It was a very successful 2024 for Jack Flaherty, who had a strong comeback season and won his first World Series title. Now, Jack Flaherty will head back to the Tigers, the team he started 2024. Flaherty will reportedly sign a two-year deal, with the option to head back to free agency again after 2025.
A Look at Flaherty
Last season, Jack Flaherty took a one-year deal with the Tigers after a tough run with the Orioles last in 2023. His run in Baltimore capped off an up-and-down campaign, one that saw him deal with questions surrounding his fastball, as well as whether he could return to his old form.
Flaherty was a strikeout machine back in 2019, with a career-best 231 punchouts that season. However, injuries set Flaherty back — until 2024.
The right-hander put up strong metrics, including a high 30.7% Chase% and a 32.1% Whiff% rate that ranked in the 91st percentile of the game. Flaherty struck out 194 batters between Detroit and Los Angeles, his best numbers since that 2019 campaign.
With the Tigers, Flaherty cut out the cutter from his arsenal, focusing primarily on his four-seamer and two breaking balls.
The right-hander saw significant growth as a whole, as the IVB on his fastball ticked up from 13.4” mean in 2023 and 15.4” in 2024. It’s a pitch that sits roughly in the 92-94 MPH range. But, plays up thanks to the movement, lower arm slot, and above-average extension.
On top of that, Flaherty began to leverage his slider significantly more.
Flaherty’s slider is a hard offering that sat in the mid-to-high-80s and had above-average movement towards his glove side. On average, the slider moved roughly 1.6 in. more compared to the league-average.
Between those three offerings, as well as a changeup and sinker, Flaherty had enough weapons to work hitters and up and down, with effect.
The 29-year-old was traded weeks before the Tigers’ surge up the AL Wild Card standings. Detroit moved Flaherty to the Dodgers for prospect Thayron Liranzo and infielder Trey Sweeney, the latter of whom helped give the Tigers some offensive punch over the last few weeks of 2024.
Flaherty, meanwhile, struck out 61 over 55.1 IP with the Dodgers in the regular season. He threw 22 innings in the postseason, recording a 7.36 ERA, ballooned by a tough NLCS performance in Game 5 — one that saw his velocity down to the high-80s.
Per reports, the Tigers will bring Jack Flaherty back on a two-year deal worth $35MM. The deal includes an opt-out after 2025.
Analysis
Even though Jack Flaherty had success in Los Angeles and is a SoCal native, the reality was that the Dodgers weren’t bringing him back. The Dodgers added Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki, rounding out what will likely be a six-man rotation for the reigning World Series champions.
Flaherty will, instead, go back to the pitcher-friendly confines of Detroit. It was, as the numbers, clearly a fit for the 29-year-old. Aside from the fact Flaherty, a fly-ball pitcher, heads back to a friendly stadium, he was able to unlock a new level with Detroit by shifting around his arsenal and doubling-down on what works for him.
And, the acquisition is important for the Tigers.
Detroit would have entered the spring with roughly the same questions the team had entering October. The Tigers have their ace, Tarik Skubal, plus a lot of questions. Will Jackson Jobe make the MLB roster to start 2025? Can Alex Cobb stay healthy? What about Casey Mize & Keider Montero? Can Reese Olson look more like the pitcher Tigers fans saw in the first half?
A one-two punch of Skubal and Flaherty gives the Tigers needed security for their rotation.
It’s the second notable pickup for the Tigers this past week, as the team previously signed ex-Yankee reliever Tommy Kahnle.