Will the St. Louis Cardinals trade their starting pitcher, Jack Flaherty, before the Aug. 1 deadline, or are they planning to keep him for the long term?
The 2023 season for the St. Louis Cardinals hasn’t gone as smoothly as they and many in the MLB world had hoped. With a record of 45-57 as of July 26, they find themselves in fourth place in the NL Central division and struggling to make it to the playoffs. Team president John Mozeliak confirmed that the team is open to selling at the deadline, which could lead to some impending free agents being dealt.
One player to watch as a potential trade candidate is starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.
In the recent 11-7 victory over the Arizona Diamondbacks, Flaherty took the mound on Wednesday. He pitched a solid five innings, securing four strikeouts and two walks while giving up three earned runs on eight hits. With the trade deadline just around the corner next Tuesday, this outing could potentially mark Flaherty’s last game with the Cardinals.
According to MLB.com’s John Denton, the Cardinals aren’t looking to trade Flaherty just yet, as the team is reportedly holding out hope that the two sides can reach an “11th-hour long-term extension” agreement before the deadline.
MLB rumors: Will the Cardinals make a contract extension offer to Jack Flaherty?
Denton mentions that despite minimal progress, the Cardinals are willing to make another attempt to sign Flaherty to a contract extension.
Regarding Flaherty’s extension, FanSided MLB insider Robert Murray expresses doubt, saying, “I would be really, really, really, REALLY surprised if they extended Flaherty.”
St. Louis faces the possibility of losing Flaherty and Jordan Montgomery, their two starting pitchers, to free agency by the end of this season. Meanwhile, Adam Wainwright is in the final year of his deal but will be retiring after this campaign.
This season, Flaherty’s performance includes a 4.43 ERA, a 1.55 WHIP, a 7-6 win-loss record, 106 strikeouts, and 54 walks over 109.2 innings (20 starts). Looking at his impressive seven-season career with the team, Flaherty boasts a 3.58 ERA, a 41-31 win-loss record, a 1.18 WHIP, 706 strikeouts, and 242 walks over 633 innings (122 starts).
As the trade deadline looms on Aug. 1, time is running out for the Cardinals to work out an agreement with Flaherty. If they fail to do so, as Denton suggests, the possibility of Flaherty being traded becomes more likely.
