Detroit Tigers' Wish List Should Include Reunion With Free-Agent Pitcher

It has been a fairly disappointing offseason for the Detroit Tigers so far, but there is still time to make a couple of splashes to improve the team before the start of the year.

After an amazing campaign in 2024, the Tigers have seen their expectations change drastically for the upcoming year. Last season, Detroit was able to make the postseason for the first time in a decade, but they also were able to eliminate the Houston Astros from the playoffs.

The victory against the Astros was eye-opening, considering how well Houston has performed in the postseason over the last decade.

Now, with expectations much different, the Tigers are going to have some pressure on them in 2025 to replicate their success. While it was a great year in 2024, this was a team that had some pretty noticeable flaws.

One of the main areas in the second half and the postseason was their pitching staff behind Tarik Skubal. Having a second front-end starter to pair behind their ace certainly feels like more of a need than a want if the team is going to be back in the playoffs next year.

Zachary D. Rymer of Bleacher Report recently wrote about the wish list for the Tigers before spring training. He highlighted their need for a starting pitcher and mentioned Jack Flaherty as the pitcher who could be the best option.

“However, it's worth noting that the Tigers are reportedly in on Jack Flaherty. And why not, given how good he was for them last year before they shipped him off to Los Angeles?” he wrote.

A reunion with Flaherty makes a lot of sense for Detroit, especially considering how well he pitched for them last year. After a disappointing second half of the season in 2023 with the Baltimore Orioles, Flaherty took a one-year deal with the Tigers to try and prove himself as a good pitcher.

He did just that with Detroit, totaling a 7-5 record and a 2.95 ERA. However, when it appeared like making the playoffs wasn’t going to happen at the trade deadline, the Tigers traded him to the Los Angeles Dodgers.

The veteran right-hander pitched well for the Dodgers, helping them win a World Series.

Now, the 29-year-old is arguably the best starting pitcher left on the market and there are certainly some teams that could still use his services.

For Detroit, considering how well he and Skubal pitched together in the first half of 2024, a reunion makes a lot of sense. While hindsight is always 20/20, the Tigers might have been able to make the ALCS if they had him in the postseason last year.