World Series-winning pitcher Jack Flaherty is back on the free agent market this winter, but this time he may be looking for a more lucrative, long-term deal. The right-hander began the 2024 season with the Detroit Tigers. He quickly became a top target as the trade deadline approached because of his durability and potential to be clutch in high-leverage games. The New York Yankees backed out of a trade with Detroit over concerns of a lingering back issue. The Los Angeles Dodgers, desperate for length and a healthy arm, swooped in and snatched Flaherty just as time expired. The rest, as they say, is (World Series) history.
Jack Flaherty Has Choice of Landing Spots as Free Agent
You Can Go Home Again
Flaherty, a Southern Californian native and a Dodgers fan to boot, went 6-2 in 10 starts for the Boys in Blue, with a 3.58 ERA. Perhaps, more importantly, he went at least five innings in nine of ten of his regular-season starts, shoring up a thin starting rotation. One of his most memorable starts for Los Angeles came on Labor Day weekend in Arizona against the Diamondbacks. He went 5 2/3 innings allowing one run while striking out seven. It gave the Dodgers some much-needed breathing room atop the division at the time. Arizona never recovered.
Jack Flaherty knew the stakes of todays game and he delivered. 7 strike outs of 1 run ball over 5.2 innings. What a deadline add.
pic.twitter.com/3r8YnbgsIB— Klein25 (@Klein25) September 2, 2024
Birds of a Feather
The right-hander was drafted by the St.Louis Cardinals in the first round of the 2014 MLB draft. He eventually made his debut with the Redbirds in 2017. He remained with St. Louis until September of 2023 when he was traded to the Baltimore Orioles, who were in the midst of a postseason push. Flaherty’s time with Baltimore didn’t go as well as he would have hoped. He struggled with his command due to a hip injury. As a result, his ERA was well above 4.00, while his strikeouts were down and his walks were up. His ineffectiveness restricted his choices in the free agent market last winter, which led him to sign a one-year deal with Detroit.
On Again, Off Again
Flaherty was a solid option for the most part in the 2024 regular season. The postseason, however, was a different story. The right-hander struggled with his consistency. Two of his five starts were exceptional, shutting down the New York Mets and the New York Yankees. However, the other starts were forgettable, to say the least. The 29-year-old allowed at least four earned runs and his ERA this postseason was above 7.00.
Prime Choices
Despite the inconsistency, Flaherty will not lack options this offseason. The San Diego Padres, Los Angeles Angels, and Boston Red Sox, as well as the Yankees, Mets, and Dodgers, could all be interested.
Not the First Domino to Fall
Where the right-hander goes may depend on where Roki Sasaki, Corbin Burnes, Max Fried, and Blake Snell go. Once those moves are determined, the picture for the LA-born World Champion will become clearer. There is a question whether or not he will don the Dodger uniform again. However, there is no doubt that the right-hander hurler will wear a World Series ring wherever he lands.
Photo Credit: © Vincent Carchietta-Imagn Images
