Cardinals To Promote Hunter Dobbins On Thursday
The Cardinals are three games into a stretch of 17 games in 17 days, and this busy schedule has presented an opening for Hunter Dobbins to make his Cards debut. Manager Oli Marmol told reporters (including Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat) that Dobbins will be called up from Triple-A to make a spot start on Thursday when the Cardinals wrap up their four-game series with the Pirates.
Thursday’s game will mark Dobbins’ first appearance in a St. Louis uniform, and his first MLB outing since he tore his right ACL during a fielding play last July 11 when Dobbins was still pitching with the Red Sox. Between that season-ending injury and an elbow strain that kept him on the injured list for three weeks, Dobbins’ first Major League season was limited to 61 innings.
The right-hander had a respectable 4.13 ERA and a solid 6.6% walk rate, though his strikeout and whiff rates were well below average. Between the ACL tear and the fact that the Sox had several other young pitchers ahead of Dobbins on the depth chart, Dobbins was one of three pitchers dealt to St. Louis in December in exchange for Willson Contreras. Prospects Yhoiker Fajardo and Blake Aita were more long-term projects, but in Dobbins, the Cardinals landed a big league-ready starter who was ready to contribute in 2026 once his ACL rehab was complete.
Over five Triple-A starts this season, Dobbins has a 4.37 ERA, 19.8% strikeout rate, and 9.4% walk rate in 22 2/3 innings. The end of his 30-day rehab period lines up well with this extended stretch of games for the Cardinals, so Dobbins can fit right into the rotation for at least one turn.
As expected for a rebuilding team’s pitching staff, the Cardinals haven’t gotten much out of their rotation to date. Michael McGreevy‘s elite walk has carried him to strong results despite one of the lowest strikeout rates in baseball, but Matthew Liberatore, Dustin May, Andre Pallante, and Kyle Leahy have all struggled to varying degrees. Dobbins may not be viewed as a front-of-the-rotation type, but a good showing on Thursday would both achieve some peace of mind for the righty after his long rehab, and likely earn him more starts down the road.
MLBTR Chat Transcript
Mark P
- The Weekend Chat is underway! I had some trepidation about starting a chat tonight since I can’t help but feel like another managerial firing might happen any minute now, but let’s take the plunge….
Rene
- Bigger disappointment? Mets or Phillies
Mark P
-
Bigger disappointment?
Mets (57.9% | 564 votes)Phillies (42.0% | 410 votes)
Total Votes: 974 - This might be as close to a 50-50 result as we’ve had on any poll
Castellanos
- Are the pads really going to keep me on the roster with andujar and France there too? Really seems like a lefty bat would make way more sense…
Mark P
- Castellanos probably isn’t long for the roster. The Phillies are covering virtually all of his salary, making him just a flier for San Diego. If Castellanos can’t get things turned around quickly, the Padres can cut him without a second thought
Thunderwriter
- What is the value of a MLB draft pick if they were allowed to be traded?Give a player a qualifying offer and that will dampen his market. Teams are basically saying that they don’t want to lose the draft pick to sign the player. The pick is too valuable.
My Phillies tried all offseason to unload Nick Castellanos‘ contract and couldn’t find any takers. Are you going to tell me that if they were able to attach a third-round pick that half the league would all of a sudden been interested in him … even teams like the A’s and Rays?
Mark P
- The qualifying offer only tends to impact free agents whose markets were a little tenuous in the first place. Likewise, attaching a draft pick to a bad contract wouldn’t do a ton to improve the trade value of that player of his deal.
Kegger
- Was there a better solution for the red sox than firing manager? Just patience better?
Mark P
- Can’t help but think there’s some real behind-the-scenes intrigue that went into Boston’s decision. Cleaning house on the manager and coaching staff just a few weeks into the season is a bold move, notwithstanding how mediocre the Sox have been.It is also worth noting that the Sox are exactly 3.5 games out of a wild card slot, since most of the American League has also been struggling. So there was still lots of time for the team to turn things around with Cora in the dugout.
