What is Tigers' Best Case Scenario to Re-Sign Fan Favorite Ace in Free Agency?
The Detroit Tigers must enter this winter more aggressively than they planned on being after the team proved down the stretch that contention is not extremely far away in the Motor City.
While the team became sellers at the deadline and unloaded veterans on expiring deals such as Carson Kelly, Mark Canha and Andrew Chafin, the group remaining in the clubhouse was able to rally for one of the most electric late-season runs that Detroit has ever seen. The biggest name they dealt, however, certainly could have helped them in the postseason in right handed star Jack Flaherty. Granted, the now Los Angeles Dodgers starter was just a one-year rental and is now set to hit free agency after the team's playoff run ends.
But as the Tigers prepare for an offseason in which they will try to improve the roster enough to make an even deeper trip into the postseason next year, could they look to bring Flaherty right back to Detroit? With the team desperate for a bolstered rotation behind their superstar ace Tarik Skubal, Flaherty could prove to be a fantastic option with the outlook in the clubhouse now much different than it was at the deadline in July. Zach Pressnell of FanSided wrote that bringing back Flaherty this winter would be a best case scenario for Detroit.
"Flaherty was one of the top right-handed arms in the league and has only turned his game up in the postseason," Pressnell wrote. "Now, they have the opportunity to spend the money to give their 2025 team some starting pitching. Flaherty is a free agent and bringing him back would be the best case scenario for the Tigers."
Flaherty was very good in the 18 starts he made for the Tigers after the team gave him a one-year deal last year. Posting a 7-5 record with a 2.95 ERA and a WHIP below 1.0 along with 133 strikeouts in 106.2 innings, he was even better than advertised when the team brought him in. With Flaherty continuing to excel in Los Angeles and contributing heavily to what could very well be a Dodgers World Series run though, his price tag could be going up.
Ultimately, the team needs to prioritize a long-term deal with Skubal ahead of every other goal this offseason. But getting a legitimate, proven commodity at No. 2 like Flaherty also needs to happen if Detroit wants to contend for anything serious in 2025.
