Several starting pitchers have found lucrative paydays this winter, but the former Dodgers right-hander hasn’t yet signed
Several starting pitchers have cashed in this offseason as free agents, including Blake Snell joining the Dodgers as well as Corbin Burnes to Arizona and Max Fried to the Yankees, the latter two with contracts of over $200 million.
But even the middle tier of starters found lucrative deals, like Nate Eovaldi ($75 million), Sean Manaea ($75 million), Luis Severino ($67 million), Yusei Kikucki ($63 million), and others.
Jack Flaherty, a key Dodgers’ acquisition at the trade deadline, remains unsigned. After posting a 3.17 ERA and 3.54 xERA with a 29.9-percent strikeout rate in 162 innings between the Tigers and Los Angeles, the right-hander seemed poised for a sizable payday.
Flaherty was ranked the eighth-best free agent at the outset of the offseason by MLB Trade Rumors, while ESPN had him rated ninth, and The Athletic ranked Flaherty 10th. The contract projections at each of those three sites tabbed the right-hander at $23 million per season, with ESPN and MLB Trade Rumors predicting five years, and The Athletic at four years.
Michael Rosen at FanGraphs looked into Flaherty’s season, trying to find reasons why the right-hander’s market has gone cold. One issue was Flaherty’s fastball velocity waned as the season wore on, and Rosen detailed why, but also offered ways the right-hander can still be effective.
“Plenty of contending teams need starting pitching, and an industry-wide fear of Flaherty’s weaknesses could cost clubs their chance to add someone who just performed like one of the best hurlers in the game,” Rosen wrote.