- But, obviously the front office felt that a change was needed. Barring a big turn-around, one has to think Breslow’s time as CBO might not last the season
Lefty Shellhammer
- Has Landon Roupp reached Ace status’s on this team? I’m genuinely concerned that Logan Webbs best days are slowly disappearing. What you say?
Mark P
- I’m more keen on Roupp’s emergence than I am down on Webb. I think Webb will ultimately be just fine, at least as a top-of-the-rotation guy if not THE ace. But, Roupp’s nice start is a very good development for SF
Atl
- what’s that mean for my Bravos
Mark P
- April is awfully early to be crowning a division champion, but the Braves are already in incredible shape to win the NL East. The Mets and Phillies are in freefall, the Nationals are rebuilding, and the Marlins’ ceiling may be .500.Perhaps Miami could also be the big beneficiary (bene-Fish-iary?!) here, as they’ve got second place staring them in the face. Depending on how the rest of the NL plays out, the Marlins might be able to sneak into a wild card slot
Mets Sign Austin Slater, Designate Tommy Pham For Assignment
The Mets have agreed to sign outfielder Austin Slater, The Athletic’s Will Sammon reports. Slater’s signing comes shortly after news broke that outfielder Tommy Pham was designated for assignment, as per Mike Puma of the New York Post. It can assumed that Slater will take Pham’s spot on the active roster and 40-man roster, though New York still has only 39 players on the 40-man even with Slater’s arrival.
Slater is now on his third team in a little over a month’s time. The Tigers signed Slater to a minor league contract over the offseason, and after Slater triggered the first mandatory opt-out clause in that contract at the end of camp, Detroit released the veteran rather than add him to the Opening Day roster. Slater then quickly landed with the Marlins on a one-year, $1MM guarantee, but was designated for assignment after 12 games.
It was just earlier today that Slater cleared waivers and he elected to become a free agent. Because he has more than five years of MLB service time, Slater can keep the remainder of that $1MM salary, so the Mets might just be paying him a prorated big league minimum salary (which is subtracted from the $1MM total, with the Marlins covering the rest).
Slater hit only .174/.286/.174 over his 28 PA in a Miami uniform, though that is still better than Pham’s numbers in a similarly small sample size with the Mets. Assuming that the DFA will end Pham’s tenure in Queens, Pham will conclude his nine-game stint with zero hits and just a single walk over 14 plate appearances.
New York signed Pham to a minor league contract right at the start of the season and then selected him to the active roster on April 13. His long stay in free agency meant that the veteran didn’t get any sort of traditional Spring Training, though he got some ramp-up time in the Mets’ extended spring camp and five games of single-A ball with the team’s St. Lucie affiliate. While 14 PA isn’t a huge sample, it is safe to wonder if Pham simply wasn’t yet ready to face big league pitching, notwithstanding the fact that Pham has plenty of experience as a 13-year MLB veteran.
The selection to New York’s roster locked in a prorated $2.25MM salary for Pham in 2026. Another team would absorb the remainder of that salary if Pham is claimed off waivers, but the likelier scenario is that Pham goes unclaimed, leaving the Mets on the hook for the remaining money no matter what the next step is in Pham’s career.
He has more than enough MLB service time to reject an outright assignment in favor of free agency, though it’s possible Pham might accept an outright just to get more playing time in the Mets’ farm system, with a handshake agreement in place to recall Pham once he is fully ramped up. However, the Slater signing probably means Pham’s time in New York is over, and he’ll be released if he isn’t claimed. A new team could then sign Pham to a contract and only owe him a minimum salary, which is subtracted from the Mets’ $2.25MM figure.
Pham and Slater are both right-handed hitting outfielders, and Slater has more of a reputation as a lefty-masher even though his numbers against southpaws have been average to mediocre over the last three seasons. Pham has also not been particularly productive since 2023 (a season that included his first stint with the Mets), as he hit .246/.317/.369 over 927 PA with the White Sox, Cardinals, Royals, and Pirates in 2024-25.
With 10 different teams on his big league resume, Pham might well land with team #11 in relatively short order, or perhaps revisit another of his former organizations. Slater spent his entire Major League career with the Giants before the team dealt him to the Reds in July 2024, and Slater has since also become a journeyman who has now played for six different clubs at the MLB level.
