Cardinals May Have Been Wise To Avoid Reunion With Breakout Star After All

The former St. Louis pitcher might not be worth the risk

Sep 22, 2022; San Diego, California, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (22) throws a pitch against the San Diego Padres during the second inning at Petco Park. Mandatory Credit: Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports / Orlando Ramirez-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals have improved significantly from a year ago and the front office is due some credit for doing that by making smart decisions.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak did everything he could to upgrade St. Louis' roster in areas that needed improvement.

Not only did Mozeliak make great trades but he also passed on an option that might have seemed attractive but underneath the surface spelled trouble.

"Jack Flaherty could have landed with the New York Yankees instead of the Los Angeles Dodgers," The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal reported on Tuesday. "But according to sources briefed on the discussions, the Yankees backed out of a preliminary trade agreement with the Detroit Tigers for Flaherty after reviewing the right-hander’s medical records."

A reunion with Flaherty was an intriguing option, as he's pitched at such a high level this season for Detroit but St. Louis was right for not jumping the gun on a trade for him.

"The issue with Flaherty, his lower back, forced him to miss a start at the beginning of July and receive two injections in a span of three weeks," Rosenthal continued.

Flaherty didn't pitch well in his final season with St. Louis, and it wouldn't make sense to bring him back to a team with which he last struggled. Combine that with the fact that he has an ambiguous lower back injury and trading for him suddenly doesn't make much sense.

Instead, the Cardinals acquired a veteran hurler, who is having a resurgent season and still has an economical $7.5 million left on his contract for 2025.

More MLB: Cardinals Hurler Reportedly Endured 'Significant Pain' In Tuesday's Win Vs. Rangers