Cardinals: 3 players who definitely won’t be on the roster by August 1

Cardinals who won’t be on the roster: Jack Flaherty

Jack Flaherty is another pitcher in the final year of his contract. The 27-year-old should still have his share of interested suitors around the league, but his production on the mound for St. Louis has been nothing shy of disappointing.

A few years ago, Flaherty looked like a burgeoning All-Star star with the potential to compete for Cy Young awards. Now, he’s toiling below .500 in the record book (4-5) with a ghastly 4.95 ERA and the third-lowest strikeout rate of his career.

Flaherty’s future in St. Louis is tenuous at best and the Cards are staring down the barrel of a full-blown retool, whether the front office will openly admit it or not. If anything particular branch of the roster needs a thorough retool, it’s the pitching staff. There’s no reason not to at least test the market with Flaherty.

Injuries have disrupted Flaherty’s career at various points and there’s reason to believe he can still rekindle some of his former magic. He’s not old by baseball standards and there are probably better environments to be in right now than the one in St. Louis. Maybe a trade could work well for both sides.