Jack Flaherty #22 of the St. Louis Cardinals delivers a pitch in the fifth inning against the Miami Marlins at loanDepot park on April 07, 2021 in Miami, Florida. (Photo by Mark Brown/Getty Images)
The St. Louis Cardinals have been without Jack Flaherty for months but the imminent return of the team’s ace is impacting trade deadline plans.
The St. Louis Cardinals continue to explore rotation upgrades that would impact the roster not just in 2021, but in future seasons. But the internal belief is that the returns of Jack Flaherty and Miles Mikolas will count as trade additions for the second half of the season — and both are said to be progressing ahead of schedule in their recoveries.