Detroit Tigers Named Best Landing Spot for Jack Flaherty in Free Agency
The Detroit Tigers have had a magical season, and they will be trying to keep rolling in Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Cleveland Guardians.
It is very surprising to see the Tigers in the position that they are currently in, as they were sellers at the MLB Trade Deadline. Generally speaking, when a team trades some of their best players at the deadline, they usually struggle and miss the playoffs.
However, that wasn’t the case for Detroit, as they got better after trading key players and went on one of the best runs down the stretch in recent memory.
One of the players that the Tigers traded was starting pitcher Jack Flaherty. Detroit traded the upcoming free agent to the Los Angeles Dodgers, as he was one of the best players moved at the deadline, and he has had a very positive impact on the Dodgers.
Flaherty will be hitting free agency this winter and should have numerous suitors after a strong season. Recently, Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report named Detroit as the best landing spot for the big right-hander.
“The Tigers rolled the dice on Jack Flaherty with a one-year, $14 million deal during the offseason, and he successfully rebuilt his value to the point that he was one of the biggest prizes of the trade deadline. He went 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 133 strikeouts in 106.2 innings over 18 starts with the Tigers before he was sent to the Dodgers at the deadline, but that doesn't rule out a potential reunion this winter. The Tigers are a team on the rise, Flaherty had significant success with them, and there is a clear need to find another reliable option to slot alongside Tarik Skubal.”
Considering Flaherty is going to be a free agent, and it looked like the Tigers were out of playoff contention, trading him made a lot of sense at the time.
However, the Tigers have now proven that their young core is ready to win, and that should push ownership to help them this offseason. While the pitching has been very good for Detroit, they have leaned heaily on their bullpen and could use a pitcher like Flaherty back.
It wouldn’t be the first time a team traded a significant asset for him only to return a few months later as a free agent, as the New York Yankees notably traded Aroldis Chapman to the Chicago Cubs in exchange for Gleyber Torres, and then signed Chapman back in free agency.
The Tigers know first hand that Flaherty can be the No.2 starter behind Tarik Skubal, and a reunion would make a lot of sense.
