Former Detroit Tigers Starting Pitcher Angling for Massive Contract in Postseason
What the Detroit Tigers have accomplished this season has been truly remarkable.
Ahead of the trade deadline, the front office operated as a selling team, as they should have been. The playoffs seemed like a long shot and injuries to their rotation left plenty of questions about how their pitching would hold up.
Fast forward to the current day, and the Tigers are the hottest team in baseball. Their late-season surge has carried right over into the playoffs.
After sweeping the Houston Astros in the Wild Card Round, they split the first two games of their ALDS against the Cleveland Guardians. Heading back home to Comerica Park, they will be looking to keep the good time rolling.
As the case has been in all non-Tarik Skubal starts, manager A.J. Hinch is going to be relying on his bullpen to carry him through the game. We could see a bulk innings pitcher behind the opener, but this very well be a full-on bullpen game.
One of the players whom Detroit traded away ahead of the deadline was starting pitcher Jack Flaherty. They could certainly use someone of his caliber behind Skubal to help get the job done in the postseason.
Instead, he is pitching for the Los Angeles Dodgers, who traded shortstop Trey Sweeney, the Tigers’ current starter, and catcher Thayron Liranzo for him.
Set to hit free agency this offseason, he is going to be one of the more sought-after starters on the market. Kiley McDaniel of ESPN has placed the talented righty in his second tier of free agents still alive in the postseason.
That is the tier reserved for players who are going to push for nine-figure paydays this offseason.
“Flaherty has helped his stock with a bounce-back season coming at the right time after four straight middling campaigns. His best free agent comps both happen to be pitchers from the 2021-22 free agent class: Kevin Gausman (five years, $110 million) and Robbie Ray (five years, $115 million). Projecting his next contract requires some adjustments from those starting points due to natural market inflation over three years and Flaherty being younger than both with a slightly better platform season -- but a shorter track record of success leading into free agency,” McDaniel wrote.
The only player ranked ahead of him, in a tier of his own, is New York Yankees outfielder Juan Soto. First baseman Pete Alonso of the New York Mets was in the same tier as Flaherty.
However, he needs his team to step up so that he can showcase his ability at least one more time in October.
“This is where October comes into play. If Flaherty can rebound from his up-and-down NLDS Game 1 start against the San Diego Padres, a series of standout playoff outings (if the Dodgers advance far enough) might help teams feel better about him repeating his 2024 season. But if he doesn't get that chance or shows more of the same, teams could be wary of spending well past $100 million,” the ESPN MLB expert added.
A significant raise will be coming after a strong 2024 played on a one-year deal. But if he wants to push above what Gausman and Ray received, another outing or two in the playoffs would certainly help.
Kenneth Teape is an alumnus of SUNY Old Westbury and graduated in 2013 with an Honors Degree in Media Communications with a focus on print journalism. During his time at Old Westbury, he worked for the school newspaper and several online publications, such as Knicks Now, the official website of the New York Knicks, and a self-made website with fellow students, Gotham City Sports News. Kenneth has also been a site expert at Empire Writes Back, Musket Fire, and Lake Show Life within the FanSided Network. He was a contributor to HoopsHabit, with work featured on Bleacher Report and Yardbarker. In addition to his work here, he is a reporter for both NBA Analysis Network and NFL Analysis Network, as well as a writer and editor for Packers Coverage. You can follow him on X, formerly Twitter, @teapester725, or reach him via email at teapester725@gmail.com.