MLB Insider Hints Ex-Cardinals Star May Not Join AL East Contender

Where will the former Cardinals star go?

Feb 26, 2021; Jupiter, Florida, USA; A general view of the St. Louis Cardinals logo on the stadium at Roger Dean Stadium during spring training workouts. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

One former member of the St. Louis Cardinals is regarded as one of the best free agents still remaining on the open market.

A good chunk of the top free agents have found new homes already including Juan Soto, Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, Blake Snell, and Willy Adames to name a few. There still is a lot of talent available on the open market right now including Pete Alonso, Alex Bregman, and former St. Louis Cardinals star Jack Flaherty.

Flaherty's time in St. Louis was filled with injuries, but he did look like a bonafide ace when he was fully healthy. He broke out in 2019 with a 2.75 ERA across 33 starts. Injuries slowed him down afterward, but he returned to form in 2024 with the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers. Flaherty had a 3.17 ERA across 28 starts and started Game 1 of the World Series for Los Angeles.

What's next for Flaherty? He certainly will find an opportunity and get a nice payday. One team that has been suggested as a fit is the Baltimore Orioles but BaltimoreBaseball.com's Rich Dubroff threw cold water on that idea on "Foul Territory."

"I would actually be kind of surprised if Flaherty came back to the Orioles," Dubroff said. "He didn't have a good time there. He was there for two months. The last two months of (the 2023 season) and he didn't pitch well. If he's asking for a five-year deal, I don't know if that's something they are going to be interested in."

Where will Flaherty go?

More MLB: Why Ex-Cardinals Star Paul Goldschmidt Chose To Sign With Yankees