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St. Louis Cardinals starting pitcher Jack Flaherty. Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports

Three players Cardinals could look to trade as disastrous season continues

By Michael Carpenter | Last updated 6/12/23

Fresh off a series loss at home to the Cincinnati Reds, the St. Louis Cardinals continue to dwell in the basement of the National League Central division.

With a 27-39 record, the Cardinals find themselves eight games behind the Central-leading Pittsburgh Pirates. It might be time to consider making some moves with the future in mind if they can't turn things around fast.

Here are a few players who could be wearing another jersey before the end of the season.

Jack Flaherty, starting pitcher

Once believed to be the future ace of the Cardinals staff, Flaherty has never been able to regain the form that saw him post one of the greatest second halves in modern baseball history.

Injury problems and mediocre results have plagued Flaherty over the past few seasons, but he has turned things around after a rough start to the 2023 season, allowing only five runs in his last 30 innings pitched.

The 27-year-old right-hander is a free agent this offseason and it is unlikely that he re-signs with the club. Shopping him while his value is the highest it has been in a few years is the smart thing to do.

Jack Flaherty holds one of baseball's most potent offenses scoreless for six innings. The line: 6 IP, 3 H, 0 ER, 5 BB, 8 K, 105/56.

He'll hate the walks, but his overall body of work in his last six starts has been pretty dang sharp. He's got a 2.06 ERA since May 9. #STLCards
— Katie Woo (@katiejwoo) June 8, 2023

Jordan Montgomery, starting pitcher

Like Flaherty, Montgomery is a free agent after this season and despite talks of a contract extension with the Cardinals, the sides have been unable to strike a deal.

#STLCards

Jordan Montgomery 4/2-5/5
7 GS, 41 IP (5.86 IP/GS), 38:9 K:BB
1.22 WHIP, 3.29 ERA, 2.80 FIP, .663 oOPS

Jordan Montgomery 5/10-present
5 GS, 25 IP (5.00 IP/GS), 22:9 K:BB
1.68 WHIP, 5.76 ERA, 5.85 FIP, .973 oOPS
— Ben Cerutti (@stlfanbc7) June 9, 2023

With only three runs allowed in his last 16 2/3 innings pitched, Montgomery has been able to stabilize his season after a rough May.

Acquired at last year's trade deadline from the New York Yankees for outfielder Harrison Bader, he could be another casualty due to the Cardinals' bad start in 2023, but could still be a valuable piece if they are able to get a reasonable extension hammered out.

Tyler O'Neill, outfielder

Maybe the most obvious name on the list, 2023 has been a complete letdown for O'Neill. The two-time Gold Glove Award winner was looking to find the magic that saw him hit .286 with 34 home runs and 80 RBI in 2021.

Instead, he has had his effort questioned publicly by the Cardinals manager and has been battling injuries for the majority of the season.

With a ton of raw power and athletic ability, teams are sure to still have interest in O'Neill if the team decided that it was time to part ways with the 27-year-old.