Slater should slide right into Pham’s role as the complement to the left-handed hitting Carson Benge, who has yet to get going at the plate in his rookie season. Benge’s struggles are just one drop in the bucket of calamity that has been the 2026 Mets’ season, as the team has sunk to a 9-19 record (tied with the Phillies for the worst in baseball) after being swept by Colorado in today’s doubleheader.
Yankees To Promote Jasson Dominguez
The Yankees are calling Jasson Dominguez back up to the big leagues, according to reporter Francys Romero. The move will be made official prior to tomorrow’s game with the Rangers.
Dominguez is already on the 40-man roster, and New York already has an opening on its 26-man roster since Luis Gil was optioned to Triple-A after his start today. Calling up Dominguez in Gil’s place, however, would leave the Bronx Bombers with only 12 pitchers on their active roster, so it seems more likely that another pitcher will be summoned tomorrow as a fresh arm for the bullpen.
To balance out the position-player side, it may be that Dominguez’s return is related to the calf injury that has sidelined Giancarlo Stanton for the last two games. Stanton left Friday’s game due to tightness in his right calf, and given the slugger’s long history of leg injuries, the Yankees could place Stanton on the 10-day injured list in at least a precautionary move.
All 23 of Stanton’s appearances this season have been as a designated hitter, so if Stanton is indeed heading to the IL, the Yankees now have the flexibility to rotate multiple players through the DH spot. Dominguez might well take some of those at-bats himself, or he could play in the outfield while any of Aaron Judge, Cody Bellinger, or Trent Grisham are given a partial rest day.
Dominguez burst into the majors with four homers and a .258/.303/.677 slash line over 33 plate appearances when he debuted near the end of the 2023 season. It seemed like “the Martian” was on his way to living up the hype associated with his status as one of baseball’s top prospects, but he underwent a Tommy John surgery just eight games into his big league tenure. The TJ rehab and an oblique strain limited him to 58 minor league games and 18 MLB games in 2024, and Dominguez then hit .257/.331/.388 with 10 home runs over 429 PA for New York in 2025.
It was a decent but unspectacular first full season for Dominguez, as his offensive numbers translated to a 103 wRC+. He struck out 115 times in his 429 PA, however, and made plenty of hard contact but had trouble consistently keeping the ball in the air. Dominguez’s biggest struggles came on defense, as he had -7 Defensive Runs Saved and -9 Outs Above Average over his 793 innings in left field.
Dominguez has reduced his strikeout rate to 15.2% over 99 Triple-A plate appearances this year, while hitting .306/.404/.471 with three homers for Scranton/Wilkes-Barre. Still, Dominguez doesn’t have anything left to prove in the minors at this point, as the question is now whether or not he can be a productive big leaguer.
It certainly isn’t too late for Dominguez given that he is still only 23 years old, but the crowded state of the Yankees’ outfield and Stanton’s presence as the regular DH left the Martian without a 26-man roster spot on Opening Day. The fact that New York re-signed Bellinger last winter was another sign that the club still had reservations about giving Dominguez more regular playing time in 2026.
Yankees Option Luis Gil To Triple-A
The Yankees announced that Luis Gil was optioned to Triple-A Scranton/Wilkes-Barre following the right-hander’s tough start against the Astros today. No corresponding move was announced, but the Yankees will likely call up another pitcher prior to tomorrow’s game with the Rangers.
Gil didn’t record a strikeout over four innings pitched today, allowing six earned runs on five hits and three walks. Two-run homers from Isaac Paredes and Christian Walker accounted for most of the damage in what wound up as a 7-4 Houston victory, and Gil has now allowed six home runs in only 19 1/3 innings this season.
Gil didn’t make his 2026 debut until April 10, as the Yankees kept him in Triple-A since multiple off-days in the early portion of the schedule left the team without any need for a fifth starter. In four starts since his return to the Show, Gil has a 6.05 ERA and more walks (11) than strikeouts (9), in addition to his problems in keeping the ball in the yard.
