Detroit Tigers Are Legitimate Contender After Reunion With Star Pitcher
With Spring Training right around the corner for the Detroit Tigers, the franchise has been very active lately in putting the finishing touches on what the roster will look like.
It was an amazing campaign for the Tigers in 2024. They became one of the hottest teams in baseball in the second half of the season and rode that momentum right into the playoffs. Making the postseason snapped a lengthy drought for Detroit and they were able to win a playoff series against the Houston Astros.
The Tigers ultimately came up one game short of making the American League Championship Series and expectations have changed drastically for the franchise.
Coming into the winter, the hope was that Detroit would be aggressive to try and make a splash or two in free agency. For most of the offseason, the Tigers were quiet. However, they have recently signed relief pitcher Tommy Kahnle and finally made their big splash with the signing of pitcher Jack Flaherty.
This marks the second winter in a row that Flaherty has signed with the Tigers. However, the situations were both very different.
Last offseason, Flaherty was coming off an awful second half of the season with the Baltimore Orioles that destroyed his market. The right-hander took a one-year prove-it deal with the Detroit Tigers and it worked out for both of them.
The veteran right-hander had an excellent half of a season with Detroit before being traded at the deadline to the Los Angeles Dodgers. With the Tigers last year, Flaherty totaled a (7-5) record and a 2.95 ERA. He continued to pitch well after being traded to the Dodgers, helping them win a World Series.
This offseason, there were a lot of top-tier starting pitchers available. Flaherty seemingly fell into the next tier behind the aces.
Seeing the two-year, $35 million deal that he received, which is heavily front-loaded and has an opt-out after the first year was a bit surprising. The right-hander seemingly proved himself to be a front-end rotation pitcher, but the market wasn’t there for him this winter.
For the Tigers, a reunion with Flaherty helps them immensely. While hindsight is always 20/20, they might have been able to beat the Cleveland Guardians in the ALDS last year if they had the talented right-hander.
Adding another front-end pitcher to the rotation to pair with Tarik Skubal was key for Detroit this coming season if they want to contend in the American League. Now that they have accomplished that, it solidifies them as a team to watch in 2025.
