Expiring Pitcher Contracts Challenge St. Louis Cardinals’ Future Payroll

The St. Louis Cardinals have serious player payroll decisions to make.

Two of the Cardinals current starting rotation, and an important late inning reliever are in the last year of their contracts.

A third starter. Adam Wainwright, 41, has indicated this will be his last season.

Unless the Cardinals extend their contracts, right-handers Jack Flaherty, 27, left-handed starter Jordan Montgomery, 30, and right-handed late-inning reliever Jordan Hicks, 26, will all become free agents following the season.

It is difficult to replace one starter, let alone two.

Based on data from Fangraphs, the Cardinals current payroll is $183 million, or $20 million more than last season.

The Cardinals organization has always found a way to remain competitive in the National League Central Division.

This year has proven to be a greater challenge. This year, the Cardinals are in last place in the National League East, 9 games behind the leading Cincinnati Reds.

Historically, few teams can boast the type of success the Cardinals have achieved.

Remarkably, since 2000, the Cardinals have appeared in the postseason 16 times. They won the World Series in 2006 and 2011.

This season is different. The Cardinals are irrelevant so far in the National League Central.

About Jack Flaherty:

Jack Flaherty was a 1st round selection of the Cardinals in the 2014 draft, out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles, California.

As the No. 34 player taken, to keep him away from pitching for the University of North Carolina, Flaherty received a signing bonus of $2 million. That was $349,600 above the amount suggested for that slot by Major League Baseball.

Big and strong at 6-4, 225 pounds, Flaherty was initially scouted as a third baseman with gap power and a potent bat. It didn’t take long for scouts to discover Flaherty’s strong arm on the mound.

Flaherty made his big league debut in 2017, at the age of 21.

Flaherty was very successful for the Cardinals, until an oblique injury in 2021 and right shoulder injury in 2022 drove him to the Injured List. He started just 15 games in 2021, and eight games last season.

Flaherty was hit on the arm with a come backer this season, causing him to leave a game on May 4.

Back on track and healthy, Flaherty has made 15 starts.

According to Brooksbaseball.net, Flaherty has returned to using a complete repertoire of four-seam fastball, changeup, slider, curve, and cutter.

Flaherty relies most on his four-seamer, which he throws 44.55% of the time. That pitch sits at 93 miles per hour.

He throws his cutter 18.81%, his curve 17%, his slider 16.83% and his changeup only 1.98% of the time.

Flaherty is a smart pitcher, capable of throwing strikes and keeping his team in the game with good command and control of his repertoire. So far this season, Flaherty has struck out 80 and walked 44 this year. He has a record of 4-5, with a high 4.95 ERA.

Flaherty’s current salary is $5.4 million.

About Jordan Montgomery:

Like Flaherty, left-hander Jordan Montgomery is a big, strong starter. At 6-6, 228 pounds, Montgomery is a presence on the mound.

Montgomery was selected by the New York Yankees in the 4th round of the 2014 draft out of the University of South Carolina. They Yankees gave Montgomery a $424,000 signing bonus.

At the time he was signed, Montgomery threw his fastball in the low-90s. He also had a curveball, a cutter, and a very reliable, very effective changeup.

Montgomery made his Yankees debut April 12, 2017, at the age of 24.

After parts of six seasons with the Yankees, the team traded him to the Cardinals for outfielder Harrison Bader. Both are important components of their respective clubs.

Bader is also in the last year of his contract with New York.

Acccording to Booksbaseball.net., Montgomery uses his four-seam fastball, which sits at 93 miles per hour, only 5.33% of the time. His sinking, two-seam fastball also sits at 93 MPH. He uses that 48%. He also throws a changeup 36%, and a curve at 10.67% of the time.

So far this season, Montgomery is 5-7, with a 3.52 ERA.

Montgomery is making $10 million this year.

About Jordan Hicks:

Right-handed reliever Jordan Hicks, 26, was a 3rd round selection of the Cardinals in the 2015 draft.

Selected out of Cypress Creek High School in Houston, Texas, the Cardinals gave Hicks a $600,000 signing bonus to keep him away from pitching for Tulane University.

Hicks has a blazing fastball that has been the mainstay of his arsenal most of his career. It is the 100 miles per hour heat that has driven Hicks to consequential, high-leverage innings in the big leagues.

Hicks pitched in the Arizona Fall League in both 2017 and 2021. This scout had the opportunity to evaluate him on both occasions.

He started 14 games Fall League games, and used a sinking fastball that sat between 92-97 miles per hour at the time. The velocity difference brought deception and balance issues to hitters. However, it was his curveball that gave Hicks the ability to keep the hitter guessing.

After appearing in the Fall League, Hicks was converted to the bullpen. In 2018, when he was 21, the Cardinals promoted Hicks to the big leagues. He threw one inning in relief.

Hicks has pitched parts of five seasons for the Cardinals. He has appeared in 48 games, but only in eight as a starter. Those all came last year. He saved six games in 2018, and another 14 in 2019.

Brooksbaseball.net lists Hicks’ repertoire that includes a fastball that he throws at 101.23 miles per hour. His sinker sits at 100.95 MPH. Hicks also throws a slider, and a split-finger.

Without question, Hicks’ most frequent pitch is the sinker. He throws that 46.72%. He uses his slider on 26.23% of his pitches, and his four-seam fastball at 26.23%. His split is used on only 0.82% of his pitches.

Hicks had Tommy John surgery in 2019, and he has had elbow soreness upon occasion. However, he is healthy and pitching this season as a set-up man for Cardinals closer Giovanny Gallegos.

Hicks has appeared in 32 games this year, and has 5 saves.

Summary:

The St. Louis Cardinals have contract decisions to make regarding starting pitchers Jack Flaherty, Jordan Montgomery. Starter Adam Wainwright is set to retire after the season.

If their contracts are not extended, each can become a free agent following this season.

Reliever Jordan Hicks can also become a free agent.

A consistent contender, the Cardinals have always relied on quality pitching to help them enter the playoffs in 16 seasons since the year 2000.

The Cardinals are struggling this season. Their last place standing may dictate consequential trades for their pending free agent pitchers.