The Detroit Tigers are in a great position as the calendar turns to July. At 53-32, the Tigers are tied with the Los Angeles Dodgers for the best record in baseball entering Monday, and they’ve run their lead in the American League Central to 11.5 games over the Cleveland Guardians.
As great as the campaign has been, perhaps the most impressive part of the Tigers’ season is how far ahead they are despite their performance in June. After going 18-9 in April and 19-9 in May, the Tigers ran into some injuries and finished the month with a 15-11 record.
While it hasn’t done much to deter their postseason plans, one pitcher’s performance has put him on the chopping block, and it could lead to his exit from Detroit when the season ends.
Tigers RHP Jack Flaherty Just Punched His Ticket Out of Detroit
The last time Jack Flaherty was on the trading block, it was under great circumstances. Flaherty had a 7-5 record and a 2.95 ERA in 18 starts with Detroit after signing a one-year contract in the 2023-24 offseason. But the Tigers were buried in the AL Central and wild card standings, leading the team to sell at the deadline.
The trade, which sent Flaherty to the Dodgers, helped them acquire shortstop Trey Sweeney and catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo. But it also could have been a mistake in hindsight, as the Tigers ended up making the playoffs despite their selling mentality.
Looking for starting pitching depth this past winter, the Tigers reconnected with Flaherty on a one-year deal with a player option for 2026 last spring, but it’s looking like Detroit may be looking to move in sometime in the future.
Flaherty’s season got off to a hot start as he posted a 3.34 ERA in his first six starts. The month of May saw some regression as his ERA ballooned to 4.67, but the wheels came off in June, going 2-3 with a 6.84 ERA. Flaherty’s walk rate has also jumped in June with 16 free passes in 25 innings and his 89.6 mph average exit velocity is the highest among Tigers starters with at least 20 innings pitched.
The question for the Tigers is not only where do they go from here, but how long will they wait to pull the plug?
Reese Olson is due back from a finger injury this month, and Alex Cobb is working his way toward making his debut for Detroit as he rehabs from a hip injury. While making an outside-the-box trade is possible, it’s unlikely because the Tigers would be selling low and detracting from pitching depth they may need down the stretch.
Flaherty’s player option is worth $20 million next season, and it’s hard to imagine that he doesn’t opt in with his value in shambles. But Detroit could look to either dump his salary or cut him next winter if he doesn’t recover from a tough June.