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For their standards, the Los Angeles Dodgers have been quiet over the past few days. They’ve already made the moves they needed to in the early stages of the offseason, but for a Dodgers front office that’s said they want to do even more, don’t be surprised if Los Angeles adds to its loaded roster sometime in the near future.
Could that mean the Dodgers will reunite with some players from their World Series team? Perhaps.
If that’s the case, re-signing Jack Flaherty wouldn’t be the worst idea. The Dodgers pitching staff is loaded when healthy, but health has been a big question for Los Angeles’ rotation over the past few years.
Flaherty will be expensive, and while the Dodgers always have money to spend, that could be why he signs elsewhere. David Schoenfield of ESPN predicted Flaherty to sign a five-year, $115 million deal, a contract that would see him land more than most predictions.
“Flaherty and Manaea fall into a second tier behind Fried and Burnes, but their market is currently in flux because of some of the starting pitchers mentioned in trade rumors, most notably the Mariners’ Luis Castillo (who still has three years left on his contract) and the Padres’ Dylan Cease (in his walk year), and maybe even the Astros’ Framber Valdez.
“The Castillo-to-Boston rumors make a lot of sense, although that could be tied to the Red Sox signing Bregman to free up Casas as part of the trade. Anyway, the lower price point for Flaherty and Manaea opens up more teams as possibilities,” Schoenfield wrote on December 17.
Teams Have Interest in Flaherty
If the Los Angeles Dodgers want to return their second-half ace, they might have to do so soon. There’s a chance in any free agency that a player doesn’t have the market they’re hoping for, but Flaherty seems to have suitors.
Mark Feinsand of MLB.com reported that the Boston Red Sox and Baltimore Orioles could view him as a potential option, depending on what Corbin Burnes does.
“Both of those clubs could also pivot to Jack Flaherty or Walker Buehler if the price for Burnes proves to be too high for their taste, as the two free agents are more appealing than Sean Manaea and Nick Pivetta, each of whom would cost Draft-pick compensation after turning down qualifying offers,” Feinsand wrote on December 16.
Why Teams Could Want Flaherty
The Los Angeles Dodgers couldn’t offer Flaherty a qualifying offer because he was traded to them during the deadline.
Most players don’t take qualifying offers, and Flaherty likely would’ve been in that boat, but it’s a good thing for other teams besides the Dodgers that they couldn’t.
Because Flaherty didn’t receive a qualifying offer, any team that signs him doesn’t have to give up draft capital, which Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported is appealing to ball clubs.
“Part of Flaherty’s appeal in free agency is that a team will not lose a draft pick for signing him; his trade from the Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers last season made him ineligible for a qualifying offer,” Rosenthal wrote on December 14.
“Like Burnes, he is a California native who might prefer to play out west. But for which club?”
After impressing with a 3.17 ERA and 194 strikeouts in 162.0 innings, the right-hander star is in a great position to get paid what he deserves.
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