Insider Suggests Cardinals Should Reunite With Polarizing Hurler Amid Quiet Winter

St. Louis might want to consider making a move at this point

Jun 30, 2023; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of Busch Stadium during a rain delay prior to the game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Yankees at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Puetz-Imagn Images / Joe Puetz-Imagn Images

The St. Louis Cardinals announced plans to reset after the 2024 season ended but have failed to move several notable trade chips.

Eliminating several fan favorites' contracts from the payroll is crucial for the Cardinals as they look to recover from years of poor front-office decisions. Unfortunately, St. Louis' predicament hasn't changed much as the offseason progresses.

Perhaps it's time for the Cardinals to put their reset on hold and look to make quality additions before Opening Day 2025. A solid place to start might be with a former homegrown hurler.

"For all intents and purposes, they (Cardinals) have the exact same roster as four months ago," Bleacher Report's Kerry Miller wrote Sunday. "They are neither embracing the rebuild they publicly said they would be embracing nor making any effort to chase a National League Central title, which is still kind of there for the taking. At this point, maybe just go for it this season? If that (Nolan) Arenado trade doesn't come together post haste, maybe put off the future for now and embrace a blast from the past in the form of Jack Flaherty?"

Flaherty is a former Cardinals first-round draft pick who completed one of his most successful campaigns in 2024 after winning the World Series with his childhood favorite team, the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The 29-year-old comes equipped with a middle-to-front end of the rotation pitch arsenal but also has a troubling health history with a back issue that could seemingly flare up at any given moment.

Granted, Flaherty survived the 2024 season without missing any playing time but that could change quickly. Not only is the former St. Louis pitcher injury-prone but he can also be controversial, as he's not afraid to speak his mind.

Some Cardinals fans never want to see Flaherty sporting the birds on the bat again and were thrilled when he was moved to the Baltimore Orioles at the 2023 trade deadline.

Re-signing Flaherty would undoubtedly boost the Cardinals' rotation, but with St. Louis fans disgruntled as they are, it might not be worth it. Perhaps another familiar face could be an option.

More MLB: Cardinals Predicted To Execute Desperate Trade For Nolan Arenado With Surprise Suitor