Cardinals: 1 trade St. Louis must make after Jack Flaherty injury

The St. Louis Cardinals must make a move to help their pitching staff now that starting pitcher Jack Flaherty has been moved to the 60-day injured list.

The Cardinals got terrible news Monday regarding the status of Jack Flaherty as he’s been moved to the 60-day injured list regarding his shoulder.

Flaherty had been on the 15-day injured list to rest after shoulder issues returned. Flaherty’s addition to the 60-day injured list creates a greater concern and a need to help a pitching staff that is struggling.

It was already believed the Cardinals needed to make a move around the trade deadline to help the pitching staff. Now that Flaherty may not return from the injured list until around mid-August, things seem more urgent for the Cardinals.

The Cardinals should trade to get Noah Syndergaard

The Cardinals should be in contact with the Los Angeles Angels regarding Syndergaard. In 70.1 innings pitched for the Angels this season, Syndergaard is 5-7 in 13 games started. He has an ERA of 3.84 with 55 strikeouts.

The Cardinals have always been attacked to pitchers who can get ground ball outs. Syndergaard’s most appealing statistic to the Cardinals would be the ability to generate grounders at 45.6%. Syndergaard’s putaway pitch is his curveball which averages 76.4 mph with a knee-buckling 49.7-in vertical drop and 69% active spin. Syndergaard has a sinker and four-seam fastball that he makes good use of as well. The sinker averages 94.1 mph with a 20-inch vertical drop and an 81% active spin.

With these pitches, he is sure to generate some ground ball-outs. The Angels’ defense can’t instill a lot of confidence that they will be able to nab the grounders he can induce. Syndergaard can feel confident in making these pitches knowing that he will have a pretty great defense behind him in Gold Glove winners Nolan Arendado, Tommy Edman and Paul Goldschmidt in the infield. Nolan Gorman is doing a great job at second base as well. The outfield as taken some hits while Gold Glovers Tyler O’Neill and Harrison Bader have been out on the injured list, but Dylan Carlson has really stepped up in center field.

Syndergaard would be a fun addition to the Cardinals rotation and would be certain to eat up some innings the club will desperately need down the stretch.