Ex-Cardinals Homegrown Talent Surprisingly Linked To NL East Rival In Offseason Deal

The former St. Louis hurler will become a free agent this winter

Jul 29, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium during the second inning of a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago Cubs. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images / Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals will likely be in the market for starting pitching this offseason as the club looks to pick up the pieces from this year and move on to 2025.

This winter could bring many changes to the Cardinals organization but it's too early to tell what direction the club will take to address the lackluster rotation, which ranks No. 23 in the league with a 4.51 ERA.

There have been rumors of the Cardinals reuniting with one of the game's most dominant pitchers to help the club turn things around next season. However, a National League East rival was also mentioned as a possible landing spot for the former St. Louis hurler.

"Maybe they (Washington Nationals) go a little more expensive to get a Jack Flaherty, but Luis Severino and/or Walker Buehler are more likely options for a rotation that needs a lot of help," Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote Tuesday when talking about the Nationals' possible offseason plans.

Flaherty is due to receive a massive contract this winter after logging one of the best seasons of his career this year with the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 28-year-old has posted a 12-6 record with a 2.86 ERA, 180-to-29 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .220 batting average against and a 1.01 WHIP in 148 innings pitched for the Tigers and Dodgers this season.

Even though the Nationals have the capital to land Flaherty, it would be surprising to see him land with such an uncompetitive team. The former St. Louis hurler likely won't want to land with a team that has a slight chance of making it back to the World Series.

The odds of Flaherty landing with the Nationals this offseason are likely slim. However, his chances of signing with the team that drafted him might not be too far off.

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