Inside The Cardinals

Ex-Cardinals World Series Champion Predicted To Land With AL Central Contender

The former St. Louis hurler is hunting for a new landing spot
Nate Hagerty|
May 8, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the tarp on the field as storms move through the St. Louis region delaying a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images
May 8, 2024; St. Louis, Missouri, USA; A general view of the tarp on the field as storms move through the St. Louis region delaying a game between the St. Louis Cardinals and the New York Mets at Busch Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jeff Curry-Imagn Images | Jeff Curry-Imagn Images

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St. Louis CardinalsDetroit Tigers

Unfortunately, the St. Louis Cardinals aren't in the market for starting pitchers and likely won't make any additions to the rotation before Opening Day 2025.

The Cardinals are rebuilding and are more concerned with reducing payroll than with building a competitive roster for next season.

That said, a former St. Louis hurler who is highly unlikely to reunite with the Cardinals has been linked to an American League Central contender as his next landing spot.

"The (Detroit) Tigers took a chance on (Jack) Flaherty last offseason with a one-year, $14 million deal coming off a few rough years," Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly wrote Thursday morning after listing the Tigers as Flaherty's top landing spot. "The pact played out very well for both sides, and a reunion might make the most sense of any scenario."

Flaherty spent the first seven years of his career with the Cardinals after they drafted him in the first round of the 2014 draft. Although the homegrown star's stock has risen since leaving St. Louis, his performance and reliability are shaky -- injuries are an issue for the veteran hurler.

"Not long ago, the Tigers were one of the more aggressive spenders in baseball," Kelly continued. "Following up on their first trip to the postseason in a decade, they've made short-term additions like Cobb and Gleyber Torres. Bringing Flaherty back could prove to be a short-term addition also, but with the possibility of him being part of a talented rotation for multiple years."

After helping his childhood favorite team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, win the World Series in 2024, perhaps Flaherty is willing to give Detroit another shot after posting a 7-5 record with a 2.95 ERA, 133-to-19 strikeout-to-walk ratio, .211 batting average against and a 0.96 WHIP in 106 2/3 innings pitched for Detroit this past season.

The Cardinals have no business re-signing Flaherty, who could land a contract worth roughly three years and $72 million. With St. Louis rebuilding, it'd be better to let a competitive club, such as Detroit, reel in the California native.

More MLB: Here's How Roki Sasaki Sweepstakes Could Send Cardinals' Nolan Arenado To NL West

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Nate Hagerty
NATE HAGERTY

Nate Hagerty joined “Inside The Cardinals” as a content creator to spread knowledge about his favorite childhood team. A hometown native of Boston, Hagerty chose at an early age of six years old to follow the St. Louis Cardinals. The miraculous season of 04’ for the Red Sox did not deter Hagerty from rooting against his hometown team, nor did it in 2013 against the Red Birds. For all business/marketing inquiries regarding Inside The Cardinals, please reach out to Scott Neville: nevilles@merrimack.edu 

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