Ex-Detroit Tigers Pitcher Returning to Los Angeles Dodgers ‘Could Be a Top Priority’
It's fair to wonder if the Detroit Tigers regret what they did at the trade deadline.
While, at the time, trading Jack Flaherty seemed to be the right decision, there were reasons not to move him.
For one, he was interested in returning to the Tigers if they were willing to give him the money he was looking for in the offseason. On the other hand, it was a dangerous game they could've potentially been playing. They would've risked losing him for nothing.
The right-hander certainly would've helped Detroit in their playoff push, but the rotation has been one of the better in Major League Baseball since they moved him at the end of July.
He's now with the Los Angeles Dodgers, and from his perspective, there aren't many better places to play. Not only do the Dodgers typically hand out massive contracts in free agency, but he's also from California and has a chance to play in his home state.
That's without factoring in that Los Angeles is typically a contending team with an opportunity to win a World Series yearly.
He's in line to get a handsome new deal this winter, especially because Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw have dealt with injuries and are heading into free agency. If they lose both of those guys, keeping Flaherty around becomes that much bigger of a deal.
So much so that Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report believes the Dodgers bringing him back might be a "top priority."
"Now he has turned things around in a big way, and he has continued to impress since joining the Dodgers at the trade deadline. His age will be a major bargaining chip in free agency, as he is two and three years younger than the other top starting pitchers on the market. With Walker Buehler and Clayton Kershaw headed for free agency and multiple other starters recovering from injury, bringing him back could be a top priority for the Dodgers this winter."
He's pitched in nine games for Los Angeles since being acquired, posting a 3.40 ERA and striking out 56 hitters in 50 1/3 innings pitched.
In 2024, he's posted a 3.10 ERA in 27 starts spanning over 157.0 innings. With 189 strikeouts, there's reason to believe he can continue throwing the baseball how he has throughout the season.
Hopefully, he's the next one in the Dodgers organization to get the money he should. Flaherty was nothing but a professional during his time with the Tigers and deserves what's to come.
JON CONAHAN