The Detroit Tigers’ starting pitcher Jack Flaherty has been among the top names expected to be moved at this year’s MLB trade deadline. With just a day remaining for teams to deal players, the Tigers have scratched Flaherty from his scheduled start against the Cleveland Guardians this evening “to protect him for a trade,” according to Joel Sherman of the New York Post on X.
The move could indicate that a deal for the veteran starter is near completion. At the very least, the Tigers are keeping their valuable trade chip healthy and available in the run up to the deadline.
Flaherty has been excellent for a bad Tigers' team this season. In 18 starts the 28-year-old righty has a 7-5 record with a 2.95 ERA and career-best efforts in WHIP (0.956) and K/9 (11.2). He’s posted 2.8 WAR in 106.2 innings pitched so far in 2024.
A number of teams looking to bolster their starting rotations have shown interest in acquiring the eight-year veteran including the New York Yankees, the Houston Astros and the Milwaukee Brewers.
One team that can be counted out on the Flaherty sweepstakes though is the New York Mets. Responding to MLB insider Jon Heyman’s declaration that a trade for the pitcher is likely imminent, Andy Martino of SNY wrote on X, “If Flaherty is traded soon, it won’t be to the Mets.”
Tigers’ pitcher Jack Flaherty will sit out start on the eve of the trade deadline
Still, there are plenty of teams who would love to add Flaherty to their staff. Even the Baltimore Orioles have expressed interest in a reunion.
After spending his entire career with the St. Louis Cardinals, Flaherty was sent to the Orioles at last year’s trade deadline. However, far from helping the team over the second half, the pitcher went 1-3 and posted career worsts in ERA (6.75), WHIP (1.673) and ERA+ (61) in 34.2 innings over nine appearances for Baltimore.
Still, with a limited number of frontline starters available on the trade market this season, the Orioles could be a possibility. And if Baltimore isn’t interested, some other pitching-needy team will give the Tigers what they want in order to land Flaherty. The hurler has revived his career with Detroit and regained his form from when he was at the height of his powers in St. Louis.
The Tigers are 12 games behind the first-place Cleveland Guardians in the AL Central and 5.5 games back in the Wild Card standings. While that might not appear to be an insurmountable deficit, Detroit would need to overtake four teams to grab the final Wild Card berth – including the Boston Red Sox and the Kansas City Royals. Even if the Tigers were somehow able to reach the playoffs, Detroit is nowhere near ready to compete with the best teams in baseball.
The Tigers’ decision-makers recognize the reality of the organization’s situation in 2024. Detroit would be happy to sell off players on expiring contracts to jumpstart a rebuild with a new group of prospects.
Flaherty is an ideal trade candidate for the team. He’s making $14 million this season and hits free agency in 2025. So the Tigers could reap the benefits of the pitcher’s new-found success this season and a contender could add a frontline starter for a second-half push and a playoff run.
All that’s left to do is wait to see what team lands Flaherty and what the Tigers receive in return. And we shouldn’t have to wait very long.
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