After winning AL Rookie of the Year honors in 2024, a right lat strain sidelined Gil for most of last season, though he returned in August to post a 3.32 ERA over 11 starts and 57 innings. Gil achieved that solid ERA despite a host of subpar secondary metrics, and his struggles have now carried over into 2026.
It’s clear that something isn’t quite right with Gil, so he’ll return to Triple-A to try and work out the kinks before his next call up to the Show. What remains to be seen, however, is when that next opportunity could come, as Carlos Rodon and Gerrit Cole are both making strides in their rehab assignments. Rodon is expected to need two more rehab starts, so he could be back in New York’s rotation within the next two weeks. Cole is still probably a month or so away from his return from Tommy John surgery.
Once Cole and Rodon are back, they’ll join Max Fried, Cam Schlittler, Will Warren, and perhaps Ryan Weathers within what looks to be one of baseball’s top rotation. Weathers could be the odd man out and moved into long relief duty even though he has pitched well, but the Yankees could also deploy a six-man rotation or use Weathers as a spot starter or piggyback starter in order to manage everyone’s innings. Since this is Schlittler’s first full MLB season and Cole and Rodon are both returning from injury, the Yankees will be creative in finding ways to keep everyone fresh for what the club hopes is a deep playoff run.
In the short term, the Yankees’ upcoming off-day on Thursday means the club could skip Gil’s turn in the rotation without the need for a replacement starter. Beginning Friday, however, New York plays 13 games in 13 days, so the Yankees will need to fill at least one start before Rodon is perhaps ready for his season debut. The Yankees could consider a bullpen game, or top prospect Elmer Rodriguez might be given his first taste of big league action.
NL Central Notes: Jones, Lodolo, Trevino, Pages
A little over 11 months after undergoing an internal brace surgery, Jared Jones is slated to begin a minor league rehab assignment on Wednesday with the Pirates‘ low-A affiliate in Bradenton. Pirates GM Ben Cherington made the announcement on his weekly radio show, telling MLB.com’s Jason Mackey that Jones has “passed all the physical checks. He pitched in an extended game last week [and] was up to 100 mph. He has the velocity and has been recovering well. Now he has to get back into that routine of being a pitcher and getting outs.”
While Paul Skenes naturally garnered most of the headlines in 2024, Jones also made his big league debut that season and posted a 4.14 ERA over 121 2/3 innings and 22 starts. He hasn’t been able to follow up on that solid rookie campaign due to elbow problems that surfaced late in Spring Training 2025, though Jones was able to avoid a full Tommy John surgery. The shorter timeline usually associated with an internal brace procedure means that Jones is on track to return to Pittsburgh by late May or early June, if all goes well in his rehab. Interestingly, Mackey floated the idea that Jones could be used as a piggyback starter or even as a reliever if the Buccos want to limit his innings in his return from major surgery, as the Pirates’ rotation is strong enough at the moment that Jones isn’t necessarily needed for starting duty right away.
More from the NL Central…
- Nick Lodolo recorded seven strikeouts and allowed only two hits over five scoreless innings and 51 pitches for high-A Dayton in the first start of the Reds southpaw’s latest rehab assignment. Lodolo has yet to pitch in the majors this season due to blister problems that arose during Spring Training, and more blisters cut short his first rehab start with Dayton back on April 2. A few more weeks of recovery may have finally gotten the problem under control, though the extra time away means Lodolo will need another rehab start or two to build up his arm strength. Despite a lack of hitting and the absence of top starters Lodolo and Hunter Greene, the Reds weathered the storm to post an 18-10 record in their first 28 games.
- The Reds also activated catcher Jose Trevino from the 10-day injured list prior to today’s game with the Tigers, and catcher P.J. Higgins was optioned to Triple-A in the corresponding move. A thoracic spine strain has kept Trevino out of action since April 4. Now in his second season with the Reds, Trevino will resume his duties as a glove-first backup behind starting catcher Tyler Stephenson.
