Tigers Called 'Ideal Fit' To Sign Ex-Cardinals Star, First-Round Pick

Where will the former Cardinals star land this offseason?
Mar 7, 2021; Lakeland, Florida, USA; A general view of the Detroit Tigers script logo on the building at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium during the spring training game between the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images
Mar 7, 2021; Lakeland, Florida, USA; A general view of the Detroit Tigers script logo on the building at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium during the spring training game between the Detroit Tigers and the Toronto Blue Jays. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images / Jasen Vinlove-Imagn Images

There still are some top-tier players available in free agency.

The 2024 Major League Baseball Winter Meetings are behind us now and it did bring some fireworks to baseball. Unsurprisingly, a few blockbuster moves got done including Juan Soto signing a historic deal with the New York Mets.

But, although there was a flurry of signings, former St. Louis Cardinals star Jack Flaherty remains on the open market. One reason for this could be the fact that Corbin Burnes also still is available. Maybe he is waiting for Burnes to sign so a team would be more desperate to hand him a large deal. That is just speculation, but he did have a great 2024 season.

Flaherty had a 3.17 ERA across 28 starts with the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers. He was selected by the Cardinals in the first round of the 2014 Major League Baseball June Amateur Draft and eventually made his big league debut in 2017.

The righty spent the first six-plus seasons of his career with St. Louis before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles in 2023. Now, where will he go in free agency? MLB.com's Brian Murphy called the Tigers the "ideal fit" for him.

"Ideal fit: Jack Flaherty," Murphy said. "The Tigers might have been atop this list at the very beginning of the offseason. As triumphant as their 2024 run to the postseason was, they ended it with basically one traditional starter in the rotation: (Tarik Skubal). He is now the reigning AL Cy Young Award winner, but he can do only so much...

"His season began with Detroit, and he shined during his four months with the club before being traded to the Dodgers. Re-acquiring the 29-year-old would be a worthwhile move for the Tigers as they look to continue their upward trajectory."

The former Cardinals star should have a solid offseason and cash in at some point in the near future.

More MLB: Cardinals 7-Time All-Star Linked To Twins With Free Agency Heating Up


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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