21.2 innings spanning five starts. He's tentatively scheduled to make his next start in Cincinnati next weekend.

Liberatore did not factor into the decision Monday, allowing three runs on five hits and a walk over five-plus innings against the Marlins. He struck out five.

EDGE Analysis

Liberatore worked into the sixth inning Monday but was knocked out before recording an out in the frame, leaving him with a no-decision. While he fell short of a full six innings, it was the first time the southpaw had completed five frames since July 5. The 25-year-old has struggled to maintain form as the season has worn on, pitching to a 5.31 ERA and 1.54 WHIP with a 5.8 K/9 and 3.1 BB/9 across his last 12 starts (57.2 innings).

Liberatore has had difficulty maintaining his velocity deep into starts, most recently seeing his four-seamer drop to 90-to-91 mph in the fifth inning of Tuesday's loss to the Rockies, Katie Woo of The Athletic reports.

EDGE Analysis

Liberatore set down the first nine batters he faced Tuesday. However, his velocity began to slip in the fourth -- when he served up a two-run homer to Hunter Goodman -- and declined further in the fifth before he was pulled after allowing the first two runners of that frame to reach base. Liberatore has a 5.47 ERA and 12:11 K:BB over 24.2 innings since the start of July and hasn't recorded an out beyond the fifth inning in any of those outings. The lefty could be wearing down as he goes through his first full season as a starter at the major-league level. Liberatore will make his next scheduled start Monday in Miami, but if he struggles again, the Cardinals will consider altering his role. One option is to piggyback him with Kyle Leahy.