Orioles Acquire Pitcher Jack Flaherty from Cardinals and Retain Top Prospects

"Baltimore Orioles acquire Jack Flaherty from St. Louis Cardinals to strengthen starting rotation amid fatigue concerns in AL East."

Baltimore Orioles have made a significant move to strengthen their starting rotation by acquiring right-hander Jack Flaherty from the St. Louis Cardinals. This move comes as the Orioles lead the AL East but are now facing concerns about fatigue as they approach the crucial stretch run of the season.

Despite having a low payroll, the Orioles had the opportunity to be one of the most aggressive teams at the trade deadline due to their abundance of prospects, especially in the position player department. However, they decided to hold onto their highly touted minor leaguers and instead brought in Flaherty, a 27-year-old pitcher who will become a free agent after this season.

Flaherty had a record of 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA for the struggling Cardinals, who currently find themselves in last place in the NL Central. In addition to Flaherty, St. Louis also traded left-hander Jordan Montgomery to the Texas Rangers on Sunday.

In exchange for Flaherty, the Orioles gave up infielder César Prieto, left-hander Drew Rom, and right-hander Zack Showalter. Prieto is ranked as Baltimore's No. 16 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, while Rom holds the No. 18 spot. However, the Orioles managed to keep all eight of their prospects who are ranked in baseball's top 100.

Prieto, a 24-year-old infielder, has been performing well with a .317 batting average in 27 games for Triple-A Norfolk this season. Rom, a 23-year-old left-hander, has a record of 7-6 with a 5.34 ERA for Norfolk. Showalter, a 19-year-old right-hander, has shown promise with a 0-2 record and a 2.37 ERA for Class A Delmarva.

Overall, this acquisition of Jack Flaherty demonstrates the Orioles' commitment to strengthening their starting rotation as they aim to maintain their lead in the AL East and overcome any potential fatigue issues in the crucial stretch run of the season.