- Cardinals catcher Pedro Pages left Saturday’s game due to left hamstring tightness, but Pages told media (including Daniel Guerrero of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch) that he is day to day after scans revealed no substantive damage. “Everything’s intact from the hamstring. It’s just more swelling in the area, which is fine. I just got to flush it out and be ready to go,” Pages said. The backstop didn’t play today but believed he could be ready Monday when the Cardinals open a series in Pittsburgh. Though the Cards don’t have an off-day until May 11, they have the catching depth to afford Pages extra rest time if necessary since Ivan Herrera and Yohel Pozo are both on the active roster. Known more for his glove than his bat, Pages has a respectable 101 wRC+ (from a .250/.310/.404 slash line) over his first 59 plate appearances.
Angels Designate Jordan Romano For Assignment, Select Joey Lucchesi
The Angels announced a series of moves before Sunday’s matchup against the Royals, the most notable of which was designating closer Jordan Romano for assignment. The club selected left-hander Joey Lucchesi to take his spot. Right-hander Shaun Anderson was also designated for assignment, and righty Jose Fermin was recalled. On the hitting side, catcher Logan O’Hoppe was placed on the 10-day IL with a fractured wrist. Sebastian Rivero had his contract selected to replace O’Hoppe.
Injuries to Ben Joyce, Robert Stephenson, and Kirby Yates thrust Romano into the closer role to begin the year. He initially excelled as the preferred 9th inning option, picking up four saves over six scoreless appearances to open the campaign. Romano permitted just two baserunners during that stretch, both coming via walk.
The wheels came off from there. Romano had a disastrous series against the Yankees that included five earned runs, two blown saves, and only one out recorded. He briefly recovered in two lower-leverage outings, then blew up for four earned runs in a blowout against the Royals on Saturday. Romano was pulled mid-inning for infielder Adam Frazier.
Romano emerged as one of the top closers in the game with the Blue Jays. He piled up 95 saves from 2021 to 2023, earning a pair of All-Star selections. Elbow injuries ruined his 2024 season, and he’s never been the same since then. Romano had an 8.23 ERA for the Phillies last year. He came to the Angels on a modest one-year, $2MM deal. His time with the team is over after just eight innings.
Lucchesi joined the organization in late March after getting released by the Giants. He ended up breaking camp with the Angels. The veteran lefty allowed a pair of earned runs over three appearances. He walked four and struck out two across 2 1/3 innings. Lucchesi was designated for assignment and elected free agency in early April, but returned to the organization on a minor league deal.
Fermin was up and down with the big league club for the majority of 2025. He put together a mid-4.00s ERA with a solid 25.7% strikeout rate across 40 appearances. Fermin has a big fastball, but control has been an issue. The righty posted a hefty 15.1% walk rate in 34 1/3 innings.
Anderson was knocked around for 11 earned runs in nine appearances out of the bullpen. The 31-year-old was similarly ineffective during his time with the club last year. He did not break camp with the team, but was in the majors before the end of March. Lucchesi will likely step into Anderson’s multi-inning role.
O’Hoppe was pulled from Saturday’s contest due to what was initially described as wrist irritation. He took a foul tip off the wrist in the seventh inning, but did stay in to finish the frame. Travis d’Arnaud replaced him in the eighth inning. The veteran d’Arnaud will likely assume the majority of the reps behind the plate, with Rivero backing him up.
Rivero appeared in 11 games for the Angels last season. He’s hit .172 in 107 MLB plate appearances. Before his brief stint with Los Angeles in 2025, Rivero hadn’t been in the big leagues since 2022 with the Royals. Kansas City signed him as an international free agent in 2015. After a slow ascent through the system, he reached the majors as a 22-year-old in 2021. Rivero hasn’t been even a league-average bat since his Rookie ball days, but he’s earned passable marks as a defender in his time as a big leaguer.
Photo courtesy of William Liang, Imagn Images
Diamondbacks Select Jesus Valdez
The Diamondbacks have selected infielder Jesus Valdez to the big league roster, per a team announcement. He’s been optioned to Double-A. Valdez will serve as the club’s 27th man for today’s game against the Padres. If he makes it into the game, it will be his big-league debut.
