Jack Flaherty remains a free agent as the offseason rolls on. Flaherty joined the Dodgers for the second half of the season and revealed his childhood dream was playing for the franchise. But the Los Angeles native’s chances of returning to his hometown team are getting slimmer as time goes on.
Although Flaherty might not fit in the Dodgers’ rotation, there are several MLB teams on the hunt for starting pitchers. The Athletic’s Will Sammon and Katie Woo suggested the Baltimore Orioles as a potential landing spot for Flaherty.
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The 2021 National League Cy Young pitcher Corbin Burnes served as the Orioles’ ace this season. He made 32 starts, logging a 2.92 ERA, and ranked 10th in the American League with 181 strikeouts. However, the four-time All-Star has since parted ways with Baltimore. Burnes signed a six-year, $210 million contract with the Arizona Diamondbacks.
Burnes’ departure from the Orioles opens up a spot for Flaherty in the rotation. Flaherty, who was a first-round draft pick in 2014, can be an ace for Baltimore. This season, Flaherty accrued a 3.17 ERA while striking out 194 batters.
If Flaherty ends up in Baltimore, it would not be the first time he played for the franchise.
Flaherty played six and a half seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals to begin his MLB career. But the Cardinals traded the right-hander to the Orioles at the trade deadline in 2023. In exchange for Flaherty, the Cardinals acquired second baseman César Prieto, left-handed pitcher Drew Rom, and right-handed pitcher Zack Showalter.
In his first go-around with Baltimore, Flaherty did not perform well. He made nine appearances and seven starts while recording a 6.75 ERA through the second half of the regular season. Flaherty also logged a career-worst highest hits-per-nine-innings (11.9) rate.
The Orioles allowed Flaherty to pitch in the postseason after a three-year hiatus from the playoffs with the Cardinals. He allowed one run and two hits across two innings in Game 2 of the American League Division Series against the Texas Rangers.
Flaherty elected free agency at the end of the season. He ultimately signed with the Detroit Tigers in December 2023 before being traded again at the 2024 trade deadline to the Dodgers.
Although his initial run with Baltimore was not ideal, both Flaherty and the Orioles are reportedly open to reuniting this offseason.
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