Sources with knowledge of the deal report that Jack Flaherty, the right-handed pitcher, has agreed on a two-year, $35 million contract with the Detroit Tigers. The deal moves the veteran starter to Detroit to bolster the rotation going into the 2025 MLB season.
Flaherty, 28, has spent the past season shuttling between the St. Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles, unable to find much consistency but occasionally reminding everyone of the dominant form that earned him early prospect acclaim.
In his first year as a Cards player, Flaherty produced some really fine results. He has since then struggled to find any kind of consistency or avoid injuries. Hopefully, by coming into a new year with Detroit, he will return to his best form and be the Tigers’ ace in the rotation.
Detroit, on its long-term rebuild, adds experience to what the team had considered a strong youth pitching movement with Flaherty. This is a good omen going into the last month of the 2024 season, but more importantly for Detroit, signals its intent to make a splash in the American League Central division.
“We believe in Jack’s ability to bounce back,” said a Tigers source. “He has the experience and talent to be a very valuable piece of our pitching staff.
Flaherty’s Career and 2024 Performance
Flaherty first made a splash in 2019, as he threw with a 2.75 ERA and 231 strikeouts over 196.1 innings for the Cardinals. However, injuries and inconsistency have marked his career ever since he became one of the league’s bright young pitchers.
In the 2024 season, he was split between St. Louis and Baltimore, as he ended up with:
- 10-11 record
- 4.73 ERA
- 163 strikeouts in 152 innings
While his numbers don’t reflect dominance, he showed signs of his old self, particularly in strong outings against playoff-caliber teams.
The Tigers’ rotation already features promising young arms, including Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize, and Matt Manning. Flaherty brings veteran leadership and postseason experience that could help mentor Detroit’s young pitchers.
He would fill a consistent top-end need for the Detroit team, and if he is healthy and back to form, that would bring stability to the rotation.
The signing of Flaherty makes sense in line with the plan the Tigers had of adding some experience without getting locked into high-priced, long-term deals. Detroit has been improving incrementally, and the signing of a proven pitcher on a short deal fits their competitive timeline.
This contract might also become important in trading situations if the Tigers want to trade Flaherty at the 2025 trade deadline for future assets. Flaherty gets the opportunity to rebuild his value on a team that’s going to give him a big role. The Tigers are taking on a former elite pitcher who can still be a difference-maker.
The 2025 MLB season is approaching and everyone is looking to answer whether Flaherty can get back into his magic that made him one of baseball’s brightest stars.
