Guardians Urged To Pursue Risky Star Pitcher In Free Agency

Could the Cleveland Guardians try to sign this Los Angeles Dodgers star pitcher in free agency this offseason?

Oct 18, 2024; New York City, New York, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Jack Flaherty (0) reacts after the third inning of game five of the NLCS against the New York Mets during the 2024 MLB playoffs at Citi Field. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-Imagn Images / Brad Penner-Imagn Images

The Cleveland Guardians are in dire need of starting pitching, and they will almost certainly (hopefully) try to address the issue in free agency.

The Guardians are not typically known for making expensive offseason splashes, but considering they made it all the way to the ALCS this year, they may decide to buck that trend and fill some major holes on their roster.

That's why James Mastrucci of Away Back Gone is urging Cleveland to sign Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty in free agency.

"At just 29 years old and coming off his best season in a very long time, Flaherty will have plenty of suitors and will more than likely receive top dollar on the free agent market," Mastrucci wrote. "This will make signing Flaherty difficult but not impossible. Cleveland will need to approach this with a degree of seriousness that has not been seen in quite some time if they are going to be a real option to sign Flaherty."

The Guardians were actually rumored as potential suitors for Flaherty back at the trade deadline when he was with the Detroit Tigers, but the Dodgers were able to secure a deal for him.

Flaherty went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA during the regular season, allowing 135 hits while registering 194 strikeouts over 162 innings of work.

The 29-year-old has a rather checkered injury history, and he is also two seasons removed from logging a 4.99 ERA. However, he owns a lifetime 3.63 ERA and has averaged 10.2 punchouts per nine innings, so the ceiling is fairly high with Flaherty.

Whether or not Cleveland would actually cough up the money required to bag Flaherty on a multi-year deal is anyone's guess, but there is no doubt that the star right-hander would instantly bolster the Guardians' starting rotation so long as he remains healthy.