The St. Louis Cardinals are expected to watch more of their former homegrown stars sign with other teams this winter, as the front office works to reduce payroll.
St. Louis fans are no strangers to seeing former players excel elsewhere, and this offseason will be no exception. Several former Cardinals veterans will be joining new teams, including four-time Gold Glove winner Paul Goldschmidt (New York Yankees) and All-Star reliever Andrew Kittredge (Baltimore Orioles).
One former St. Louis pitcher, however, has unexpectedly been linked to the Cardinals’ biggest rival. Could he potentially sign with the National League Central foe, betraying the team that drafted him?
“With many of these teams, pursuing (Jack) Flaherty at this stage of the offseason will come down to ownership opening up the checkbook,” wrote Bleacher Report’s Tim Kelly, ranking the Chicago Cubs as the 4th most likely destination for Flaherty. “The Ricketts family has often treated the Cubs like a mid-market team, despite their location in Chicago.”
Flaherty enjoyed one of his best seasons in 2024, posting a 13-7 record, a 3.17 ERA, 194 strikeouts to 38 walks, a .223 opponent batting average, and a 1.07 WHIP across 162 innings between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers.
“The NL Central is wide open in 2025, with the St. Louis Cardinals seemingly regressing and the Milwaukee Brewers losing key players like Willy Adames and Devin Williams this offseason,” Kelly added. “A rotation featuring Shota Imanaga, Justin Steele, and Flaherty would generate excitement for the Cubs as they look to reach the playoffs for the first time since 2020.”
Flaherty, drafted by the Cardinals in 2014 with the 34th overall pick, evokes mixed feelings among St. Louis fans due to his injury struggles, inconsistent performance, and occasional attitude issues during his seven seasons with the team.
If Flaherty were to sign with the Cubs, it would be hard for him to face St. Louis fans again. It will be fascinating to see how the fanbase reacts if the former Cardinals pitcher returns to Busch Stadium in 2025 as a member of Chicago.
Leave a Reply