Jack Flaherty gives mixed signals on uncertain future at Dodgers as free agency heats up: "Anything is possible"
A midseason acquisition, Jack Flaherty was key in helping the LA Dodgers win the World Series. He was the starting pitcher they desperately needed, as they only had three in the postseason, including him. Most teams run with four starters.
However, he was a rental. Flaherty is now a free agent, and while he has said in the past that he wants to return to LA, the place he is from, he is sending mixed signals as free agency heats up.
"It's yet to be seen," Flaherty said on Tuesday, via 'The Rich Eisen Show' (17:00). "Things happen a little slower in baseball. I think anything is possible. I loved playing here. I loved my time here. I'm hopeful for good things to happen these next weeks or months, whatever it ends up being."
The veteran pitcher joined LA after a trade from the Detroit Tigers. He had an up-and-down postseason as he pitched for 5.2 innings of two-run ball in Game 1, followed by four earned runs in less than two innings in Game 5, but he will have suitors.
Free agency officially began on Tuesday, but the MLB hot stove takes a lot of time. Last year, four of the biggest free agents didn't sign until right at or after the beginning of spring training.
Yankees nearly traded for Jack Flaherty before heading to Dodgers
Although Jack Flaherty left both games with the Dodgers trailing, they won both of his World Series starts en route to a five-game win. The New York Yankees reportedly almost brought in Flaherty.
However, they couldn't match up at an appropriate price and there were concerns about Flaherty's back. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman talked about the negotiations in July:
“At the end of the day, I would’ve brought Jack Flaherty in if I could’ve matched up, and I had difficulty matching up," Cashman said, via ESPN. "And that was the reason I don’t have him.”
The Detroit Tigers reportedly wanted Will Warren, who is one of the top pitching prospects in the Yankees farm system. He made some spot starts at the MLB level in 2024, and the Yankees opted to keep him.