According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, free agent Jack Flaherty is now considering a short team deal. If the Los Angeles Dodgers miss out on Roki Sasaki, Flaherty could be a good alternative as he has previously won a championship with the team.
League sources have indicated that Flaherty and Anthony Santander are open to short-term deals with high average annual values, as reported by Rosenthal.
At the beginning of the offseason, it seemed unlikely that Flaherty would return to Los Angeles. Despite a strong season in 2024 split between the Detroit Tigers and Dodgers with a 3.17 ERA in the regular season, his inconsistent postseason performance may have contributed to him remaining on the market.
While Flaherty performed well in Game 1 of the NLCS and World Series, he struggled in the respective Game 5s. Even at 29 years old, teams may be hesitant due to the desire to see continued consistency from Flaherty before committing.
After the Dodgers signed Blake Snell, it appeared unlikely that Flaherty and Walker Buehler would return. MLB insider Bob Nightengale suggested that there was no room for them on the team.
While Buehler signed with the Boston Red Sox, Flaherty remains available as spring training approaches. If Sasaki signs with the Dodgers, Flaherty likely won’t return. However, if the Dodgers miss out on Sasaki, there could be an opportunity for Flaherty in the starting rotation.
As Sasaki is expected to sign around Jan. 20, Flaherty’s future should become clearer. Even if Sasaki signs with the Dodgers, Flaherty could still find a landing spot with other teams in need of pitching.
For more updates, executives are now favoring the Padres to land Roki Sasaki over the Dodgers.
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