Tigers Expensive Fan Favorite Pitcher Shockingly Named Likely Trade Candidate
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The Detroit Tigers enter the offseason and find themselves at a little bit of a crossroads in terms of how aggressive they want to get in free agency and the trade market to make improvements for next season.
After falling in the same spot two years in a row in the playoffs despite appearing like a legitimate contender for large portions of 2025, it's time for Detroit to take the next step and figure out how to get over that hump.
Trade-wise, most of the noise so far has, of course, revolved around now repeat American League Cy Young ace Tarik Skubal, but perhaps the Tigers could look to deal someone else from within their starting rotation.
In a recent article naming the most likely trade candidate for every team in baseball, the name used by Kerry Miller of Bleacher Report for Detroit was right-hander Jack Flaherty, who recently accepted a $20 million player option for 2026.
Jack Flaherty Named Tigers Most Likely Trade Candidate
"Not only would moving Flaherty save some coin, but it also better enables them to use 2026 to find out which pitchers they can count upon for 2027 and beyond," Miller wrote after highlighting some of the financials. "But that hinges to some extent on how confident they are in Reese Olson, Ty Madden and Keider Montero being both healthy and part of the starting rotation mix heading into next season."
As Miller pointed out, Flaherty plus Gleyber Torres accepting his qualifying offer along with the contract for Javier Baez and likely arbitration number for Skubal makes four players making $20 million or more this upcoming season.
Flaherty coming back could hamstring Detroit's ability to sign other free agents by tying up $20 million into what was essentially at least this year a middle of the rotation starter in the right-hander.
Do Tigers Have Enough Depth to Entertain Trading Flaherty?
Though $20 million may be more than Detroit wants to spend on a pitcher who had a 4.64 ERA and an American League leading 15 losses this past season, Flaherty was one of the rare dependable arms on the team who made a full slate of starts.
A willingness to deal him would have to come along with the caveat of making multiple legitimate adds in the rotation, otherwise the Tigers are banking on Reese Olson returning healthy and potentially a contribution next year from rookie Jackson Jobe after his Tommy John surgery.
The financial aspect makes sense for wanting to unload here, but if Detroit is going to keep Skubal and try to win in 2026, it would be tough to justify selling off Flaherty just to save a little bit of cash.
If a team is willing to give the Tigers a huge return, it's worth considering for the flexibility getting Flaherty's $20 million off the books would provide, but they also must ask themselves if they can replicate what he brings with the savings.
If not, it would likely be more worth it for Detroit to hang onto him. If Scott Harris thinks he can field multiple solid starters for that $20 million though while also netting a solid prospect return in a trade, it would absolutely be worth it.
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Michael Brauner is a 2022 graduate of the University of Alabama with a degree in Sports Media. He covers various MLB teams across the On SI network and you can also find his work on Yellowhammer News covering the Alabama Crimson Tide and Auburn Tigers as well as on the radio producing and co-hosting 'The Opening Kickoff' every weekday morning on 105.5 WNSP FM in Mobile, Alabama.