With spring training just around the corner, Jack Flaherty is still sitting on the free-agent market. If you’ve been paying attention, you know this is a guy who, at one point, looked like the next big thing in St. Louis. So why hasn’t he been scooped up yet?
Why Is Flaherty Still Unsigned?
MLB.com’s Mike Petriello took a crack at answering that question, pointing to Flaherty’s injury history and declining velocity as reasons teams might be hesitant to sign him to a long-term deal.
Fair concerns? Maybe. But Flaherty himself wasn’t having it—especially when it came to how his innings from 2020 were framed in the discussion.
Jack Flaherty Fires Back at the Narrative
Flaherty took to social media to call out the narrative, specifically the claim that he only threw 154 2/3 innings over three years. And honestly, he’s got a point.
That number makes it sound like he just wasn’t on the mound much, but it completely glosses over the fact that the 2020 season was only 60 games long. Not exactly a fair comparison.
Flaherty made nine starts that year, and if you stretch that out over a full season, he would’ve been on pace for 24 starts—more than respectable for a rotation arm.
Is He Worth the Risk?
Let’s not pretend that injuries haven’t been an issue. They have. Flaherty dealt with shoulder and oblique problems in 2021 and 2022.
And when he was fully healthy in 2023, he just wasn’t all that effective, posting a 4.99 ERA between St. Louis and Baltimore. But in 2024?
Different story. He bounced back in a big way, going 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA and playing a key role in the Dodgers’ championship run.
What’s The Holdup Regarding Jack Flaherty?
It could be teams worrying that his 2024 season was more of an outlier than a return to form. It could be that he’s asking for more than teams are willing to pay. Or maybe teams are overthinking this one.
Because a 28-year-old starter with a track record of success, a chip on his shoulder, and something to prove? That seems like the kind of guy worth taking a chance on.
