Blake Snell signing could force Jack Flaherty to fulfill Cardinals doomsday scenario
Blake Snell signed with the Los Angeles Dodgers on Tuesday night, which could spell good and bad news for Jack Flaherty.
The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers at the MLB trade deadline and never looked back. Flaherty provided valuable innings for the Dodgers both down the stretch and in the MLB Postseason. With the Tigers and Dodgers in 2024, Flaherty had a 3.17 ERA and 3.1 WAR. It’s tough to argue with that kind of production.
Still, there’s little guarantee Flaherty will return to Los Angeles, despite winning a World Series. Flaherty’s play may have priced him out of his hometown team, especially after the Dodgers signed Blake Snell on Tuesday night. Snell’s deal is five years in length, and worth $182 million. That’s a lot of money even if some of it comes in deferrals.
Snell’s contract not only gave him a new home with the World Series champions, but it also previewed the free-agent pitching market. There aren’t many top-level starters available, and as a result the price for pitchers like Snell, Corbin Burnes and Max Fried have skyrocketed. That change ought to be universal, with the likes of Flaherty receiving more than Spotrac’s predicted AAV of just over $21 million.
