Ex-Cardinals Fan-Favorite Reportedly Demoted By Contender After Being Traded Away

One former member of the Cardinals is struggling since leaving the club

The St. Louis Cardinals' starting rotation certainly looks different right now than it did at the start of the season.

St. Louis had high hopes entering the 2023 campaign but struggles forced the club to be sellers ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline. One pitcher who has found himself playing elsewhere is longtime Cardinals starter Jack Flaherty who was dealt to the Baltimore Orioles. There was plenty of interest in Flaherty and he reportedly even was extremely close to being dealt to the Tampa Bay Rays. 

Flaherty eventually was dealt to Baltimore but has struggled. In eight appearances -- including seven starts -- the righty has compiled a 6.68 ERA across 33 2/3 innings pitched. The 27-year-old even has been reportedly demoted to the bullpen for the time being, according to MASNsports.com's Roch Kubatko. 

"The switch to relief isn’t necessarily a permanent assignment. “Starting tonight, Flaherty’s going to be available out of the (bullpen). It’s a move for today right now,” Orioles manager Brandon Hyde said as transcribed by Kubatko. “This is a Sept. 19 thing, and I like the way (John) Means threw the ball last night. We have five starters. If we lose one, he’s back in. So, we’ll just see what happens.

"Flaherty has made four relief appearances among his 129 games in the majors, the most recent on Oct. 4, 2022, when he tossed a scoreless seventh inning."

While it's unclear how long Flaherty will remain in the bullpen, it certainly isn't what he likely expected. He was one of St. Louis' best starting pitchers and was traded to help boost the Orioles' rotation but has struggled. He will be a free agent this upcoming offseason and it's unclear how this change will impact his market.

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