REPORT: Cardinals ace sparks uproar after being ignored in free agency

The 2024-2025 offseason has been a lucrative one for pitchers, with stars like Max Fried, Blake Snell, and Luis Severino securing significant contracts. However, former St. Louis Cardinals pitcher Jack Flaherty remains unsigned as January nears its end, with no reports of serious interest from teams despite the active market.

At 29 years old, Flaherty is one of the youngest free-agent pitchers available, making the lack of interest puzzling. A possible explanation lies in his injury history, particularly recurring shoulder issues that limited his consistency with the Cardinals. Aside from an exceptional second half of 2019, Flaherty struggled to meet the high expectations set for him early in his career.

An article in The Athletic suggests teams may be hesitant to commit long-term until Flaherty proves he can sustain another strong season. In 2024, he posted an impressive 3.17 ERA with 194 strikeouts across 162 innings while splitting time between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers. However, this came just a year after a difficult stint with the Baltimore Orioles, where he had a 6.75 ERA and was removed from the starting rotation.

Michael Rosen of FanGraphs offers another theory, pointing to concerns about Flaherty’s fastball. His velocity dipped slightly last season, and the pitch lacks the movement and deception seen in elite pitchers like Fried, Snell, and Corbin Burnes.

A reunion with the Cardinals seems unlikely as the team focuses on retooling, and Flaherty’s rocky relationship with fans—exacerbated by his comments in 2023—may have closed that door. Despite these hurdles, his 2024 performance suggests he is deserving of a solid contract. However, Flaherty may need to accept a short-term deal to prove he can stay healthy and effective for another season.