Pitcher Jack Flaherty is making his return to the Detroit Tigers, agreeing on a two-year deal worth $35 million..
The source spoke on condition of anonymity since the deal is still pending a successful physical exam.
Flaherty has the option to opt out after the 2025 season and become a free agent. If he does, he will have earned $25 million in signing bonus and salary from the contract.
The 29-year-old right-handed pitcher finished last season with a 13-7 record and a 3.17 ERA over 28 starts, splitting time between the Tigers and his hometown team, the Los Angeles Dodgers, who acquired him at the trade deadline on July 30.
Flaherty played an important role in the Dodgers’ World Series win over the New York Yankees. He pitched five scoreless innings in Game 1, and although he gave up two runs in the sixth, the Dodgers went on to win.
Jack Flaherty pitches in the 1st inningIn Game 5, Flaherty allowed four runs in just 1 1/3 innings, but the Dodgers rallied for a 7-6 victory to win their second championship in five years.
Flaherty started his major league career with the St. Louis Cardinals in 2017, and had his best season in 2019, finishing with an 11-8 record and a 2.75 ERA, along with a career-high 231 strikeouts over 196 1/3 innings.
In the pandemic-shortened 2020 season, Flaherty’s performance declined, ending with a 4.91 ERA. He then struggled with injuries in 2021 and 2022 before being traded to the Baltimore Orioles during the 2023 season.
He signed a $14 million, one-year contract with the Tigers for 2023 and had his best season in five years. Flaherty went 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA before being traded to the Dodgers, where he finished 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA.
