Earlier today, John Denton of MLB.com reported that the St. Louis Cardinals were making a last-ditch effort to try and extend Jack Flaherty’s contract before the trade deadline.
Flaherty made what could have been his final start in a Cardinals uniform on Wednesday at Chase Field.
He is a free agent at the end of the year and is expected to be traded at the deadline with the Cardinals selling.
On Twitter, Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch told a different story, saying that the Cardinals have not had any further discussions with Flaherty and that they are still planning on trading the young right-hander.
#stlcards and Jack Flaherty have not had conversations about an extension in several months, per multiple sources, and they affirm the reporting this morning at StlToday that spring training talks did not gather momentum. See here, and below: https://t.co/28otw5X0Ql pic.twitter.com/TYqaGiyBpA
— Derrick Goold (@dgoold) July 27, 2023
Flaherty and left-hander Jordan Montgomery are both expected to be dealt this year at the trade deadline, which is now less than a week away.
The Cardinals have several players on expiring contracts that are expected to be with new teams after Tuesday’s deadline.
But it appears that the Cardinals are not planning on offering Flaherty another extension.
Talks had not progressed to this point, and Goold confirms that the Cardinals are expected to trade the right-hander.
St. Louis owns a record of 46-57 as they head home to begin a four-game series against the Chicago Cubs, which is their final set before the deadline.
They have played better in July, posting a 13-10 record to date, but it has not changed their strategy for the trade deadline.
The Cardinals were expected by many to win the NL Central, but are now in fourth place with the Milwaukee Brewers, Cincinnati Reds, and Cubs ahead of them.
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Jack Flaherty Comments On His Time In St. Louis Amid Trade Rumors