Ex-Cardinals First-Rounder Projected To Land $63M Deal Linked To Orioles

Where will the former Cardinals homegrown star sign this winter?

Apr 27, 2023; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Baltimore Orioles hats and glove sits in dugout in the second inning against the Detroit Tigers at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

One former member of the St. Louis Cardinals likely will land a nice deal this winter.

Former Cardinals homegrown star Jack Flaherty signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers ahead of the 2024 season and had a breakout campaign. He had a 2.95 ERA across his first 18 starts and was one of the most dominant pitchers in the American League.

Because of his success, he unsurprisingly was one of the hottest names available on the trade market. He was dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers and won a World Series. Now, he's a free agent once again and is projected to land a three-year, $63 million deal by Spotrac.

It's unclear where he will go, but The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Will Sammon linked him to the Baltimore Orioles in free agency.

The Orioles are not among the teams at the forefront of the Garrett Crochet sweepstakes, according to sources briefed on those discussions," Rosenthal and Sammon said. "They are less than eager to give up a draft pick for the remaining free-agent starters who received qualifying offers from other clubs – Max Fried, Sean Manaea and Nick Pivetta. And they seem likely to get outbid for their own free-agent starter, Corbin Burnes.

"So, which starter will it be? Nathan Eovaldi is one possibility. Jack Flaherty might be another. A trade could be a third avenue for improvement. The Orioles remain in strong position in the AL East, particularly with the New York Yankees losing Juan Soto. But the team’s competitive window will remain open for only so long."

This makes a lot of sense. Flaherty is going to add ace upside to whichever team lands him at a significantly lower contract than someone like Burnes. Injuries are the reason why his contract won't be exceptionally high. The Orioles make a lot of sense for him.

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