The MLB offseason’s fire continued to burn Thursday night.
Shortly after the Los Angeles Dodgers were reported to be trading for Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow, another pitching move was reported.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Detroit Tigers have agreed to a one-year, $14 million contract with right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty.
Flaherty was drafted by the Cardinals in 2015 and made his debut in September of that year. He stayed in St. Louis for the next six and a half years before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles at the 2023 MLB Trade Deadline.
Flaherty was an effective front-of-the-rotation option for the Cardinals, going 41-31 with a 3.58 ERA and 706 strikeouts. In 2019, he went 11-8 with a 2.75 ERA and 231 strikeouts in 196.1 innings pitched for the Cardinals. His WHIP (walks + hits/total innings pitched) was 0.968, the best in the National League and third-best in baseball behind Justin Verlander and Gerrit Cole, both of whom were members of the Houston Astros at the time. Flaherty missed significant time in both 2020 and 2022 due to shoulder injuries.
After the trade, Flaherty never seemed to settle in with the Orioles. He went 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA in 34.1 innings pitched for the Orioles and was demoted to the bullpen by the end of the season. The 27-year-old pitcher will have an interesting bounce-back opportunity in Detroit, as the Tigers, who went 78-84 in 2023, appear ready to take the next step and possibly contend for a postseason spot. If Flaherty can regain his form, Detroit will be able to achieve their goal.
Leave a Reply