MLB Trade Rumors: Cardinals' Flaherty Eyed by Teams; Mariners' Gilbert Interests STL

St. Louis Cardinals general manager John Mozeliak has already said the team intends to be active ahead of the trade deadline, but their approach leading up to Aug. 1 doesn't figure to involve a complete roster teardown.

Per Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, Cardinals right-hander Jack Flaherty is "generating interest" from playoff contenders.

Goold added Seattle Mariners righty Logan Gilbert is of interest to the Cardinals, but it's unclear what it would cost to get him from Seattle.

In an interview with Martin Kilcoyne and Joey Schneider of Fox 2 in St. Louis earlier this week, Mozeliak addressed the Cardinals' struggles throughout the 2023 season.

"When you look at what we've put on paper, it should've worked better, but it didn't," he said. "The front office [and] ownership know we have to do something different. This is not the model we're going to follow. That's something we'll take a hard look at [and] try to address it, but changes will happen."

Mozeliak has insisted Nolan Arenado and Paul Goldschmidt won't be traded, and Goold noted two teams have been told the Cardinals aren't interested in dealing Lars Nootbar or Jordan Walker.

Other than that quartet, though, most of the roster could be expendable as the team tries to position itself for a quick turnaround in 2024.

While starting pitching would seem to be the most glaring need for the Cardinals, Flaherty is a pending free agent who has been erratic this season and prone to injuries throughout his career. The 27-year-old has 17 starts so far in 2023, his most in a single season in four years.

Flaherty has allowed zero runs in three of his last five starts, but the two starts mixed in there has seen him give up 10 hits and six earned runs both times.

St. Louis' plan to hang on to young hitters like Nootbar and Walker could make it difficult to acquire a pitcher like Gilbert.

The Mariners will likely be pursuing help in the lineup ahead of the trade deadline if they are going to make a move. They rank 16th in MLB in runs scored, tied for 23rd in on-base percentage, 23rd in slugging percentage and 25th in batting average.

Gilbert also figures to command a significant trade return because he's under control for four more seasons after the 2023 campaign. The 26-year-old has a 3.66 ERA with 87 hits allowed and 106 strikeouts over 108.1 innings in 18 starts this year.

The Cardinals came out of the All-Star break in last place in the NL Central with a 38-52 record. They are on pace to have their first losing season since 2007 and their lowest winning percentage (.422) since 1924.