John Mozeliak, Cardinals need to look in the mirror after Jack Flaherty's hot start

2024 is proving to be similar to 2023 for the St. Louis Cardinals. 35 games into the season, they are already five games below the .500 mark.

Not only is the team struggling, but they are once again facing the reality of another player leaving the team and having success elsewhere. This year, it's Jack Flaherty who has been finding his groove with his new team.

The Detroit Tigers right-hander has yet to win a game but has posted a 3.86 ERA in his first seven starts. To make matters worse for the Cardinals, Flaherty has the highest strikeout per nine-innings rate in all of baseball, averaging 12.00 per nine innings in his starts.

Jack Flaherty's resurgence proves problem with Cardinals

Once again, it is clear that there is a major problem in the Cardinals' organization with developing players.

While Flaherty isn't an ace by any means, it's clear that the Tigers have found something in him that the Cardinals never did. He's recording strikeouts at a rapid rate and has been a huge addition for the Tigers' rotation.

Flaherty had his moments in St. Louis, but he never reached his potential as a Cardinal.

The Cardinals are an organization that seems to be stuck in their ways and unwilling to adapt to changing times and a changing game. They don't develop stars the way they used to, and Flaherty is just another example of a player that has taken off once they got out of St. Louis.

While pitching isn't the Cardinals' main problem, the organization continues to not learn from their prior mistakes. Flaherty joins Randy Arozarena, Adolis Garcia, Zac Gallen, Tyler O'Neill, and Sandy Alcantara as the latest Cardinal to thrive after joining a new team.

The Cardinals traded Flaherty to the Baltimore Orioles last summer at the trade deadline. He signed with the Tigers on a one-year, $14 million contract this past winter and has helped stabilize their starting rotation. He even pitched 6.2 scoreless innings against his old club last week at Comerica Park, striking out seven batters.