Dodgers officially say goodbye to World Series champion starter on strange contract

When the Los Angeles Dodgers traded for Jack Flaherty at the 2024 deadline, they got the second-best starting pitcher on the market behind Garrett Crochet.

Flaherty had been fixed up by Tigers Chris Fetter on a one-year deal in Detroit and made 18 starts there for a sub-3.00 ERA; the Tigers, still a month away from the real start of their unlikely postseason ascent, were clear sellers. Crochet was impossible to wrangle away from the White Sox at that point in time, but the Tigers let Flaherty go for the low price of two prospects.

Flaherty, an LA native, maintained a consistent level of performance with the Dodgers when he came over and was a crucial anchor for the rotation as Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, and Walker Buehler continued to fluctuate. He professed his (incredibly sloshed) desire to stay a Dodger during the team's World Series festivities.

But the Dodgers filled their rotation past capacity this offseason with Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki, along with Shohei Ohtani, Dustin May, and Tony Gonsolin expected to return in 2025, so a reunion with Flaherty seemed unlikely unless they'd lost Sasaki.

During a recent appearance on the "Foul Territory" podcast, Flaherty admitted that his market had moved slower than he'd expected, but he confirmed that he and the Tigers had been in communication about a return deal.

On Feb. 2, Flaherty broke news of a new deal with the Tigers on Twitter, beating even Jeff Passan to it. Passan was quick to provide the details: Flaherty signed for two years at $35 million with a player opt-out after the first season. He'll make $25 million in the first year and $10 million if he opts into the second, and he gets an additional $10 million in 2026 if he makes 15 starts.

Jack Flaherty re-signs with the Tigers on two-year deal after half-season with Dodgers

As his free agency drew out, Flaherty reportedly adjusted his asking price to reflect fewer years and a higher AAV, which is pretty much what he got with the Tigers, who basically doubled their offseason spending on just three other players (Alex Cobb, Gleyber Torres, Tommy Kahnle) with Flaherty's new deal.

The two prospects the Dodgers gave up for Flaherty, Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney, are breaking onto top 100 lists and making Detroit's Opening Day roster, respectively, and the Tigers just gave their rotation a huge upgrade by getting Flaherty, who also said on "Foul Territory" that he loved pitching in Detroit, back.

The Dodgers have very little to fear from the Tigers, but it's all worked out for them pretty nicely. The two teams will see each other for the Dodgers' stateside Opening Day, so Flaherty will be able to get his ring with his hometown team.