A former St. Louis Cardinals first-round draft pick has found a new home. The Detroit Tigers and Jack Flaherty are in an agreement on a one-year, $14 million deal, reports Jeff Passan of ESPN. The 28-year-old went 8-9 with a 4.99 ERA and 148 strikeouts, .287 batting average against batters, and a 1.58 WHIP in 144 1/3 innings last season between the Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles. His contract can max out at $15 million, Passan added. There’s also a bonus as close as $1 million if Flaherty makes 30 starts for the Tigers in 2024.
BREAKING: Right-handed starter Jack Flaherty and the Detroit Tigers are in agreement on a one-year, $14 million contract, sources tell ESPN.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) December 15, 2023
Jack Flaherty Lands In Detroit
The former Cardinals starter was once an aspiring budding ace in the majors before injuries and inconsistencies derailed his trajectory. Flaherty turned in a 3.34 ERA over 151 innings back in 2018, his first full season in the big leagues. He delivered his best season in his young career in 2019, with 196 1/3 innings, a 2.75 ERA, a 29.9% strikeout rate, and a 7.1% walk rate.
A slew of injuries sidelined him for 18 months following putting up those numbers. The Cardinals took one more chance on Flaherty entering the 2023 season, hoping he could rediscover his ace-caliber form from 2019 and in early 2021. His first half was inconsistent, and his walk rate went through the roof.
Flaherty’s Struggles Continued Baltimore
With his velocity diminishing in the early part of 2023, Flaherty had a 4.43 ERA in 20 starts with the Cardinals. St. Louis was out of contention as he was dealt to Baltimore, yet his struggles followed him. He went 1-3 with a 6.75 ERA in nine games, including seven starts with the American League East champion Orioles. When the Orioles made the postseason, he was shifted to a bullpen role. Now that he has signed a short-term contract, he has a chance to redeem his value before testing the free agent again next winter.
Detroit Now Has Flaherty and A Former Dodger
He will now join a Tigers rotation that added Kenta Maeda, who played for the Los Angeles Dodgers and Minnesota Twins. Detroit has a a lot of young talent coming up through the pipeline already. Hopefully, that will help the right-hander in his new environment. Flaherty is 42-34 with a 3.75 ERA in 131 games with 125 starts. He made the All-MLB second team in 2019 and finished fourth in National League Cy Young voting.
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