Detroit Tigers Named Perfect Match for Jack Flaherty After Winter Meetings
The Detroit Tigers finished up the Winter Meetings and just made a couple of small moves so far this offseason.
Coming into the offseason, the Tigers have the opportunity to build upon what was an excellent 2024 campaign. Detroit saw their lengthy playoff drought come to an end after a wild second half of the season. Now, expectations have drastically changed for the team.
With a great young core that has proven to be able to win already, the franchise must try and switch their mindset quickly into a win-now philosophy.
Despite the success of 2024, there are a few key needs for the Tigers, with starting pitching and a power right-handed bat at the top of the list.
Recently, Will Leitch of MLB.com spoke about the best matches for free agents still available after the Winter Meetings. While he highlights the Baltimore Orioles as an excellent fit for Jack Flaherty, he names the Tigers as the perfect match.
“The Orioles are in danger of being mostly idle during an offseason that would seem rather critical for them, but still: I can’t see them going too big on Flaherty. The Tigers had a much happier experience with Flaherty, and a return, paying both team and player back for a short-term investment heading into last year, could be what makes the most sense.”
The veteran right-hander certainly makes a lot of sense for the Orioles this offseason, as they are seemingly expecting to lose their ace, Corbin Burnes. However, Baltimore actually had him on the team in 2023 after trading for him for the stretch run. Flaherty pitched poorly for the Orioles and really hurt himself going into free agency last offseason.
While the right-hander might not have pitched well in his short stint with Baltimore, he left a very good impression on the Tigers. Before getting traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, Flaherty totaled a (7-5) record and 2.95 ERA.
The strong season overall will likely result in a solid contract for the 29-year-old. For Detroit, bringing Flaherty back and once again pairing him with Tarik Skubal at the top of the pitching rotation makes a lot of sense.
In the playoffs, he was able to help contribute in a big way to the Dodgers winning the World Series.
If the Tigers are looking to try and be serious contenders, they do need to make some upgrades in free agency. A reunion with Flaherty would be a great way to strengthen a staff that is still young and developing.