How Jack Flaherty’s Signing Impacts the Detroit Tigers

The Detroit Tigers are reuniting with the frontline pitcher they dealt, not too many months ago, signing Jack Flaherty on a two-year deal.

Starting pitcher Jack Flaherty of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field.
CLEVELAND, OHIO - MAY 06: Starting pitcher Jack Flaherty #9 of the Detroit Tigers pitches during the first inning against the Cleveland Guardians at Progressive Field on May 06, 2024 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Jason Miller/Getty Images)

Late Sunday night the Detroit Tigers inked pitcher Jack Flaherty to a two-year, $35 million deal with an opt-out after the first year. Flaherty will earn $25 million in 2025, $10 million in 2026 which can escalate to $20 million if he makes 15 starts in 2025.

Flaherty found success last season with the Tigers before being traded at the deadline to the Dodgers. The rare, but ever so sweet, trade and re-sign was pulled off by Scott Harris and the Tigers.

This deal is about as good as it gets for Detroit. You bring back a player that was immensely successful in your system without having to shell out a long term contract.

Sure, Flaherty could opt out after a season, but that would mean he provided top-of-the-rotation value to your team. If he does get injured and makes less than 15 starts, the commitment for 2026 is the same amount that Detroit is paying Kenta Maeda – not much.

Ad – content continues below

Many projections had Flaherty landing a deal somewhere in the range of three to five years, and the Tigers were able to get him for two. In my opinion, this speaks volumes to the structure Detroit has in place that Flaherty was familiar with, and obviously liked. He wanted to be in Detroit and not many player would have said that a few years back.

Cy Young winner Tarik Skubal just happens to fit free agency the same time as this deal expires. While Skubal is likely to see a bidding war, the Tigers will not have money tied up to Flaherty allowing, in theory, for a full go at a Skubal extension, if they decide to go that route.

A High End Arm the Tigers Needed

Although the Tigers have several intriguing and talented pitchers, they needed another high-end arm. Skubal is the ace, but after him, there’s a collection of inexperienced or lower-end options. Signing Flaherty gives Detroit the one-two punch that dominated stretches last season and makes their (potential) playoff rotation that much stronger.

The Tigers front office identified Flaherty as their bounce-back project last offseason and struck gold. Chris Fetter and company helped get Flaherty’s command issues ironed out while not taking away from his strikeout stuff. In fact, Flaherty posted his highest K/9 since the COVID shortened season.

I’m a believer in needing at least two high end arms in a rotation.

While I am a big believer in Reese Olson and the development path he is on, Flaherty is a better pitcher at this point in his career. Olson still needs to improve his fastball, but having him as the three and not the two gives this rotation a significantly better outlook.

Ad – content continues below

Rotation Depth

Obviously, adding Flaherty will shift the other starters, not named Skubal, down a spot in the rotation. Olson, Cobb, and Mize can round out a rotation and allow the younger options more time to develop in Toledo. Considering Cobb is coming off of injury, while Skubal and Flaherty have an injury past of their own, having pitchers with options in Toledo is fine.

Top prospect Jackson Jobe is more likely to start the season in the minors, which might be the best for him. With less than 15 innings above Double-A, and less than 250 innings as a pro, the 22-year-old will not need to help the Tigers right out of the gate.

Jobe, who also missed time due to injury in 2024, will likely have an innings restriction somewhere between 120-140 innings. Shorter starts, or more days in between starts, in order to stretch those innings out over the course of a season is easier to manage in the minors. Have him ready for the second half or if another starter goes down.

This signing also pushes Keider Montero to Toledo. I love what I saw from Montero at times and think he can carve out a solid career, but additional time in the minors won’t hurt.

Of course, any of these options could steal the job from Mize, but I think the Tigers will give the veteran an opening-day spot.

Lastly, Kenta Maeda, who was rumored to be coming back to the rotation, is likely to land in the bullpen. After a horrid start to his Tigers career, Maeda pitched to the tune of a 3.86 ERA once he was moved to the bullpen. Detroit likes having pitchers who can go multiple innings and Maeda can fill that role, especially with Alex Faedo recently DFA’d.

Ad – content continues below

Lastly, Sawyer Gipson-Long, Matt Manning, and Ty Madden are further depth. I’d actually prefer Madden transition to the bullpen full-time and see if his slider and sinker combination with a good fastball can result in a high-leverage reliever.

Final Thoughts

While some Tigers fans are weary of how to feel about Scott Harris, this has to change your perspective. He’s improved the team without having to hand out a deal that could come back to bite him. Not to mention the farm system is the best it has been in a very long time.

Although the Tigers made the playoffs, we were all a bit scared that they would be hesitate to add. After cheap moves year after year, we needed to see it to believe it. No, it’s not a mega deal that would truly bust the Tigers out of the bottom of payrolls, but a step in the right direction.

The Tigers did not lose anyone of great significance from last year’s playoff team. Flaherty netted them a now top-100 prospect along with the team’s starting shortstop. Now, it’s time for him to help bring post-season success back to Comerica.