Inside The Cardinals

Ex-Cardinals Star Predicted To Sign $60 Million Deal With Braves

Where will the former Cardinals star sign this winter?

Patrick McAvoy

Apr 10, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of an Atlanta Braves hat on the field during batting practice at Truist Park. The game against the New York Mets was postponed due to impending weather. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images
Apr 10, 2024; Atlanta, Georgia, USA; A detailed view of an Atlanta Braves hat on the field during batting practice at Truist Park. The game against the New York Mets was postponed due to impending weather. Mandatory Credit: Brett Davis-Imagn Images / Brett Davis-Imagn Images
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With the Major League Baseball offseason now here in full swing, some big moves surely will be on the way soon.

One of the biggest question marks of the offseason is where former St. Louis Cardinals star Jack Flaherty will end up signing. He was an afterthought last offseason after a tough 2023 campaign. He signed a one-year deal with the Detroit Tigers and looked like one of the best pitchers in baseball before being dealt to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

Flaherty had a great year and was a big piece for the World Series-winning Dodgers. Now, he will cash in. Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly predicted that he will end up signing a $60 million deal with the Atlanta Braves this winter.

"Contract Prediction: Three years, $60 million with opt-out available after 2026," Kelly said. "Team Prediction: Atlanta Braves. Jack Flaherty looked poised to be one of this decade's top starting pitchers when in 2019, at the age of 23, he finished fourth in NL Cy Young Award voting after posting a 0.91 ERA in 15 second half starts for the Cardinals.

"But he struggled with health and effectiveness between 2020 and 2023, posting a 4.42 ERA and logging 299 innings across parts of four seasons. Still, the Tigers took a risk by signing him to a one-year, $14 million deal last offseason—despite him having posted a 6.75 ERA after being traded midseason to the Orioles in 2023—and were rewarded...There's the potential for signing Flaherty to blow up, but the ceiling is high enough that there will be plenty of teams willing to take that risk."

Flaherty proved that he can be a frontline ace, and the Braves may need one. Max Fried likely won't be back, so maybe Flaherty can replace him.

More MLB: Cardinals Urged To Avoid Cutting Ties With Superstar With Dodgers

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Patrick McAvoy
PATRICK MCAVOY

Patrick McAvoy's experiences include local and national sports coverage at the New England Sports Network with a focus on baseball and basketball. Outside of journalism, Patrick also is pursuing an MBA at Brandeis University. After quickly rising as one of the most productive writers on the site, he expanded his reach to write for Baseball Essential, a national baseball site in Sports Illustrated Media Group. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu

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