The Los Angeles Dodgers are in a slightly peculiar position.
Normally, a World Series-winning team would have a strong inclination to keep the starting pitchers that brought them to a title. However, the Dodgers have so many excellent pitchers who were either injured or are brand-new to the roster that those playoff starters may already be old news.
Jack Flaherty, who started Game 1 of both the National League Championship Series and the World Series, is a particularly fascinating case. He’s a Los Angeles area native, and without him, the Dodgers rotation would have fallen apart after the trade deadline.
But does Flaherty still fit with the Dodgers, who now have Shohei Ohtani, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Blake Snell ahead of him on the depth chart?
On Monday, Brian Murphy of MLB.com predicted that Flaherty would re-sign with the Detroit Tigers, who traded him to the Dodgers at the 2024 deadline after a fantastic first half of the season in the American League Central.
“Detroit badly needed a veteran arm, and it found one in (Alex) Cobb,” Murphy said. “But the 37-year-old has a lengthy injury history, including last season when he missed time due to hip, finger and back ailments. The Tigers should be on the hunt for someone a little more reliable.”
“(Flaherty’s) season began with Detroit, and he shined during his four months with the club before being traded to the Dodgers. Re-acquiring the 29-year-old would be a worthwhile move for the Tigers as they look to continue their upward trajectory.”
On the whole, Flaherty racked up 194 strikeouts in 162 innings pitched last season, before going on to start five games in the playoffs for the Dodgers. In Detroit, he had a 2.95 ERA and 3.12 FIP in 18 starts.
Flaherty is projected for a five-year, $115 million contract by MLB Trade Rumors, which might be an uncomfortable pill to swallow for the Tigers, but seems even less likely for the Dodgers. Starting pitching has become incredibly valuable, yes, but is that a price worth paying for a number-five starter?
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