Giants Predicted to Poach World Series Champ From Dodgers on $100M Deal
The San Francisco Giants have faced plenty of challenges from their National League West rivals, the Los Angeles Dodgers, over the past year. After watching the Dodgers sign stars like Shohei Ohtani and Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and win their second World Series in five seasons, could Giants president of baseball operations Buster Posey strike back by signing pitcher Jack Flaherty in free agency?
Flaherty had a rough 2023 season, posting a 4.99 ERA in 144 1/3 innings while splitting time between the St. Louis Cardinals and Baltimore Orioles. However, in 2024, Flaherty turned things around, pitching for the Detroit Tigers and the Dodgers with much better results. The right-hander finished the season with a 13-7 record, a 3.17 ERA, 1.07 WHIP, and 194 strikeouts over 162 innings. After signing a one-year, $14 million deal with Detroit to rebuild his value, Flaherty succeeded in doing so and is now set to cash in.
Several teams, including the New York Mets, Yankees, Los Angeles Angels, and San Diego Padres, have shown interest in the 29-year-old. Deadspin’s Derek Brown predicts that Flaherty will remain in California, signing a four-year, $100 million contract with the Giants. This could be an affordable way for San Francisco to fill the gap left by Blake Snell’s decision to opt out and re-enter free agency. Pairing Flaherty with Logan Webb at the top of manager Bob Melvin’s rotation would strengthen the Giants while simultaneously weakening the Dodgers.
However, there are challenges. Flaherty is from the Los Angeles area and was drafted by the Cardinals out of Harvard-Westlake High School in 2014. He has also expressed his affection for L.A., saying during the Dodgers’ championship parade, “This is unbelievable. I love this city. I never want to leave. I never want to leave.” So while signing Flaherty makes sense for the Giants on paper, convincing him to leave his hometown team could prove difficult.
Leave a Reply