The Tigers announced that they have signed right-hander to a one-year, $14MM deal. He can also earn an extra $1MM in bonuses based on games started: $250K for 26 and 28 starts, then another $500K for 30. Flaherty is a client of CAA Sports. Just 28 years old, Flaherty isnt all that far removed from looking like one of the National Leagues budding young aces. The former first-rounder was one of the sports top all-around prospects prior to making his big league debut, which came in 2017. The following year saw the California native pitch to a sharp 3.34 earned run average through 151 big league innings, but Flahertys best work came, of all times, during the juiced-ball season in 2019. That years 2.75 ERA, 29.9% strikeout rate, 7.1% walk rate and 1.15 HR/9 would be strong marks in any season but were especially impre sive during the highest run-scoring environment since the steroid era. Two teams broke MLBs single-season home run record that year, and yet while many pitchers throughout the league posted career-worst marks, Flaherty shined at his absolute brightest. Unfortunately for both Flaherty and the Cardinals, that brilliant start to his career didnt hold up. Injuries, primarily shoulder i sues, conspired to limit Flaherty to just 154 1/3 innings over the next three seasons combined. During that time, he worked with slightly le ser velocity (93.9 mph) than his 94.5 mph peak, and his walk and home-run rates trended in the wrong direction. Overall, he posted a 3.90 earned run average but was limited to 32 starts (and another three bullpen outings). The 2023 season for Flaherty was split between the Cardinals and the Orioles, Mike Piazza Jersey who acquired him in a sending lefty and prospects and from Baltimore back to St. Louis. It was a mixed bag of a season for the righty. On the one hand, Flahertys 27 starts and 144 1/3 innings clearly made for his healthiest season since that brilliant 19 effort. On the other, his 4.99 ERA was a career-worst (outside of a 21-inning sample as a rookie in 2017). His 22.8% strikeout rate was about average, but Flahertys 10.6% walk rate was elevated and his 93.2 mph average heater was down even further. Despite the poor 2023 showing, Flaherty drew interest from at least the Pirates, Royals and Tigers though his market surely included other suitors. Theres good sense in taking a flier on Flaherty, given his age, former prospect pedigree and the heights he reached earlier in his career. As we noted on , while we predicted a three-year pact for the righty presuming a team would extend a multi-year pact in hopes of acquiring a below-market bargain a straight one-year pillow deal always figured to be on the table. With strong results this year Flaherty can return to the market as a 29-year-old in position for a much more lucrative deal. The downside, of course, is that with another lackluster performance, Flaherty could well hit the market with considerably le s earning power and no interest on multi-year contracts. Despite that potential, hell bet on himself with the more traditional approach and hope to cash in a year from now. Should things play out that way, itll be to the benefit of the Tigers, wholl not only have the opportunity to help Flaherty return to something resembling his peak levels but if things play out that way extend a qualifying offer to the righty. Theres a long way to go before that scenario is in play, but Flahertys early-career performance shows that he clearly has the talent to merit that type of offer when hes at his best. Flaherty becomes the second free-agent addition to what will be a dramatically different Tigers rotation than the one we saw in 2023. Gone is veteran lefty , who opted out of the three years and $49MM on his contract and scored a four-year, $80MM deal with the NL champion D-backs. Flaherty and righty , fresh off an excellent finish to his 23 campaign with the division-rival Twins, will take up the mantle of veteran rotation leaders for skipper AJ Hinch. Not only will the Tigers have that newly signed pair of arms, theyll also welcome 2018 No. 1 overall pick back into the fold after a season lost to Tommy John surgery. Standout lefty returns as the teams top starter, and the quartet of Skubal, Flaherty, Maeda and Mize will be joined by some combination of , and . Olson, in particular, had a solid rookie campaign. Manning, meanwhile, is a former first-round pick and top prospect himself one wholl be looking for better luck in 2024. In astonishing fashion, Manning suffered a broken left foot on two different occasions, both upon being struck by a comeback liner (once in April and again in September). With Flahertys $14MM salary added to the books, the Tigers payroll projection climbs north of $104MM. Thats still quite a ways down from last years $135MM Opening Day mark due in no small part to s retirement and nowhere close to the franchise-record $200MM mark. The Tigers will surely want to leave ample playing time for young, potential core pieces like Mize, Skubal, Manning, Olson, , , and prospects and . But theres still enough payroll space for the team to make some further additions, perhaps in the bullpen or on the bench. first connected the two sides. first relayed the contract specifics. Kristopher Negron Jersey