Free Agent Profile: Jack Flaherty, SP

Jack Flaherty, SP

Position: SP B/T: R/R
Age: 29 (10/15/1995)

2024 Traditional Stats: 28 G (28 GS), 162 IP, 13-7, 3.17 ERA, 1.068 WHIP, 194 SO, 38 BB
2024 Advanced Stats: 127 ERA+, 29.9% SO%, 5.9% BB%, 3.51 xERA, 3.48 FIP, 3.00 xFIP, 3.2 fWAR

Rundown

Jack Flaherty is coming off one of the best seasons of his eight-year career. He began 2024 with the Detroit Tigers before being dealt at the trade deadline to the Los Angeles Dodgers, where he would go on and win his first World Series ring.

Flaherty had a decent amount of hype coming out of high school, as he was drafted with the No. 34 overall pick in 2014 by the St. Louis Cardinals. He would remain in the organization until the 2023 deadline, when he was sent to the Baltimore Orioles.

Let’s dig deeper into what made Flaherty one of the best pitchers in baseball this year. For one, he ranked No. 15 among qualified arms with a BB/9 rate of 2.11 while striking out 10.78 batters per nine innings. His five-pitch mix is more like a three pitch mix, as he threw his fastball, slider, and curveball over 20 percent of the time while his changeup and sinker lagged behind at less than 3 percent usage.

All three of Flaherty’s primary offerings worked for him in a big way, but his curveball stood above the rest. It logged a +12 run value according to Baseball Savant while limiting hitters to a .164 average and .212 xwOBA. Flaherty’s fastball also played well with a +5 run value and 15.4 inches of induced vertical break (IVB). Those two pitches were a lethal combination, which helped him put together his standout campaign.

Contract

Ranked as MLB Trade Rumors’ No. 8 free agent this offseason, the outlet predicts Flaherty will fetch a five-year, $115 million deal on the open market. That kind of contract would represent a major commitment for whatever teams signs the 29-year-old, but if he can continue to build off what he did this past season, it could have the makings of a strong investment.

Recommendation

Considering the Mets’ pitching staff essentially has to be rebuilt, adding a starter like Flaherty could provide them with a viable top-end option. Even though the price to bring him onboard will end up rather high, he could help transform New York’s rotation into one of the best in the league depending on the other moves the team makes this winter.

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