Let's take a look at some of the latest St. Louis Cardinals news, including notes on Jack Flaherty, Willson Contreras, and potential trades.
We'll start our roundup in Chicago where the St. Louis Cardinals have won three consecutive games, including a pair against the arch-rival Cubs. As part of Tuesday night's 6-4 victory, starting pitcher Jack Flaherty went 5.0 innings, allowing seven hits and three runs (including a home run) while walking five and striking out three.
Cardinals notebook: Jack Flaherty gets testy about velocity
It's already been a very interesting season for Flaherty, who set the bar high for himself with a hype video before his first start and has walked an NL-high 27 batters in 39.1 innings over his first eight starts. After his start in Chicago, Flaherty seemed annoyed about any questions about his fastball velocity, an issue that manager Oliver Marmol and pitching coach Dusty Blake mentioned to reporters before their chance to talk to Flaherty.
A free agent next season, Flaherty has to step up as the campaign moves along if he's not only going to help the Cardinals try to climb out of the NL Central cellar, but also continue to play a part in the Redbirds rotation moving forward. While he may not want to answer questions about his velocity, if his manager and pitching coach are discussing it, it might be worth sharing those answers.
Cardinals notebook: Willson Contreras goes from hero to villain in Chicago
Contreras may have gone 0-for-3 on Tuesday night, but he did plenty on Monday night to prove to Chicago fans that his time with the Cubs is in the rearview mirror.
An RBI double from Contreras proved to be the difference-maker in Monday's 3-1 victory that opened the series in Chicago. It was not only the same day that Contreras was welcomed back to Wrigley, where he spent his first seven MLB seasons, with a video tribute, but he also heard his first boos from the north side as a member of the Cardinals.
As Derrick Goold of The St. Louis Post-Dispatch wrote in this article, it didn't take long for Contreras to take the friendly out of confines when it comes to Wrigley Field.
Contreras even played into the newfound heel character, egging on the Wrigley crowd each time he was on base. It's part of what has become a very interesting tradition when a player is traded between the Cubs and Cardinals, and there have been some good ones to play for both teams in the past. As Jerry Seinfeld once joked, fans cheer for laundry and, with Contreras wearing different colors, the crowd in Chicago is ready to move on from the feelings for Contreras now that he has those Cardinals on his chest.
Cardinals notebook: Could St. Louis be a seller at the MLB trade deadline?
It's definitely a question that no one thought would be asked before the season began, but if the Cardinals aren't in the playoff chase when the All-Star Game rolls around, could St. Louis be a seller?
In his latest column for The Athletic, former MLB general manager Jim Bowden writes that the Cardinals "will listen to offers" for an outfielder (which could include Tyler O'Neill, Dylan Carlson, Lars Nootbaar, Alec Burleson and Juan Yepez) in exchange for starting pitching. Bowden writes that Jordan Walker, who has been optioned to Triple-A after starting the season on the Cardinals roster, is untouchable, which shouldn't be a surprise to Cardinals fans.
While it's doubtful the Cardinals would actually trade pitching when they're looking for pitching, Jordan Montgomery, who is scheduled to be a free agent at the end of this season, could bring a nice price back if the Cardinals are ready to move on from the 30-year-old southpaw. He has had a solid season so far (3.29 ERA/2.83 FIP/1.220 WHIP in 41.0 innings), so his value has likely not only gone up in the trade market, but also internally if the Cardinals choose to sign him past this season.
Which way the Cardinals go over the next few weeks could not only determine their fate for this season, but their roster for years to come.
