8 former fan-favorite Cardinals players without a job as Spring Training nears

2) Jack Flaherty

Some of the names on this list did not have the best of endings with the Cardinals, and while some fans may not like Jack Flaherty now, there is no doubt that he was a fan favorite back in 2019.

Leading up to that year, Flaherty was an emerging young starter in the Cardinals organization with a very bright future, but in 2019, it all came together as Flaherty was one of the best starters in all of baseball. Posting a 2.75 ERA in 196.1 innings, Flaherty finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting, leading the NL in WHIP and hits per nine, all while punching out 231 batters in the process.

Most fans will remember the historic run Flaherty went on that second half. In 99.1 innings post the All-Star Break, the then 23-year-old posted a 0.91 ERA, punching out 124 total batters on his way to one of the best second half performances in baseball history. The Cardinals have yet to have a starting pitcher have a season like Flaherty did since 2019.

Flaherty was really good for the Tigers and Dodgers last year, posting a 3.17 ERA in 28 starts, regaining his top-end swing and miss stuff as he punched out 10.8 batters per nine innings. He'd love to snag a long-term deal this offseason after a one-year prove-it deal last free agency, but things seem bleak on that market for him right now.