Orioles bolster rotation, acquire Flaherty from Cardinals

The Baltimore Orioles added to their rotation ahead of the trade deadline, acquiring Jack Flaherty from the St. Louis Cardinals in exchange for three prospects, the teams announced.

Baltimore sent infielder Cesar Prieto, left-hander Drew Rom, and righty Zack Showalter to St. Louis in return for the right-hander.

Flaherty, a pending free agent, owns a 4.43 ERA, 4.22 FIP, and 1.55 WHIP with 106 strikeouts over 20 starts for the Cardinals this season. He finished fourth in NL Cy Young voting with St. Louis in 2019, the same year he also led the National League in WHIP.

The 27-year-old adds a much-needed arm to the first-place Orioles' rotation for the stretch run. Baltimore's starters have struggled at times this year, and the team is now running with a four-man rotation after Tyler Wells was demoted.

Prieto, ranked as the Orioles' No. 16 prospect by MLB.com before the trade, was originally signed by Baltimore in 2021, shortly after he defected from Cuba. He's hitting .349/.393/.475 with six homers and 49 RBIs in 85 total games between Double-A Bowie and Triple-A Norfolk this year. The 24-year-old offers versatility, having split time between second base, third base, and shortstop during his professional career.

Rom, 23, owns a 5.34 ERA and 1.70 WHIP with 100 strikeouts and 46 walks in 19 appearances (18 starts) at Triple-A Norfolk this year. The 23-year-old was ranked as Baltimore's No. 18 prospect and was on the team's 40-man roster, although he's yet to appear in a big-league game.

Showalter, 19, was the Orioles' 11th-round draft pick in 2022 and pitching in his first professional season. He owns a 2.37 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 41 strikeouts in nine appearances (eight starts) split between the Florida Complex League and Single-A Delmarva.