Cardinals Could Acquire 'Most Productive Starter' According To Insider

St. Louis has what it takes to get a deal done over the next few days

Jul 19, 2024; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (9) pitches to the Toronto Blue Jays during the first inning at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports / John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals need to jumpstart their starting rotation over the next few days.

St. Louis has been operating without a starter for most of the season with Steven Matz missing time. The Cardinals have made due thanks in large part to Andre Pallante in the back of the rotation but they still will be looking to add over the next few days.

There isn't much time left to speculate who could be coming to help stabilize the rotation. The 2024 Major League Baseball trade deadline is just three days away. Soon enough we will know for sure if the Cardinals ended up making a big move or not.

The Cardinals are expected to add and have been linked to a handful of players, even old friend Jack Flaherty by ESPN's Jeff Passan.

"The most productive starter of the bunch is Flaherty, a 28-year-old with a 2.95 ERA and 133 strikeouts and 19 walks in 106 2/3 innings," Passan said. "All of the teams looking for starting pitching -- Baltimore Orioles, Cleveland Guardians, San Diego Padres, Milwaukee Brewers, St. Louis, Houston Astros, Minnesota Twins, and Boston Red Sox -- are competing for a finite number of playoff-ready arms, with Toronto's Yusei Kikuchi, Colorado's Cal Quantrill, and Cincinnati's Frankie Montas borderline candidates."

St. Louis certainly has some familiarity with Flaherty as he spent the first six-plus seasons of his career with the club. He had all of the makings to be the Cardinals' next young star in the rotation but injuries derailed his career. He's healthy again now and very much is looking like an ace. Bringing him back to St. Louis only could help.

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