The Detroit Tigers, one of the most competitive foes the Cleveland Guardians will have to top this year to repeat as AL Central champs, completed an impactful signing on Sunday evening.
They inked right-hander Jack Flaherty to a two-year, $35 million deal with an opt-out after the first season.
The Tigers traded Flaherty ahead of last year’s deadline, to the Los Angeles Dodgers.
There, he became a rotation stalwart and won the World Series.
The Tigers, on the other hand, bested the Houston Astros in their first postseason matchup but succumbed to the Guardians in the maximum of five games in the ALDS.
Flaherty said recently that he thinks the Tigers would have defeated Cleveland with him in the rotation.
“Do I think we win that series? Probably. We probably win that series and face the Yankees in the ALCS,” Flaherty said.
Jack Flaherty said the Tigers would’ve probably beat the Guardians in the ALDS if he never got traded.
“I thought the combination of me and [Tarik] Skubal was incredible.”pic.twitter.com/pXkz7DAzFa
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) February 3, 2025
These things are impossible to determine for sure: there is no way to prove that the Tigers would have advanced against the Guardians with Flaherty in their rotation.
It’s not crazy to think about, though, if we are being fair: it’s definitely possible.
But he wasn’t on their staff come playoffs time: the Tigers chose to flip him to LA for prospects and knew the consequences.
They still embarked on a phenomenal run, and now they are getting him back for at least the 2025 campaign.
Flaherty posted a 3.17 ERA with 3.2 fWAR in 162 innings between the Tigers and Dodgers.
He struck out a whopping 194 hitters in the process.
For a young team blossoming and maturing into an American League powerhouse, Flaherty is a phenomenal addition.
NEXT: What Can The Guardians Expect From Their Center Fielder In 2025?
