The Tigers right-hander, who had an option for 2026 in the deal he signed last February, has decided to remain with the club, the team announced Tuesday. The decision gives the Tigers some certainty in an offseason that will bring some level of change to the rotation coming off a second consecutive playoff run.
The option was a key part of the two-year contract Flaherty signed to return to the Tigers back in February, essentially making it a one-year deal with a player option for 2026. The option was originally worth $10 million, but doubled once he reached an escalator clause for 15 starts this season.
That escalator left Flaherty with a decision at the end of a difficult season in which he finished with an 8-15 record and a 4.64 ERA. Flaherty regressed from his 2024 numbers in most major categories, though his 3.85 FIP suggested he pitched better than his base numbers would suggest. When he was in top form, he was brilliant, including six scoreless innings and seven strikeouts against the eventual American League champion Blue Jays on July 27, and seven scoreless innings with nine strikeouts against the Astros on Aug. 18. But he also had two outings in which he gave up eight runs, including an Aug. 24 loss to the Royals.
Flaherty pitched the Tigers to a big win in Yankee Stadium on Sept. 10 with five scoreless innings and seven strikeouts. His next three outings were all against Cleveland, with back-to-back losses to end the regular season, then 4 2/3 innings of one-run ball in Game 3 of the AL Wild Card Series. He took a loss against the Mariners in Game 3 of the AL Division Series, then came back on two days’ rest to toss two scoreless innings of relief in Game 5.
Had Flaherty opted out, the Tigers could have made another attempt to keep him by extending him a qualifying offer which, at $22,025,000, would’ve been a bump up from his contract option. Flaherty would’ve then had until Nov. 16 to accept or decline it. The Tigers would’ve then received a compensation pick in next summer’s MLB Draft had Flaherty declined and signed elsewhere.
Instead, Flaherty and the Tigers avoided the run-around, and Detroit avoids what would’ve been a gaping hole in the rotation. With Reese Olson coming off a season-ending shoulder injury and Jackson Jobe set to miss most or all of next season recovering from Tommy John surgery, the Tigers have Flaherty, Tarik Skubal, Casey Mize and Troy Melton as their top returning starters for next year. They could move Keider Montero back into the rotation after a successful stretch run in the bullpen, or could exercise their option on José Urquidy, but they could also add a veteran starter to fortify the staff for next year and prepare for potential Skubal and Mize departures as free agents next winter.
