According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Detroit Tigers got a Sunday night surprise as they have reunited with Jack Flaherty on a 2 year contract worth $35 million with an opt-out after the first season. The deal has Flaherty making $25 million this season along with a guaranteed $10 million next season that can get up to $20 million ($45 million total on the contract) if Flaherty makes 15 starts with the Tigers in 2025 and exercises his player option to return to the team. 

Flaherty was one of the Tigers’ best pitching success stories last season as he pitched great in the Old English D having a 7-5 record with a 2.95 ERA, with 133 strikeouts, in 106.2 innings pitched. He was then traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers where his success continued with a 6-2 record with a 3.65 ERA, with 61 strikeouts, in 55.1 regular season innings. Flaherty also helped the Dodgers win the World Series where he had an excellent start in Game 1. Being able to bring back a player of his quality to an organization he already has some familiarity with is huge for the Tigers and I am sure they are quite thrilled that his success story will  have another chapter. 

Part of the reason Flaherty is back with the team is because his market did not come together like he hoped it would. Flaherty went on the Foul Territory Network on Youtube and explained some of his frustrations about his lack of market. Interestingly enough, along with the talk about his free agency, he also talked about his time with the Tigers. He discussed how he liked being a Tiger and even said that he thought the Tigers would have beaten the Guardians in the ALDS if he was still on the team. At the end of the day, he liked his time with the Tigers enough to accept a short term contract with the team and reunite the two headed monster of Tarik Skubal and Jack Flaherty.

Now that the Tigers have added Flaherty, the question becomes what’s next? Obviously most fans have turned their attention to Third Baseman Alex Bregman, who remains on the market as one of the best hitters still available. The Tigers have always made sense as a fit for Bregman given his ties in Houston with Tigers Manager A.J Hinch, but it also makes a lot of sense with the Tigers not having a solidified third baseman currently on the roster. Currently, there is an expectation that the Tigers will platoon Matt Vierling and Jace Jung for that role right now, but obviously a trade or a Bregman acquisition could change that. According to ESPN’s Buster Olney and the Detroit Free Press’s Evan Petzold, the Tigers are still pursuing Bregman, which would be a massive addition for the organization.

What if they miss out on Bregman? Tigers Director of Baseball Operations Scott Harris in many press conferences has made it clear they will explore all avenues when it comes to upgrading the team. Whether that is through free agency, trade, or the waiver wire, Harris and his staff are always on the lookout for potential upgrades to the team and organization. If they miss out on Bregman, I would expect that they will be active in the trade market to acquire another bat. Now that the Tigers have acquired Flaherty, the team has some excess pitching available. The saying that “you can never have enough pitching” is true, but, at the same time, if you can use some of your pitchers as trade pieces to get the bat that the team needs, then the Tigers have to think about it. Some of the names available that the Tigers could be interested in like, Alec Bohm from the Phillies, Nolan Arenado of the Cardinals (if he waives his no trade clause to come to the Tigers), or Ke’Bryan Hayes from the Pirates, could all be solid third base options the Tigers could explore if they miss out on Bregman. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Tigers continued to explore the bullpen market as well. They already added Tommy Kahnle, but there are still some good options available like Kenley Jansen, Kyle Finnegan, David Robertson, and others  that could continue to make the Tigers bullpen even stronger. 

Once this deal is finalized, the Tigers should have their starting rotation essentially set for this upcoming season. If the team can find a way to add one more bat, and maybe a bullpen arm as well, the Tigers should be ready to make a run at winning their first AL Central Championship since 2014.