The Cardinals have not been shy about circling back to familiar faces, and Jack Flaherty would fit that pattern without feeling like a stretch. A “prove-it” deal for the right-hander could give St. Louis a useful kind of flexibility, especially when the calendar turns to 2027.
That idea has already surfaced in Jeff Jones’ subscription newsletter, " Words About Birds", where Flaherty was floated as a possible target. The case lines up neatly with the kind of offseason move the Cardinals have been expected to consider, and it also echoes the type of signing that brought Steven Matz to St. Louis in November 2021.
Flaherty, who turned 31 and was traded by the Cardinals at the 2023 trade deadline, has spent the last few seasons bouncing between strong stretches and uneven production. In 2024, he logged a 3.17 ERA, which ranked 13th in baseball, across 28 starts and 162 innings, while adding 3.4 fWAR, tied for 17th among qualified starters.
The next two seasons were less consistent. He matched the same number of starts and innings in 2025, but his ERA climbed to 4.64.
In 2026, he made 19 starts and one relief appearance and finished with a 4.48 ERA. Even so, his strikeout rate has remained well above average at 26 K%, despite a decline in strikeout stuff over the last two years.
A long-term commitment does not seem likely here, and if Flaherty does draw a multiyear offer, the price should still be manageable. The more natural fit is a short-term arrangement aimed at rebuilding value, especially with his St. Louis background and the Cardinals’ recent success with a similar idea involving Dustin May.
That kind of move would also mesh with where the Cardinals’ rotation stands right now. Kyle Leahy, Michael McGreevy, Quinn Mathews, Andre Pallante, and Matthew Liberatore are all in line as returning starting options, while Tekoah Roby, Cooper Hjerpe, and Richard Fitts are expected to fight for jobs in spring training. Gordon Graceffo and Brycen Mautz could also enter that mix, and by some point in 2027, Tanner Franklin, Liam Doyle, Jurrangelo Cijntje, and Mason Molina should be part of the discussion too.
So why bring Flaherty into that crowd? Because he would do more than just take a spot.
Adding another veteran starter gives the Cardinals more ways to arrange the staff, and that matters in a rotation where depth is always valuable. It also makes it easier to consider moving one of the younger arms, including Andre Pallante or Michael McGreevy, both of whom have real value even if it does not feel likely that both will still be rotation fixtures beyond 2028.
There is also a built-in middle ground with Flaherty. If the Cardinals are in the race in 2027 and injuries hit the staff, he can help them stay afloat.
If they slip out of contention, he becomes a trade piece. And if they are contending while younger pitchers like Franklin or Doyle are ready to step in, Flaherty could be flipped to open a lane for that next wave.
The upside is the real draw. Flaherty still brings swing-and-miss, and if his slider and/or curveball sharpens back up in 2027, he has a path to looking much closer to the 3.17 ERA version of himself from 2024 than the pitcher he has been more recently.
His fastball has lost a bit of velocity, but it actually performed better in 2026 than it had in prior seasons. That leaves the door open to the idea that there is still something left to tap into for the former Cardinals first-round pick.
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