Ex-Cy Young candidate signs with Tigers
Mar 30, 2019; Toronto, Ontario, CAN; The hat and glove of a Detroit Tigers player before a game against the Toronto Blue Jays at Rogers Centre. Mandatory Credit: John E. Sokolowski-USA TODAY Sports
The Detroit Tigers made a notable move in the free agent market on Thursday.
The Tigers on Thursday agreed to a 1-year, $14 million deal with pitcher Jack Flaherty. Flaherty confirmed the news in a humorous way by sharing a photo of Detroit Pistons legend Isiah Thomas.
— Jack Flaherty (@jflare_) December 15, 2023
The Tigers just lost Eduardo Rodriguez in free agency as the southpaw chose to sign with the Arizona Diamondbacks. They are hoping that Flaherty will be able to fill Rodriguez’s shoes as a strong starter at the front of their rotation.
Flaherty has gone 42-34 with a 3.75 ERA over 667.2 career innings, mostly for the St. Louis Cardinals. The 28-year-old pitcher had his best seasons in 2019 and 2021. In 2019, Flaherty went 11-8 with a 2.75 ERA and 231 strikeouts. His 0.968 WHIP led the NL. Flaherty finished 4th in NL Cy Young Award voting that season and 13th in the NL MVP race. In 2021, Flaherty went 9-2 with a 3.22 ERA over 78.1 innings.
Flaherty posted ERAs over 4.00 in 2022 and 2023. He was traded to the Baltimore Orioles prior to the deadline in 2023 but had a 6.75 ERA over 34.2 innings with them.
The Tigers are hoping Flaherty will be able to regain the form he displayed in 2019 and 2021.