Detroit Tigers Reuniting with Former Pitcher Named Best Move This Offseason

The Detroit Tigers made several moves this offseason to bolster the roster, but this one was certainly the best.

Feb 27, 2025; Lakeland, Florida, USA; Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty (9) pitches during the first inning against the Boston Red Sox at Publix Field at Joker Marchant Stadium. | Mike Watters-Imagn Images

With the offseason winding down for the Detroit Tigers, the team is getting prepared to prove that last season was no fluke. 

It was an amazing campaign for the Tigers in 2024. Thanks to a great two months of baseball, they were able to snap a lengthy postseason drought and change the direction of the franchise for the positive. 

However, even though the team had a ton of success last campaign, by no means were they perfect. 

Coming into the winter, there were plenty of areas of need to address and, despite starting off the offseason fairly quietly, Detroit ended up doing a good job in free agency. 

The most notable moves for the team were to sign Jack Flaherty, Alex Cobb, Tommy Kahnle, and Gleyber Torres. However, of the moves made, one really stood out a filled a big need. 

Jim Bowden of The Athletic recently wrote about the best move for the Tigers this winter being the reunion with Flaherty.  

“Bringing back Jack Flaherty, who gives the Tigers a strong rotation with Tarik Skubal, the reigning AL Cy Young winner, and Jackson Jobe, the front-runner for rookie pitcher of the year, along with Reese Olson and Casey Mize," he wrote.

Last winter, Detroit gave Flaherty a shot after he had a dreadful second half of the season with the Baltimore Orioles in 2023. 

However, the signing worked out for the Tigers in 2024, with the right-hander totaling a 7-5 record and 2.95 ERA. 

Due to Detroit seemingly being out of the playoff picture at the trade deadline last year, they made the wise decision at the time to trade him to the Los Angeles Dodgers. However, hindsight is always 20/20 and they could have used his skills in the postseason after the magical run they went on. 

With finding a running mate at the top of the rotation being a big need for the Tigers, Flaherty will help fill that like he did in the first half of last year. 

From a contract point of view, it’s basically a one-year deal for $25 million, with a $10 million player option for 2026. Assuming the right-hander pitches well, he will be testing free agency once again next winter. 

For the Tigers, the deal makes a lot of sense. Flaherty gives them a front-end starter capable of winning postseason games. Furthermore, he also has a long-term commitment financially, which gives Detroit financial flexibility once again next winter. 

Overall, there is a lot to like about the reunion and the move made sense for most of the offseason. 

Now that they have Flaherty back, they will be hoping that he was the missing piece to help them get to the ALCS in 2025.