Red Sox Reportedly Pursuing Ex-Cardinals Pitcher As Bounce-Back Candidate

It sounds like the Red Sox are interested in landing the former Cardinals hurler

One former member of the St. Louis Cardinals is garnering plenty of interest in the open market this offseason.

Longtime Cardinals hurler Jack Flaherty is a free agent this offseason and has been a hot commodity. Multiple teams reportedly have shown interest in his services this offseason, including the Pittsburgh Pirates and Kansas City Royals.  

Another club that reportedly has shown interest in landing Flaherty this offseason is the Boston Red Sox, according to the Boston Globe's Alex Speier.

"If the Sox do lose out on (Yoshinobu Yamamoto), several pitchers who would upgrade the rotation remain available," Speier said. "The team has shown varying degrees of interest in a range of free agents that includes (Jordan Montgomery), (Blake Snell) (despite his pedigree as a two-time Cy Young winner, less appealing than Montgomery given that, as a recipient of a qualifying offer, he’d require the sacrifice of a second-round draft pick), Shōta Imanaga, Lucas Giolito, and Jack Flaherty."

Flaherty had a down year in 2023 but still does have plenty of upside. The 28-year-old at one point seemed like he was going to be a fixture in the Cardinals' rotation for years to come. He logged a 3.34 ERA as a 22-year-old in 2018 and a 2.75 ERA in 2019 in 33 starts. Since then, he has dealt with a plethora of injuries that have derailed his career.

Although this is the case, he still has shown flashes. St. Lous traded Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles ahead of the 2023 Major League Baseball Trade Deadline and he struggled but he certainly is a bounce-back candidate. 

He has plenty of upside if he can stay healthy, why not take a chance on him?

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