The Tigers brought back Jack Flaherty on a two-year, $35 million deal heading into last season after a resurgent 2024 campaign. The veteran righty wasn’t as effective in his second year with the club, but he maintained strong strikeout numbers while matching Tarik Skubal for the team lead in starts. Flaherty’s underlying metrics suggested a bounce-back effort was on the table for 2026, but the results have been concerning so far.
Flaherty was battered for six earned runs over two innings on Saturday against the Reds. He came into the outing having allowed just one home run this year, but Cincinnati took him deep three times. The clunker pushed Flaherty’s ERA to 5.33 across 25 1/3 innings. His xFIP (5.94) and SIERA (5.48) are even higher than that mark. The lone positive from the Cincinnati game was Flaherty’s two walks. It was the first time this year he’d issued fewer than three free passes, though getting yanked after two frames probably helped.
The clear concern for Flaherty is the control. He hasn’t been in the zone often enough to be effective. The 30-year-old right-hander has piled up 22 walks through six starts. He moved past A’s righty Luis Severino for the league lead this weekend. Severino’s 21 walks have come in six more innings. Flaherty has posted career-worst numbers in zone rate (43%), strike rate (56%), and swinging-strike rate (9.2%).
The new ABS challenge system has led to walk rates ticking up around the league, but that doesn’t seem to be the reason for Flaherty’s struggles. His 16.9% called strike rate is right in line with his career norm. Detroit leads the league in correct challenge rate at 84%. The club ranks first in Statcast’s Overturns vs. Expected metric, which tabulates net ABS results by a team using a comparison to similar pitches. Opponents have won 42% of challenges against the Tigers, which is the 12th-lowest mark. Maybe an approach change by Flaherty to adjust to the new system has led to the increase in walks, though his pitch mix and locations look relatively normal.
After stumbling through a 2023 campaign split between the Cardinals and Orioles, Flaherty revived his career with the Tigers in 2024. He delivered a sub-3.00 ERA with a career-best 32% strikeout rate over 18 starts. After bringing in Flaherty on a modest one-year, $14 million agreement, the Tigers were able to cash in at the trade deadline, sending him to the Dodgers for a pair of prospects. Neither Thayron Liranzo nor Trey Sweeney has emerged as an impact contributor for Detroit, but it was still a good bit of business at the time. Flaherty grabbed a World Series ring with the Dodgers, then came back to the Tigers in the offseason.
Flaherty had the opportunity to opt out of his Detroit deal after 2025. He chose to remain with the club for $10MM this season, plus another $10MM earned by making 15 starts last year. It was an unsurprising move, as Flaherty was coming off a middling campaign and was unlikely to make much more on the open market.
Detroit made one of the biggest starting pitcher additions over the winter, adding Framber Valdez on a three-year, $115MM pact. The club is paying Skubal a record $32MM via arbitration. Justin Verlander‘s one-year, $13MM contract won’t break the bank, but it’s another investment on the pitching side that contributed to the club’s $217MM payroll (per RosterResource). With Jackson Jobe, Reese Olson, and Troy Melton on the 60-day IL, the Tigers’ pitching depth has thinned out. Verlander has only made one start this year as he deals with a hip injury.
The rotation has been a strength outside of Flaherty. Skubal’s contributions remain Cy Young-caliber. Valdez has been a steady presence. Casey Mize actually paces the group with a 2.51 ERA. The former No. 1 overall pick is off to one of the best starts of his career. Keider Montero has filled in admirably for the injured Verlander. Getting Flaherty back on track would give the Tigers one of the more formidable rotations in the American League as the club looks to make it three straight trips to the postseason.
Photo courtesy of Aaron Doster, Imagn Images
Feels like there’s been more of these articles this season, love it guys keep it up.
As for Jack Flaherty—- he was brought up under the Cardinals Oli Marmol.
Marmol may not be the worst manager to play under as a developing starting pitcher, but he’d damn close to it!!!
The reason the Cardinals starting pitchers have been so awful under Marmol is —- he is notorious for leaving his starters in the ballgame until they give up 5-6 runs before he’ll make a move to go to his bullpen.
Common Sense tells you —Most of the time —- the game is lost by the time a pitcher gives up 6 runs!!!
Therefore, until he’s taught differently—- Flaherty thinks he’s still in good shape in a game he gives up 6 or fewer runs per game!!!
