Cardinals may be Jack Flaherty's only hope to save him from familiar fate

The trade deadline is five days away and so far, we haven't seen much activity. But soon, players should be on the move and contending teams should be adding pieces. Jack Flaherty is one of the top rental starting pitchers available as the deadline approaches. He's 8-5 with a 2.95 ERA with the Detroit Tigers, a team that is likely to sell.

The Baltimore Orioles are a team that has shown interest in the veteran right-hander, but he pitched the second half of last season in Baltimore and struggled, posting a 6.75 ERA after being traded from the St. Louis Cardinals. But perhaps the best place for him would be St. Louis.

Jack Flaherty's best fit could be in St. Louis

St. Louis is where Flaherty began his career back in 2017. It didn't take long for him to emerge as one of their better starters. But by 2021, injuries began to derail him. Last summer, the Cards dealt him to Baltimore as part of their fire sale.

But he appears to have returned to his old form, and St. Louis could use a second top-tier starter in their rotation if they want to have a chance to win in the postseason. The team hasn't won a playoff game since 2020 or a series since 2019.

If he were to go back to Baltimore, he would be returning to a place where he struggled badly. But he is more familiar with St. Louis, having spent the early portion of his career there while playing under manager Oli Marmol. He could return to a place he's comfortable with and somewhere he's had past success.

The Cardinals finished in last place in the NL Central in 2023, posting a 71-91 record, thanks in large part to their lack of pitching. Flaherty appears to have made some major improvements and re-emerged as the frontline starter St. Louis envisioned him to be years ago.

The market for pitching is quite thin, especially for starters, which could make Flaherty the top rental arm available. St. Louis shouldn't have to give up too much to acquire him in that case.