Ex-Cardinals Projected $60 Million Star Floated As Fit For Braves

Where will the former Cardinals star sign this winter?

Mar 15, 2015; Lake Buena Vista, FL, USA; The Atlanta Braves logo painted on the field during a spring training baseball game at Champion Stadium. The Toronto Blue Jays beat the Atlanta Braves 10-5. Mandatory Credit: Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images / Reinhold Matay-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals may not have had the season that they hoped to have, but a few former members of the club certainly had a good year.

The last two seasons haven't gone the Cardinals' way. St. Louis finished above .500 in 2024 and bought around the trade deadline, but was unable to earn a playoff spot. It was a much better campaign than in 2023.

In 2023, the Cardinals had a disastrous season and were in unfamiliar territory around the trade deadline. St. Louis ended up selling ahead of the deadline, and one of the players the Cardinals dealt away was veteran starting pitcher Jack Flaherty.

Flaherty had an up-and-down 2023 season and was traded to the Baltimore Orioles. He signed with the Detroit Tigers on a one-year deal ahead of the 2024 season and completely turned things around. Flaherty looked like an ace with the Tigers and then was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 29-year-old has shined with Los Angeles, too, and has been an important piece of the club this postseason. Flaherty is set to cash in this winter with a projection of three-years and $60 million by Spotrac.

It's unclear where he will land, but FanSided's Christopher Kline suggested the Atlanta Braves as a fit.

"Flaherty inked a one-year, prove-it deal with Detroit last offseason after flaming out in the playoffs for Baltimore," Kline said. "He latched on with LA at the trade deadline and performed admirably down the stretch for a team in need of rotation reinforcements...

"At 29 years old, Flaherty has a lot left in the tank. He finished the regular season with a 3.17 ERA and 1.07 WHIP through 28 starts and 162 innings, K'ing 194. That's real-deal stuff. He's not on Fried's level, but Flaherty would become well-liked in Atlanta.

Atlanta could use a boost, and Flaherty will be one of the top pitchers out there. Don't be shocked if the Braves are mentioned more and more with Flaherty as free agency approaches.

More MLB: Cardinals To Receive Trade Interest In $44 Million Vet, Per Insider