Jack Flaherty Makes Intentions Clear About Returning to Dodgers Next Season
The Dodgers acquired right-hander Jack Flaherty at the trade deadline this year and he came up massive for them on their way to winning the World Series. While he did have some ups and downs in the postseason, Los Angeles wouldn’t have been able to manage thongs without him.
During the Dodgers World Series parade, Flaherty made his intentions clear about returning to Los Angeles next year. He is scheduled to be an unrestricted free agent but seems intent on staying with the Dodgers if they’ll have him.
“I love this city. I never want to leave.”
The Dodgers are going to have to make a tough choice on Flaherty this offseason. While he was great for them at times, he also did get rocked multiple times in the postseason.
The right-hander finished his time with the Dodgers in the regular season with an ERA of 3.58. He was key for them down the stretch of the season after the team saw an excessive number of injuries to starting pitchers.
Alongside Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler, Flaherty helped lead the Dodgers throughout the grueling postseason. Both sides seemed to enjoy working with one another and the hometown kid naturally doesn’t want to go anywhere.
It will all be determined by how much money Flaherty is asking for in free agency. If he is well within the Dodgers price range, it could make sense for him to return.
Los Angeles also has Buehler entering free agency but with all the injuries that they suffered in recent years, having more arms may be for the best.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports
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Just about every free agent EVER says they want to stay on the team that they are on now. Also I know misspellings happen, but article talks about ‘managing ‘thongs’ –Still humorous
It seems to me that EVERY free agent always says they want to remain on the team they are on before free agency.
I know misspellings occur, but still, saying ‘managing thongs’, still funny
We wish you would return to the Detroit Tigers organization
A little harsh, but I get it. Without him, we would have had two starters, so cut the guy some slack. And both game 1s against Mets and Yankees were quality starts and helped us win the WS.
13 IP, 6 hits, 1 ER, 2 walks, and 10 Ks. Of course, there are game 5 awfulness in both series. Roberts left him in too long out of necessity vs. the Mets but had to pull him quickly vs. the Yankees.
That said, IMO, LAD needs to keep one current SP free agent as a priority, Walker Buehler.
Not dependable in terms of ERA and W-L record, but at least he’s more physically durable than most of other pitchers who always seem injured and unavailable, often at high cost. I’d say keep him if the price he and his agent are looking for. Otherwise, let some other team pick up the tab and have the Dodgers focus on acquiring a guy for the Big Bucks like Snell, Cole, etc.
Flaherty was so up and down on the post season… almost fragile. I think his problems are in his head and the Dodgers need him to think that he is good and perform accordingly. If he is inexpensive enough then fine but I would rather the Dodgers sign Teoscar Hernandez and Walker Buehler and one of Corbin Burnes or Max Fried and then see in the spring what they actually have coming back in Kershaw, Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin and whether Miller can get his act in order to be a big league pitcher again. I don’t think Flaherty deserves a big contract but more of a prove you can “do it” consistently, fair contract in the 12 million range of maybe one year and a club option. If he wants more than that, then sayonara…
Well, after a great great great season, it’s time to focus on all the free agents the Dodgers are “linked to”. The list includes every free agent that has ever lived or died or not even born yet. To me, it already is getting old. I realize that sports writers are paid to write sports but the yearly redundancies about free agents is redundant. Give me something original. On the other hand, I am anxious to see Mookie Betts at second base and Babe Ruth in right field!!!!
It is true that he was one of only 3 starters available for the Dodgers in the playoffs. [How could that be with a $300 million payroll?] And Soto is the only free agent ever to say: “I have no particular desire to return to the team I am on, all 30 teams are equal to me.” But the Dodgers have potentially better, more consistent options than Flaherty. Trade for Crochet. Sign Burnes or Max Fried. Sign Sasaki if he is posted. There are 13 potential starters within Dodger control for 2025: Glasnow [don’t count on him to pitch in the playoffs], Yamamoto [pitch him only once per week, hope to get 25 starts and then have him be available for the playoffs], Ohtani [same as Yamamoto], Kershaw 10 starts would be a bonus], Buehler [should be resigned if only for the playoffs], Gonsolin, May [after the All-Star break], Mille [what is his injury that they are not talking about?, Sheehan [after the All Star break], Knack, Wrobleski, Casperius, Grove, and potentially 4 more in 2026 [River Ryan, Gavin Stone, Kyle Hurt, Frasso]. That is 17 potential starters 2025-2026, not counting a pick-up at the trade deadline, and maybe Jackson Ferris or someone else we don’t know about in the minor leagues [Hyun-il Choi, formerly Dodger minor league pitcher of the year]. Add either Crochet by trade or Burnes or Fried as free agents before signing Flaherty. Only add a number 1 or a number 2 quality starter. They have plenty of guys [a dozen} who are number 3-5 starters.