Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations

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Jocephus
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Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations

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Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations
by Craig Edwards
August 9, 2019
https://blogs.fangraphs.com/jack-flaher ... ectations/
Before the season started, expectations for Jack Flaherty were pretty high. After posting a 3.86 FIP, a 3.34 ERA, and 2.4 WAR in 151 innings in his first full season in 2018, projections expected Flaherty to be even better with a 3.74 FIP. After a rough start in Seattle on July 2 in which Flaherty failed to make it out of the fifth inning by walking four and giving up four runs including a homer, the season looked to be a step back rather than a step forward. With a 4.82 FIP and 4.90 ERA on the year, Flaherty’s stats represented a half season of below-average numbers.

Since then, he’s been one of the best pitchers in baseball.
In looking at his overall 4.04 FIP and 3.72 ERA, it might be tempting to look at last year’s 3.86 FIP and 3.34 ERA and think Flaherty’s season has been worse, but don’t do that. The new run environment means that Flaherty’s FIP- is 93 compared to last year’s 96 and his ERA- this year is 86 nearly identical to last season’s 85. In just six starts, Flaherty has completely wiped out the disappointing half-season that started the 2019 campaign and has now nearly equaled his 2.4 WAR total from a year ago in five fewer games. While the season once looked like a step back for Flaherty, a solid finish will mean a step forward for the 23-year-old as he looks to establish himself in the upper echelon of pitchers.

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Re: Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations

Post by heyzeus »

Yep, he's our future. This is who the Cards should extend.

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Re: Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations

Post by AWvsCBsteeeerike3 »

heyzeus wrote:Yep, he's our future. This is who the Cards should extend.
Send him to baserunning school and I agree.

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Re: Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations

Post by Fat Strat »

Flaherty has definitely become what we needed him to be. Looks like an elite starter to me and the results are finally matching the eye-test. If we can get Martinez back in the rotation next year to go along with a solid Mikolas, it's the start of a good rotation. Still unsure about Hudson, but he's probably at least fine as a 5th starter and then we need someone else. I'm sure the Cards will decide to bring AW back for one more or something ridiculous.

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go birds
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Re: Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations

Post by go birds »

Fat Strat wrote:Flaherty has definitely become what we needed him to be. Looks like an elite starter to me and the results are finally matching the eye-test. If we can get Martinez back in the rotation next year to go along with a solid Mikolas, it's the start of a good rotation. Still unsure about Hudson, but he's probably at least fine as a 5th starter and then we need someone else. I'm sure the Cards will decide to bring AW back for one more or something ridiculous.
or sign wheeler.

i don't think cmart is starter material anymore.

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Re: Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations

Post by Fat Strat »

go birds wrote:
Fat Strat wrote:Flaherty has definitely become what we needed him to be. Looks like an elite starter to me and the results are finally matching the eye-test. If we can get Martinez back in the rotation next year to go along with a solid Mikolas, it's the start of a good rotation. Still unsure about Hudson, but he's probably at least fine as a 5th starter and then we need someone else. I'm sure the Cards will decide to bring AW back for one more or something ridiculous.
or sign wheeler.

i don't think cmart is starter material anymore.
Cards have so many payroll commitments that they might be able to make one decent signing, and they have multiple holes. Starter would be a good place to put that money, but they'll probably have to spread it out. We'll be lucky to sign the 2020 version of Mikolas when we snagged him. Either way, we're looking at a cheap starter and a good OF'er and are still relying on O'Neill, Bader or Martinez to start in one position everyday, or we are looking at a good starter and 2 of 3 of those OF'ers starting everyday. Not to mention bullpen needs. It's a bad situation.

