Ex-Cardinals Fan Favorite Among 'Best Trades' From Deadline; Did STL Make Mistake?

The former St. Louis hurler is dealing this season

Aug 20, 2019; St. Louis, MO, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium as the sun sets during the fourth inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Milwaukee Brewers. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals aren't where they want to be, which could largely be due to the front office's lack of insight over the last few years.

Cardinals president of baseball operations John Mozeliak has let go of several players who have led successful careers after departing from St. Louis. Watching former assets thrive elsewhere makes one wonder where the club would be if leadership made better decisions.

Unsurprisingly, it has happened again -- the Cardinals parted ways with a struggling hurler, who's now listed as one of the best pickups from this summer's trade deadline.

Los Angeles Dodgers right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty has pitched well since landing with his new team in July and is considered a top candidate for the best trade deadline pickup, according to New York Post's Jon Heyman.

Flaherty has posted a 4-1 record with a 3.18 ERA, 41-to-10 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .258 batting average against and a 1.29 WHIP in 34 innings pitched for the Dodgers this season.

After dominating with the Detroit Tigers in the first half of the season, Flaherty, who played with the Cardinals for seven seasons, was one of the most-coveted starting pitchers on the market at the trade deadline.

However, the Cardinals elected to pursue former Chicago White Sox RHP Erick Fedde instead of a reunion with Flaherty. The one notable advantage of choosing the former Windy City hurler over the ex-St. Louis homegrown talent is that the former still has one year left on his contract, while the latter becomes a free agent this offseason.

Fedde will still be with the Cardinals in 2025 but if St. Louis went with Flaherty, they would've been guaranteed only the rest of the season with him. Long-term, it was the right move, but sadly, St. Louis' newest starter hasn't lived up to expectations.

The 31-year-old has logged a 1-4 record with a 4.64 ERA, 29-to-12 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .233 batting average against and a 1.21 WHIP in 33 innings pitched for St. Louis this season.

Reuniting with Flaherty this past summer would've been a significant risk and it's probably best the Cardinals passed on trading for him. Perhaps a reunion would make more sense this upcoming winter.

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