"Nobody was above anyone else"- Jack Flaherty claims he knew MVPs Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman, Clayton Kershaw won't have ego clashes
The Los Angeles Dodgers' 2024 roster had many future Hall of Famers, including Shohei Ohtani, Mookie Betts, Freddie Freeman and Clayton Kershaw. With many big names sharing the locker room, egos could get the better of many.
However, such has been the atmosphere of their clubhouse that has led mid-season trade acquisition Jack Flaherty, who's now a free agent, to claim otherwise.
Flaherty, on Sunday's episode of "Throwbacks" podcast, where host Matt Leinhart asked him about the atmosphere in the lockerroom considering the big names involved, replied:
"Four guys have MVPs—Mookie, Freddy, Shohei and Kersh," Flaherty said (7:40 onwards). "You get all of them in a room, these guys with huge contracts, and you’d think there would be huge egos all around. Coming over there, I didn’t really expect it.
"I’ve known Mookie a little bit, heard great things about Freddy from Max, who had played with him, heard about Shohei from Goo [Lucas Giolito], who played with him, and I’ve known Kersh a little bit.
"But none of that ego stuff was the case. Nobody acted like they were above anyone else. From top to bottom, everybody was the same—except, of course, for the usual rookie duties that certain guys have to do. But overall, that’s as close-knit a group as I’ve ever seen."
What Flaherty claimed is much in line to how the dugout is during the games. That kind of atmosphere could have helped Dodgers win their eighth title this season.
MLB insider names 3 teams other than the Dodgers most likely to land Jack Flaherty this offseason
As much as Jack Flaherty would have like to stayed with the Dodgers, the club doesn't really need him, given they have a flurry of returning starting pitchers like Dustin May and Tony Gonsolin. Moreover, they have their eyes set on amateur international free agent Roki Sasaki.
However, Flaherty's experience, especially of pitching at the highest of stages, should help him this offseason to sign a good contract. According to MLB insider Jon Morosi, the New York Yankees, San Diego Padres and the Los Angeles Angels are three teams emerging as top contenders for various reasons.
The Yankees and the Padres need a postseason pitcher, given how competitive they are, and Jack Flaherty ticks those boxes. As for the Angels, their time to rebuild is taking too long. With Mike Trout's commitment to win a World Series, they might just make big signings, and Flaherty could be one of them.