The first-place Baltimore Orioles had been in the market for starting pitching ahead of Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline.
While it might not be a major needle mover, the team has just pulled off a deal for a veteran. According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, Baltimore has acquired Jack Flaherty from the St. Louis Cardinals.
For St. Louis, this is the culmination of an expected sell-off as the team continues with what has been a down season. It had previously dealt away starter Jordan Montgomery and closer Jordan Hicks, among others, over the past few days.
Sitting at 65-41 heading into MLB games today, Baltimore boasts the best record in the American League. However, there was a major need for help in the rotation. Whether Flaherty provides that in a vacuum remains to be seen.
Related: MLB trade tracker with grades
Jack Flaherty stats (2023): 7-6 record, 4.43 ERA, 1.55 WHIP, 8.7 strikeout per nine
Flaherty, 27, was much better over the previous two seasons (11-3 record, 3.54 ERA, 1.23 WHIP). The hope for the Baltimore Orioles is that he can return to pre-2023 form.
The likes of Kyle Bradish (6-6 record, 3.29 ERA), Dean Kremer (10-4, 4.66), Kyle Gibson (10-6, 4.53) and Tyler Wells (7-6, 3.80) have headlined things for Baltimore thus far this season.
At this point, it’s not yet known what the Cardinals have received in return. We’ll have updates once they become available.