He still has the potential to be a #3 pitcher if he can get Oli Marmol’s method of a starting pitcher out of his head!!
Jack Flaherty couldn’t stay on the field in STL.
He has become Kenta Maeda II
He either moves to the BP, like Maeda did and the Tigers hope Justin Verlander can pick up the slack, or maybe they give Drew Anderson a couple starts, as he appeared to pitch better in spring training as a starter vs. relief…or he gets DFA’d. Either way, Keider Montero looks like he has a secure rotation spot. Troy Melton is not close yet. Ty Madden? Bryan Sammons?
I doubt Flaherty is cut loose, but man, they can’t keep trotting his stuff out there if this is what they’re going to get.
Verlander actually did start one game for the Tigers this season.
Yes, then promptly went on the DL which brought Montero up. JV is supposed to be close to being ready. Flaherty’s next start would be next Friday, at home, vs the Rangers. Maybe we see Verlander that night.
I think so. And at that point, it could be Flaherty gets sent to the BP vs. Montero going back down to AAA. It’s hard to justify keeping Flaherty in the rotation right now over Montero.
Someone in the rotation will inevitably land on the IL again and then Flaherty will get another shot, so not the end of the world for him.
Jack like his brother Count Floyd, very scary kids. Ahwooooh! Cough cough
What does this even mean lol
His biggest problem is loss in velocity. He was hitting 97 a couple years ago now sitting 92. The lack of control this season on top of that and it’s going to be tough to be an effective mlb starter.
He was told to cut back his speed to regain control of his pitches. However, if slowing foe his velocity hasn’t help regain his control, it’s time to increase velocity and go to plan B.
I believe this refers to a character on the very funny 1980s Canadian comedy show called “SCTV”. “Count Floyd” was played by the late John Flaherty. Thanks for the memories!
Ah before my time then… Thanks for the clarification!
RIP to Joe Flaherty, who passed just over two years ago. Hilarious actor. Non-SCTV fans might know him as the guy Shooter McGavin hired to rattle Happy Gilmore (‘you will not make this shot, ya jackass!’) or the father from Freaks and Geeks.
I’ll be at the Red Lobster in case you change your mind.
Monster Horror Thriller Theater!!!!
Monster Horror Thriller Theater also featured John Candy as the evil Dr. Tongue (in 3D).
Correction: JOE Flaherty
Also the bane of Happy’s existence; leading to the demise of Happy’s athletic collaboration with Bob Barker and subsequent on air blowup: “you’re gonna need a blanket and suntan lotion, cause you’re never gonna get off that beach, just like the way you never got into the NHL, you jackhass!”
He’s a mental midget…always has been.
You can see the fear and doubt in his eyes. Not sure how or why he put it all together in 2024, but he’s turned back into the pumpkin he was in BAL. Dodgers knew something because they made no effort to re-sign him after ‘24.
The Tigers are looking pretty good in all areas right now. To me one of the most strange things is how long it takes Verlander to start the season anymore. He finishes the year pitching, but the last few years its like what happened in the off season ? Flaherty is healthy and hes out there taking his turn. When Ver comes back perhaps they can help one another out.
Tork, Riley, Torres and Carpenter all revving up is the big story. WOW ! If you add in what McGonigle has done all season long, the Tigers are finally looking pretty strong. The lineup looks very dangerous from 1-9. Tied for first after losing 4 to Minnesota is doing pretty good for the team. They are starting to jell together pretty well now. The cobwebs look to be gone, and they are playing some good ball now. GO TIGERS !
Rose-colored glasses.
Walks are absolutely killing Flaherty. Hope Fetter can sort that out. Good to see his homers are down. When he’s on he’s a #2 or #3. So far this year he has not been on.
Funny how people always forget that there’s 162 games in a season plus possible playoffs, or 7-8 months of playing daily. Players have their ups and downs. It’s still April.
He’s been a head case his entire career…this isn’t something new.
Flaherty has always shown flashes of being an elite pitcher, but for whatever reason he just cannot do it consistently.
Most games he starts well and then as soon as he gets into a little trouble things just fall apart. His command issues aside, I wonder if some kind of mental therapy or counseling would help him? You never know what’s going on in some guys’ heads.
This belongs on a Tigers fan blog, not a transactions-focused site. Stop trying to be Fangraphs with weak attempts at hard-hitting statistical analysis. Every time MLBTR tries, you make yourselves look silly.