Baltimore Orioles Predicted to Give Jack Flaherty a Second Chance
The Baltimore Orioles have been pretty active so far this offseason in free agency, but they are still lacking in one key area.
It has been a solid offseason so far for the Orioles, as they have made some nice moves to prepare for 2025. Coming into the winter, Baltimore knew that two of their key players were going to be free agents, and likely going to make a lot of money.
The recent signing of Tyler O’Neill was a clear indication that the Orioles would be moving on from one of their free agents in Anthony Santander, who could be seeking a $100 million deal.
However, their likely top priority, Corbin Burnes, is still available and Baltimore has yet to get a pitcher of that quality to replace him.
Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently predicted that Jack Flaherty would be heading to the Orioles on a four-year, $88 million deal.
Rymer did point out the significant gap between Flaherty's ERA in the regular season with Los Angeles, which was 3.58, and his posteason ERA, which was 7.36. That's significant enough to worry. He pitched incredibly well with Detroit to start the season, which led to the trade to Los Angeles.
But ERA isn't everything, Rymer wrote, as he pointed out Flaherty's potential selling points for a pitcher that projects as a No. 2 or No. 3 starter.
“(He has) some stellar peripherals from this year, including a strikeout-to-walk ratio and whiff rate that were both elite. Especially given that he isn't tied to draft pick compensation, it's possible that Flaherty will score a nine-figure deal. If not, he should at least come close," he wrote.
While Burnes seems like he will be too expensive for the Orioles, a reunion with Flaherty could be a good option to potentially replace him. The right-hander did pitch with Baltimore in 2023, but things did not go well in the second half of that season.
In 2023, Flaherty totaled a 6.75 ERA in nine games after being traded over from the St. Louis Cardinals for the stretch run.
While it wasn’t a good first impression, the 29-year-old pitched really well in 2024 (he ultimately went 13-7), and makes a lot of sense for Baltimore. If the Orioles don't want to give up draft compensation for a free agent, then Flaherty is a sensible solution to that problem.
Baltimore will likely wait to see what happens with Burnes in free agency before making a move to replace him. However, if they do lose their ace, Flaherty has the capability to pitch like one, despite not showing that in his first stint with the team.