The Cardinals could trade SP Jack Flaherty at the deadline, but which trade destinations make the most sense for St. Louis to sell to?
It's looking more and more like the anticipated turnaround for the St. Louis Cardinals just might not happen in the 2023 season. After a June 12 loss to the Giants, the Redbirds are now 13 games below .500 while trailing the NL Central lead by 8.5 games and sitting 7.5 games out of the Wild Card race.
MLB insider Jim Bowden of The Athletic (subscription required) noted in his early MLB Trade Deadline preview that, if the Cardinals "bottom out", they could end up selling at the deadline. And one piece that the insider mentioned specifically was 27-year-old right-hander Jack Flaherty.
After an inauspicious start to the season, Flaherty has turned it up as of late to be a dominant force on the mound, posting a 1.50 ERA and 1.20 WHIP over his last five starts. That could make him quite an attractive trade chip for the Cardinals to deal. More importantly, he's in the final year of his contract in St. Louis and, as Bowden mentioned, his injury history could keep the Cards from wanting to work out an extension.
But there are several contenders who could use him at least for this year and then be ready to handle a possible extension moving forward. There are four Jack Flaherty trade destinations that would work for the Cardinals to sell to, but one that St. Louis should definitely avoid.
MLB Rumors: 4 Jack Flaherty trade destinations for Cardinals to sell to, 1 to avoid
4. Houston Astros are a great Cardinals dance partner for Jack Flaherty trade
The good news for the Houston Astros is that, if the season ended today, they would be in the playoffs. The bad news for the Houston Astros is just about everything else.
Throughout the season, the defending World Series champs have been ravaged by injuries. The latest landed slugger Yordan Alvarez on the IL but it's been pitching where they've been hit the hardest. Luis Garcia is out for the season after undergoing Tommy John surgery, Jose Urquidy has been out for an extended period of time, and Lance McCullers Jr.'s recovery has not gone smoothly as he's still yet to make a start this season.
Make no mistake, the Astros have been able to piecework the rotation together. Framber Valdez has been dominant while Christian Javier and Hunter Brown have been great as well. Then we've also seen an unlikely performance from the likes of J.P. France.
For a Houston team that has high-end aspirations for this season as they hope to repeat in the Fall Classic, a one-year rental on someone like Jack Flaherty makes a ton of sense.
The Astros have a strong farm system that could entice the Cardinals in a potential trade and also serve the purpose of replenishing St. Louis for the future. That could be a win-win in any potential deal and, ultimately, it'd be wise to expect Houston to be aggressive after a clear upgrade at a position of need at the trade deadline.
3. Arizona Diamondbacks can make big push with a Jack Flaherty trade
As unlikely as it might've sounded if you'd said it coming into the season, the Arizona Diamondbacks might actually be one of the best teams in baseball. They entered June 13 with the best record in the National League at 41-25 and with a four-game lead over the all-world Dodgers in the NL West.
The top of the D'Backs rotation is clearly one of the biggest strengths of this club as Zac Gallen and Merrill Kelly are as good of a 1-2 punch as any in baseball. When you go beyond that, though, things get a little less certain for the Snakes.
Ryne Nelson and Tommy Henry both have ERAs north of 4.80 this season and have been far less certain than you would like from the middle of the rotation. Moreover, the bullpen has been a bit hit-or-miss at times, which can turn up the heat on the need to add another starter.
Arizona is another organization that has a loaded farm system that should ultimately be intriguing to the Cardinals. While someone like Corbin Carroll (obviously) is not on the table, they have a bevy of young, potentially MLB-ready pitching talent that could help St. Louis replenish that part of the system for the future.
Landing Flaherty would affirm the Diamondbacks as a legitimate contender this year and, adding him to Gallen and Kelly, would establish their top three in the rotation as one of the absolute best in MLB.
2. Boston Red Sox could be a last-gasp Jack Flaherty trade fit
Sure, the Boston Red Sox are in last place in the AL East. However, the club is still alive in the Wild Card race in the expanded playoffs for this season, sitting just 4.5 games back of the third spot and five games behind the Yankees for the second wild card slot. They aren't out of it — and have to be lamenting not playing in the AL Central where they'd be 0.5 games out of first.
Pitching, however, is a massive issue for the club right now. The Red Sox have already trotted out a long list of failed starters this season with the likes of Corey Kluber and Nick Pivetta struggling mightily and ultimately getting relegated to bullpen roles. That situation has been made even worse, though, with another Chris Sale injury landing the lefty on the 60-day IL.
Boston remains a dangerous team, however, if they can boost the rotation in any meaningful way at the trade deadline. This is one of the better hitting lineups in baseball, even if they can be maddeningly inconsistent, but could use more help on the mound.
Chaim Bloom has shown a willingness to take risks on players who have injury histories, for better or worse, throughout his tenure in Boston. Jack Flaherty definitely fits that bill. Not only could trading with the Cardinals give the Red Sox a necessary jolt for the 2023 season but he would also be an intriguing extension candidate for Bloom and the front office to explore moving forward as he's just 27 years old.
1. Atlanta Braves are a perfect Jack Flaherty trade destination for Cardinals to work with
If there's a starting pitcher who could be available at the MLB Trade Deadline and won't necessarily cost a king's ransom, then the Atlanta Braves need to be involved.
Sitting behind only the Diamondbacks in terms of record in the National League, the Braves have the look of a team that could compete for another World Series, the franchise's second in three years. They've done this, however, despite being forced to weather injuries to the likes of Max Fried and Kyle Wright, two key cogs in the rotation.
Manager Brian Snitker has done just about everything he can while dealing with these injuries to sort out the rotation, trying the likes of Dylan Dodd and Michael Soroka while even giving 20-year-old AJ Smith-Shawver a crack at the job. Though the latter looked solid in his first MLB start, his age and rapid ascension would lead you to believe the organization might prefer to bring him along a bit slower at the MLB level.
Even still, the Braves need to figure out how to sort the end of the rotation and Jack Flaherty could be the perfect option. Once Fried returns — Wright's return is less certain — being able to run Fried, Spencer Strider, Flaherty as the top three in the rotation would be lethal, especially when rounded out with Bryce Elder and whoever retains the fifth starter role when the club is back at full health.
Cardinals should avoid a Jack Flaherty trade with the Los Angeles Dodgers
Don't trade Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Cardinals — just don't.
This isn't about trying to not help the big bad Dodgers, to be sure. If there is a deal that St. Louis feels puts the organization in the best position to succeed for the future and that happened to mean sending him to LA, then they should do it. My concern, however, is that such a deal just isn't there.
When you look at what the Dodgers would potentially offer to upgrade the middle/back of the rotation in a trade for Flaherty, it's hard to be totally enticed. They obviously aren't going to be parting with top, top prospects like Bobby Miller, Diego Cartaya, Michael Busch or even Gavin Stone.
Subsequently, that would likely mean that a player like Ryan Pepiot would end up being the centerpiece of a trade package. And to this point, Pepiot's work in MLB has not been something that should move the needle for the Cardinals. In fact, it would be a trade based on his projection, not what he's seen.
If there's one thing that St. Louis needs to make sure to do if they elect to trade Flaherty away, it's ensure that they are getting not just perceived value, but value they are confident will be tangible in the future for the club. Given what the Dodgers would likely be willing to part with in such a trade, that isn't there, which is why the Cardinals would be better served to just steer clear of it.