Blockbuster Proposal Lands Ex-Cardinals $121 Million Star With Red Sox Next Season

The former St. Louis hurler will be highly coveted this winter

Sep 15, 2018; Boston, MA, USA; Boston Red Sox mascot Wally celebrates after defeating the New York Mets at Fenway Park. Mandatory Credit: Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images / Bob DeChiara-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to reduce payroll this winter and will unlikely pursue any top free agents despite missing the playoffs in back-to-back seasons.

The Cardinals are hitting the reset button and likely won't be in the market to take on significant contracts anytime soon. This new era St. Louis is entering will require patience as the young talent core discovers its identity.

That said, a highly coveted free agent drafted in the first round by the Cardinals won't be reuniting with St. Louis this winter and could be headed for the Boston Red Sox.

"Everyone in the rotation would be much better with a true ace leading the charge in the front," CBS Sports' Matt Geagan wrote Thursday about the Red Sox rotation. "(Craig) Breslow could throw money at the problem in free agency and try to convince the likes of Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, or Jack Flaherty to come lead the staff."

Flaherty logged a 41-31 record with a 3.58 ERA, 706-to-242 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .240 batting average against and a 1.19 WHIP throughout seven seasons with the Cardinals.

After rejuvenating his career with the Detroit Tigers in the first half of 2024, Flaherty emerged as one of the top starting pitchers in the market at the trade deadline.

The Californian-native landed with his favorite childhood team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he has continued to produce quality starts -- posting a 6-2 record with a 3.58 ERA, 61-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .245 batting average against and a 1.28 WHIP in 55 1/3 innings pitched.

Spotrac has estimated that Flaherty could land a contract in the six-year, $121 million range. The Cardinals aren't in the position to tack on a contract as such, so a reunion is almost certainly out of the question.

The Red Sox and Cardinals have a long history of battling it out in the World Series, so perhaps St. Louis will see the former homegrown hurler late in the postseason someday.

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