MLB Trade Grades: Orioles acquire a much-needed starter in Jack Flaherty

The Orioles added the starting pitcher that they desperately needed in a trade with the Cardinals for Jack Flaherty. Who won the deal?

The St Louis Cardinals continued the fire sale of their roster as the deadline approached on Tuesday. With mere minutes remaining before the deadline, they shipped starter Jack Flaherty to Baltimore for two of their top 20 prospects.

Jeff Passan has reported that the trade is done and final. He reported that Baltimore is moving infield prospect Cesar Prieto and left-hander Drew Rom to St Louis for Flaherty.

MLB Trade Grades: Orioles acquire Jack Flaherty from the Cardinals

The Orioles needed a starting pitcher pretty badly. They were rumored to have been in on Justin Verlander, Michael Lorenzen and Dylan Cease among others, but Baltimore missed out on each of these potential pieces. However, they landed on the 27-year-old from the Cardinals, who sits on an expiring contract. But who won the trade?

Baltimore Orioles Trade Grade: B

The Orioles had a need and they got it. It’s as simple as that. This trade pushes them closer to success in the postseason without completely destroying their farm system. That is a huge win in their books. Their farm system is so deep that they could afford to lose these two top 20 prospects without really batting an eye.

Flaherty will slot right into the rotation for the Orioles. He holds an ERA of 4.43 as of now and currently has a career-best in HR/9. He’s still just 27 years old and there’s always a chance for the Orioles to resign him at the end of the year. This trade is a good one for Baltimore, ultimately pushing them closer to the postseason success they desperately desire.

St. Louis Cardinals Trade Grade: B+

The Cardinals completely tore their roster apart at the deadline. They shipped away pitchers and position players in an attempt to revitalize their farm system. This deal with the Orioles will continue that trend, adding two high-upside prospects to their system.

Drew Rom is an MLB-ready arm that will likely receive the call-up to the MLB this season. He hasn’t been spectacular this season in the minors, but he will likely receive a few Triple-A starts in order to gauge if he’s ready to pitch for the Cardinals.

The highlight of this trade is the Cuban infielder, Cesar Prieto. He is a pure hitter that’s produced a slash line of .349/.393/.475 across two levels of minor league baseball this year. MLB Pipeline projects him to be MLB-ready next season, where he could fit well with St Louis.

This trade is hard to choose a winner as of today. The Orioles will obviously be winners if Flaherty is able to push them toward a World Series ring. But, without that information just yet, the idea is that the Cardinals have won this trade.