Ex-Cardinals Fan Favorite Top Candidate To Be Traded; Reunion Would Make Sense

St. Louis should consider trading for the former hurler

Apr 23, 2023; Seattle, Washington, USA; St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (22) throws against the Seattle Mariners during the sixth inning at T-Mobile Park. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports / Joe Nicholson-USA TODAY Sports

The St. Louis Cardinals will need to stay healthy and add another reliable front-end starter this summer if they hope to contend in this year's playoffs.

It's tough to say how aggressive the Cardinals will be at the trade deadline with the club struggling to win consistently but if they can establish themselves as buyers, they will look to add a veteran starting pitcher.

Out of all the available options for St. Louis to target, there might be none greater than a former Cardinals starter seen as a viable candidate to be traded.

"If the Detroit Tigers ultimately decide to sell, Jack Flaherty will be the top rental starter on the market this summer," Bleacher Report's Joel Reuter wrote Thursday when discussing the top starting pitchers on this summer's trade market.

This isn't the first time Flaherty has been mentioned as a probable trade option as he's been dominant all season and will likely be highly coveted before the July 30 deadline.

Flaherty has posted a 4-4 record with a 3.01 ERA, an elite 100-to-11 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .220 batting average against and a 0.95 WHIP in 77 2/3 innings pitched for the Tigers this season.

The 28-year-old spent the first 6 1/2 seasons of his career with St. Louis but was ultimately traded in 2023 at the deadline as the Cardinals looked to semi-rebuild from a tumultuous season. It was heart-breaking to see the homegrown talent traded away but perhaps a reunion would mend those wounds.

It won't be easy to reunite with Flaherty who is pitching at the top of his game. Serious playoff contenders rich in prospect capital will push a hard bargain to acquire him and St. Louis will likely have to do the same if they hope to bring him back to Busch Stadium.

There's still plenty of baseball left to play before trades start to happen so we'll have to wait and see how St. Louis plays over these next few weeks. Going after Flaherty would be wise If the Cardinals are serious about contending this year.

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