The Detroit Tigers have signed a one-year contract with…

The Detroit Tigers have signed a one-year contract with…

The Detroit Tigers have signed a one-year contract with…

The Tigers signed right-hander Jack Flaherty to a one-year, $14MM contract. He can also earn an extra $1MM in bonuses based on the amount of games he starts: $250K for 26 and 28 starts, and $500K for 30 starts. Flaherty is represented by CAA Sports.

Flaherty, who is only 28 years old, resembles one of the National League’s burgeoning young aces. Prior to making his big league debut in 2017, the former first-round pick was one of the sport’s finest all-around prospects.

The California native pitched to a 3.34 earned run average in 151 big league innings the next year, but Flaherty’s best work came, of all times, during the juiced-ball season in 2019. The 2.75 ERA, 29.9% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate, and 1.15 HR/9 that year would have been impressive in any season, but they were exceptionally impressive in the most run-scoring atmosphere since the steroid era. Two teams shattered MLB’s single-season home run record that year, despite the fact that many pitchers struggled.

Unfortunately for Flaherty and the Cardinals, his stellar start to his career did not last. Injuries, especially shoulder problems, conspired to limit Flaherty to only 154 1/3 innings over the next three seasons. During that time, his velocity was slightly lower (93.9 mph) than his peak of 94.5 mph, and his walk and home-run rates were trending in the opposite direction. Overall, he had a 3.90 ERA but was limited to 32 starts (including three bullpen appearances).

Despite his bad 2023 performance, Flaherty garnered interest from the Pirates, Royals, and Tigers, among others, but his market was undoubtedly larger. Given his age, former prospect background, and previous accomplishments, it makes sense to take a chance on Flaherty.

While we projected a three-year deal for the righty — assuming a team would extend a multi-year pact in the hopes of securing a below-market bargain — a straight one-year pillow deal always seemed to be on the table. Flaherty may be able to return to the market with great results this year.