Dodgers Free Agent Jack Flaherty Open to Short Term Deal; Should LA Sign Him?
Free agent Jack Flaherty is now open to a short team deal, according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal. If the Los Angeles Dodgers lose out on Roki Sasaki, Flaherty could prove to be a neat alternative given he has already won a championship with the organization.
“At least two — right-hander Jack Flaherty and outfielder Anthony Santander — are open to considering short-term deals with high average annual values, according to league sources briefed on their discussions,” Rosenthal wrote.
At the start of the offseason Flaherty seemed like the least likely free agent to return to Los Angeles. The right-hander had a bounce back season in 2024, splitting the year between the Detroit Tigers and Dodgers. He sported a 3.17 ERA in the regular season, but had an inconsistent postseason performance.
Flaherty was lights out in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series and World Series, but drastically struggled in the respective Game 5s. Although Flaherty is just 29 years old, he likely remains on the market since teams would liked to have seen two consistent seasons from the right-hander, rather than just one.
Once the Dodgers signed ace Blake Snell, it was practically a guarantee Flaherty and Walker Buehler would not be returning to the team. MLB insider Bob Nightengale told Dodgers Nation’s Doug McKain he believed there was simply “no room” for either pitcher.
“Well, I can’t see Buehler coming back now. Same with Jack Flaherty,” Nightengale told McKain. “Obviously, they could have kept Buehler by giving him a qualifying offer. I think Buehler would have taken it at $21 million. I’m sure they talked and said, ‘Okay, we’ll offer you, you know, say around $15 million,’ and he wasn’t interested. You already have seven, eight starters. Particularly, like you said, if you get the young pitcher, Roki Sasaki, from Japan — there’s really no room for him or Flaherty.”
While Buehler signed a one-year deal with the Boston Red Sox, Flaherty is still available on the market a month before spring training opens. If Sasaki signs with the Dodgers, a reunion with Flaherty won’t happen. However, if the Dodgers lose the Sasaki sweepstakes, there would be an open slot in the starting rotation.
Sasaki is expected to sign around Jan. 20. Once the Japanese phenom is off the board, Flaherty’s fate will likely be unveiled. Even if the Dodgers sign Sasaki, other teams that lost out on the 23-year-old pitcher will still have to address their pitching needs and Flaherty could be the solution.
More news: Padres Are ‘New Choice’ Among Executives to Land Roki Sasaki Over Dodgers
Photo Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
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