Detroit Tigers Reunion With Star Free Agent Pitcher ‘Would Make Ton of Sense’

The Detroit Tigers were the biggest surprise of the 2024 MLB season, arriving way ahead of their anticipated timeline.

After missing the playoffs for nine straight years, they overcame some incredibly long odds to snap that streak, earning the second wild card spot in the American League despite facing a double-digit deficit in the standings in the second half of the campaign.

The unprecedented run set the table for what many expected to be an exciting offseason as the front office would look to augment their emerging core.

There were clear needs on the roster, such as adding some pop to the lineup. In seven postseason games, the team managed to score only 21 runs and ranked in the bottom half of baseball in virtually every hitting category.

To this point, the only addition made to the lineup has been second baseman Gleyber Torres. But, as long as Houston Astros star Alex Bregman remains on the market, the Tigers cannot be counted out of that race.

Anchoring the team’s success was elite pitching performances in an unorthodox game plan deployed by manager A.J. Hinch.

With Cy Young Award winner Tarik Skubal as the only starting pitcher to rely on at times, Detroit relied on bullpen games, openers and bulk inning pitchers to eat up innings when their ace wasn’t on the mound.

It worked down the stretch of 2024, but the franchise knows it isn’t a sustainable way to find success.

But, the team hasn’t done much with their rotation this offseason, as the only addition has been veteran Alex Cobb.

Stopping there would be a mistake, as he made only three starts in 2024. Injuries were a major reason Hinch was in the position which he was down the stretch, as adding another injury-prone player to the mix is incredibly risky for a team looking to cement their status in the AL.

There is one player still available in free agency that would help ease some of those concerts; Jack Flaherty.

“A reunion with Jack Flaherty would also make a ton of sense to help take some pressure off Tarik Skubal at the top of the rotation. As it stands, Gleyber Torres and Alex Cobb are both solid additions to the roster, and the window is just opening for this group,” wrote Joel Reuter of Bleacher Report.

Flaherty signed a one-year deal with the Tigers ahead of the 2024 season and got his career back on track.

He made 18 starts with the team, registering a 2.95 ERA and 0.956 WHIP across 106.2 innings with 133 strikeouts. As one of the top pitchers available on the trade block ahead of the deadline, he was flipped to the Los Angeles Dodgers, who he helped win a World Series.

Bringing him back on another short-term deal would be a great outcome for both sides.

Flaherty would have a chance to prove that his performance last year wasn’t a fluke in a place where he is comfortable and has found success previously. Short-term deals are what Detroit prefers with free-agent pitchers and he could hit free agency again next winter.