Arizona and San Diego were permitted to add an extra man for the Mexico City series, but it had to be a position player. After initially declining to make an addition to the roster, the Diamondbacks made the move for the second game of the series. An injury to shortstop Geraldo Perdomo led to the decision, per Nick Piecoro of the Arizona Republic. Perdomo went down with an ankle injury yesterday. The issue isn’t expected to require an IL stint, Piecoro relayed in a separate post.
Valdez was signed by the Dodgers out of the Dominican Republic in 2017. He was dealt to the Pirates the following year for David Freese. The infielder had some offensive success in the lower levels of the minors, but was released by Double-A Altoona after a brief stint in 2021. He latched on with the Diamondbacks on a minor league agreement in 2022.
The 28-year-old Valdez has posted modest numbers in the upper levels of Arizona’s system. He has an identical .706 OPS for his career at Double-A (116 games) and Triple-A (47 games). Valdez has scuffled to a .211/.375/.263 line in seven minor league games this year.
Photo courtesy of Matt Kartozian, Imagn Images
Cubs Select Yacksel Rios, Designate Vince Velasquez For Assignment
In a series of moves relayed by Taylor McGregor of Marquee Sports Network, the Cubs are expected to select right-hander Yacksel Rios and recall lefty Charlie Barnes. Righty Vince Velasquez will be designated for assignment. Left-hander Riley Martin is heading to the 15-day injured list (retroactive to April 24) with elbow inflammation. The team has officially announced the moves.
Velasquez’s minor league contract was only just selected on Friday, and he pitched well in what end up being his only appearance in a Chicago uniform. The right-hander allowed one hit over 2 1/3 shutout innings against the Dodgers in Velasquez’s first MLB outing since the 2023 season, when he was with the Pirates.
Elbow surgery sidelined Velasquez for the entire 2024 campaign, and his 2025 season saw him pitch both in the KBO League with the Lotte Giants and with the Guardians’ Triple-A club. Cleveland designated Velasquez for assignment and outrighted him off its 40-man roster last year, so that past outright means that Velasquez can opt for free agency instead of accepting an outright assignment from the Cubs if he clears waivers.
Velasquez could opt to stick around at Triple-A Iowa if for no other reason than the Cubs’ seemingly endless list of pitching injuries might allow him a relatively quick return to the Show. Chicago has eight relievers and 11 pitchers overall on the 15- or 60-day IL now that Martin has been sidelined.
Martin last pitched on Thursday, when he threw a scoreless inning in the Cubs’ 8-7 win over the Phillies. The rookie southpaw been quite impressive since making his Major League debut in early April, as Martin has a 2.16 ERA, 32.3% strikeout rate, and 6.5% walk rate over his first 8 1/3 innings and eight games as a big leaguer. A .222 BABIP has helped Martin avoid damage from a lot of the hard contact he has surrendered, but his 2.53 SIERA indicates that he has pitched well beyond that good fortune.
With Martin sidelined and Velasquez in DFA limbo, Rios and Barnes join the active roster as a pair of fresh arms for the beleaguered pen. This is Barnes’ second stint on the 26-man since his contract was initially selected earlier this month, and Barnes pitched in one game (allowing three earned runs in three innings) before being optioned to Triple-A.
Rios came to the organization on a minor league deal in January. The righty last appeared in the big leagues with the Athletics in 2023. He’s been in the Mets’ minor league system for the past two seasons. Rios has just over three years of MLB service time to his name. He’s spent parts of six big-league seasons with the Phillies, Pirates, Mariners, Red Sox, and A’s.
The 32-year-old Rios has a 6.32 career ERA and a checkered injury history. He was off to an uninspiring start to the Triple-A season, posting a 5.06 ERA across seven appearances with Iowa. Rios missed most of 2025 due to health issues. He delivered a solid minor league campaign in 2024, recording a 3.30 ERA with a strikeout per inning for Triple-A Syracuse.
Photo courtesy of Jim Rassol, Imagn Images
Jack Flaherty’s Difficult Start
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 Kansas City 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 yet to pitch 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