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Re: Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations

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Fat Strat wrote:
go birds wrote:
Fat Strat wrote:Flaherty has definitely become what we needed him to be. Looks like an elite starter to me and the results are finally matching the eye-test. If we can get Martinez back in the rotation next year to go along with a solid Mikolas, it's the start of a good rotation. Still unsure about Hudson, but he's probably at least fine as a 5th starter and then we need someone else. I'm sure the Cards will decide to bring AW back for one more or something ridiculous.
or sign wheeler.

i don't think cmart is starter material anymore.
Cards have so many payroll commitments that they might be able to make one decent signing, and they have multiple holes. Starter would be a good place to put that money, but they'll probably have to spread it out. We'll be lucky to sign the 2020 version of Mikolas when we snagged him. Either way, we're looking at a cheap starter and a good OF'er and are still relying on O'Neill, Bader or Martinez to start in one position everyday, or we are looking at a good starter and 2 of 3 of those OF'ers starting everyday. Not to mention bullpen needs. It's a bad situation.
Well...they may have to bite the bullet on money cause there will 2 marquis FA's (wheeler/rendon) that fit the cards needs.

trade marp for a PTBNL for salary relief. send jmart away for a BP arm. I also think you give serious consideration to bringing carlson up mid-year.

I honestly expect next year to be a transition year anyway.

i get its fantasy baseball, but it makes sense which means the cards wont do it.

sure they have a self-imposed salary cap, but they can afford it.

Flaherty
Mikolas
Wheeler

...is a pretty good 1-2-3 assuming this is the real flaherty.

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Re: Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations

Post by Fat Strat »

go birds wrote:Well...they may have to bite the bullet on money cause there will 2 marquis FA's (wheeler/rendon) that fit the cards needs.

trade marp for a PTBNL for salary relief. send jmart away for a BP arm. I also think you give serious consideration to bringing carlson up mid-year.

I honestly expect next year to be a transition year anyway.

i get its fantasy baseball, but it makes sense which means the cards wont do it.

sure they have a self-imposed salary cap, but they can afford it.

Flaherty
Mikolas
Wheeler

...is a pretty good 1-2-3 assuming this is the real flaherty.
I'm not trying to be argumentative here, but if I try to be realistic, I could see them bringing Carlson up mid-year, but I don't know how they can plan for that to be their course of action. If so, they would have wanted to get him in AAA at mid-season in 19 and possibly give him a quick look this September. As it is, he's not going to touch AAA this year at all and they won't add him to the 40 for a call up. For him to be helpful in 2020, he's going to have to really impress in ST and then hit really well in Memphis, AND he's going to have to get a 40 man spot early in the season with a tight roster crunch... it's a tall order. Mostly likely, he gets added to the 40 man sometime mid season and gets some injury AB's before a Sept. call up next year. Hopefully he changes that plan with his play.

Regardless, in the OF, we need to reserve one spot and only one spot for our young three -- Bader, O'Neill and Carlson. We're stuck with Fowler. I would move Martinez or just commit to him as a bench bat. We need to sign someone, imo, if we are going to pretend to compete.

As far as gaining payroll space, Carpenter is the logical salary to dump, but I don't see them getting another team to pick up much cash. Then, after the issues we've had with age 30+ players -- Marp, Goldschmidt, Miller -- I don't see the Cards then committing elite money to Rendon at 3b. We'll easily end up with $35M tied up in goes over 30 in an attempt to fix 3b, all while Gorman sits in AA. They won't do that. Cards will just hope Carpenter gets better while they wait for Gorman to arrive.

Rotation... Wheeler is the best possibility of what you mention. But, you've got another guy who is going to demand a significant contract and will be age 30+ for most of the deal (he's 29 now). Cards won't do it. I don't know who they will go after, but it won't be Wheeler.

It's a mess. It just is. Part of me says we should just not sign anyone, play the kids, and see what happens. We can't really make a plan for the future until we know what we have in Carlson and Gorman and with the other young OF'ers and pitchers.

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Re: Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations

Post by Big Amoco Sign »

Raise payroll.

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Re: Jack Flaherty Is Reaching His High Expectations

Post by cardsfantx »

sorry, don't understand the wheeler talk when Cole is a FA

if we don't even attempt Cole (like we didn't with Scherzer) then i got issues

I don't want to hear crap about the payroll; they put themselves in this spot with stupid decisions like the unnecessary carpenter extension...that's nearly 19 million you could've put towards Cole

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