Braves Predicted to Sign Rival Pitcher to $60 Million Deal

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly projected the Atlanta Braves to sign one of the top available free agent starting pitchers this offseason.

Atlanta Braves manager Brian Snitker / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Unless both Max Fried and Charlie Morton return, the Atlanta Braves are going to add starting pitchers to their roster during MLB free agency. That's pretty much a fact.

Who the Braves sign could depend on how much risky they are willing to take.

Bleacher Report's Tim Kelly likes the idea of the Braves being very risky with one free agent signing this winter. On Monday, Kelly predicted Atlanta to sign Los Angeles Dodgers starter Jack Flaherty.

Kelly projected Flaherty to receive a 3-year, $60 million contract from the Braves. The BR writer added there will be an opt-out in the contract after 2026.

"There will be a lot to consider with Flaherty as a free agent. Not only has he struggled to stay healthy consistently in his career, but prior to being traded to the Dodgers, a deal that would have sent him to the Yankees fell through over concerns about a back injury. There will be some teams who view him as too risky of an investment," wrote Kelly.

"There's the potential for signing Flaherty to blow up, but the ceiling is high enough that there will be plenty of teams willing to take that risk."

Five years ago, Flaherty was a rising star for the St. Louis Cardinals. He finished fourth for the National League Cy Young award after posting a league-best 0.968 WHIP in 2019. He went 11-8 with a 2.75 ERA and 231 strikeouts that season too.

But, as Kelly detailed, Flaherty has dealt with multiple injuries over the past half a decade. This season, he was inconsistent, particularly in the playoffs.

He pitched 7 shutout innings in Game 1 of the NLCS and then allowed only 2 runs over 5.1 frames during the first game of the World Series. But he allowed 8 runs the second time he faced the New York Mets in the NLCS and then 4 runs versus the New York Yankees during his second World Series appearance.

During the regular season, Flaherty went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA in 28 starts with the Dodgers and Detroit Tigers. He also had 192 strikeouts and a 1.068 WHIP in 162 innings.

Flaherty presents a lot of risk. Personally, too much for my taste. But if the Braves want to bet on their organization maximizing a pitcher's talent and keeping him healthy with a six-man rotation as they did with Chris Sale in 2024, the reward could be tremendous.