Why Signing Jack Flaherty Makes Perfect Sense for Washington Nationals
With the Winter Meetings in the rearview mirror, the Washington Nationals have been fairly quiet so far this offseason.
Coming into the winter, the Nationals appeared to be a team that could make a splash or two this offseason. Washington has done an excellent job over the past few years to avoid handing out bad contracts, as they have been very mindful of their spending.
With a talented young core of talent, the future seems bright for the Nationals. However, the timeline of them being ready to contend has been a hot topic. If Washington decided to get ultra-aggressive this offseason, this is a team that has the potential to be over .500 next season. However, it doesn’t seem like they are ready to do that, as the goal would be for a moderate improvement as of now.
Even if the Nationals don’t get extremely aggressive, they will need to add at least one veteran pitcher. While the pitching staff for Washington is young, there are a lot of question marks about the unit going into 2025.
Regardless of whether they are ready to contend, they should be looking to add an established starter to help improve the team.
One name who could make a lot of sense for them is right-hander Jack Flaherty. While the 29-year-old might not be an ace, he would likely be either the best pitcher on the team, or right there with MacKenzie Gore.
Compared to some other options, the age of Flaherty makes him an appealing target for the Nationals. At 29 years old, he fits a bit better on their timeline to compete than someone who might be a few years older.
Last season, the right-hander was able to really make an impact on both the Detroit Tigers and the Los Angeles Dodgers. With the Tigers, he totaled a (7-5) record, 2.95 ERA, and a very impressive 0.96 WHIP.
After being traded to the Dodgers, he continued to pitch well, as he totaled a (6-2) record, 3.58 ERA, and 1.28 WHIP. The right-hander went on to start games in the playoffs for Los Angeles and helped them win a World Series.
Getting someone under 30 years old with playoff experience and a World Series title under their belt would be a nice veteran addition to the starting rotation for Washington. While Flaherty has been a bit inconsistent throughout his career, he has a very high upside.
For the Nationals, because of his age, adding an extra year on to a contract could make a lot of sense to lure him to Washington and perhaps discount his AVV. Overall, the right-hander makes a lot of sense for the Nationals.
