Guardians Must Land This Star Pitcher After Missing On Erick Fedde

The Cleveland Guardians missed out on Erick Fedde, so now, they must turn to another star pitcher in the AL Central.

Jun 21, 2024; Detroit, Michigan, USA; Detroit Tigers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (9) throws a pitch against the Chicago White Sox in the first inning at Comerica Park. Mandatory Credit: Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports / Lon Horwedel-USA TODAY Sports

The Cleveland Guardians looked like a top destination for Chicago White Sox pitcher Erick Fedde, but the St. Louis Cardinals swooped in and stole Fedde from under their noses on Monday.

Not only that, but the Cardinals also bagged outfielder Tommy Pham in the deal, a bat who would have made sense for the Guardians.

Now, with the market drying up, Cleveland is left scrambling for options.

At this point, the Guardians best chance to land an impact pitcher may come from the Detroit Tigers. And no; I don't mean the pipe dream that is Tarik Skubal.

I'm talking about Jack Flaherty who, ironically enough, was scratched from his Monday night start against Cleveland because the Tigers were protecting him in the event of a trade.

Flaherty has been brilliant this season, going 7-5 with a 2.98 ERA while surrendering just 83 hits and racking up 133 strikeouts over 106.2 innings.

He has looked like vintage Flaherty from his early Cardinals days, when he finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting back in 2019.

Between 2020 and 2023, Flaherty dealt with some pretty persistent injury issues and wasn't able to tally 100 innings again until 2023. But you could see the stuff was still there.

Last season, for example, Flaherty pitched to the tune of a meager 4.99 ERA, but he fanned 148 batters across 144.1 frames.

This year, Flaherty's mark of 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings is actually the best of his career, so perhaps the 28-year-old has rediscovered his previous form.

Anyway, the Guardians need to do something here. They have missed on most of the top bats. Now, all of the best pitchers available are flying off the market.

Flaherty may very well be Cleveland's last hope to bolster a sagging starting rotation that has been among the league's worst in 2024.

The Guardians do own the best record in the American League, but they cannot expect to make serious noise in the playoffs with their current pitching staff. Tanner Bibee and Ben Lively have been the only reliable starting arms Cleveland has had this season.

I'm sure the Guardians' front office is diligently working the phones, but we haven't really heard any significant rumors or trade chatter along Cleveland's front the last couple of days now. All we've heard is speculation, and that won't get it done.

Fedde was identified by many as a top target for the Guardians. It made so much sense. He was on a cheap contract through the end of 2025 and appeared to find the secret sauce this year. Yes, he played for a division rival, so the cost may have been a bit more for Cleveland than St. Louis, but the Guardians desperately need pitching. Apparently, they weren't willing to meet the White Sox's asking price.

The Tigers also play in the AL Central, so, once again, Cleveland may need to pay a bit extra for his services. But it would be worth it.

The Guardians have not won a World Series since 1948, representing the longest active drought in the major leagues. This may finally be the year where Cleveland can break through. But it almost surely won't do it without a significant addition to the starting rotation.

The Guardians missed on Fedde. They cannot afford to miss on Flaherty, too.