Tigers Should Have Major Concerns About Jack Flaherty After Struggles Against Royals
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Jack Flaherty had a resurgent year with the Detroit Tigers last season, and that gave him the opportunity to win a World Series championship with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
He also hoped it would secure him a long-term contract, getting his career back on track after injuries and poor play had largely derailed it before he signed with the Tigers. But that didn't come for Flaherty this past winter, with teams around the league hesitant to commit to him.
So, he returned to Detroit, a place he was happy to be all along. But even Scott Harris and his front office didn't feel like committing to a lengthy relationship with Flaherty, as they signed him to a two-year, $35 million deal where it was front loaded with $25 million for the 2025 campaign and a player option of $10 million for 2026.
A lot of reason for the lack of interest in the right-hander was due to the belief that he wouldn't be able to sustain top-end form or health over the length of a full season, which seems to have been proven right when it comes to the latter sentiment.
Tigers Should Be Concerned About Jack Flaherty
While Flaherty's season-long ERA is 4.87 across 26 starts, it's what has happened in the month of August that should be causing some alarm bells to go off inside Detroit's organization, something that was exacerbated by his performance on Sunday.
To begin the month, Flaherty was excellent against the Philadelphia Phillies, going six innings where he allowed just one run on two hits with seven strikeouts, holding a potent lineup at bay and giving his team a chance to win.
But in the two starts after that -- Aug. 6 against the Minnesota Twins and Aug. 12 against the Chicago White Sox -- the right-hander was lit up for five earned runs allowed on eight hits in each of those outings.
Now, following an incredible performance against the Houston Astros where he threw seven innings of shutout ball with just three hits allowed and nine strikeouts compared to one walk, the questions about the viability of Flaherty exist again, with him getting rocked for eight earned runs on 10 hits against the Kansas City Royals.
Final: Royals 10, Tigers 8
— Detroit Tigers (@tigers) August 24, 2025
In the month of August, he now sits with a 6.33 ERA and a 1-3 record across five starts, an ERA mark that is only lower than his performance in June when finished that month with a 6.84 ERA across five starts. Following the All-Star break, Flaherty has a 5.50 ERA in seven starts, allowing a batting average against of .280.
The concerns about the veteran right-hander should stem from his inconsistency, with it being hard to predict exactly what version is going to show up to the ballpark on any given day he's starting. That is scary when trying to put together a playoff starting rotation since any singular loss could be the difference between advancing and going home.
Flaherty could bounce back again like he's done all season, which would be the best-case scenario for the Tigers at this stage of the campaign. But if that doesn't happen, then there will need to be a tough decision that's made regarding his role in October.
