The Los Angeles Angels made quite a few splashes at the start of the offseason, but have fallen quiet over the past few weeks.
However, another big-ticket addition could be in their future.
On Monday’s episode of “The Baseball Insiders,” FanSided’s Robert Murray said the Angels could be in the market for another starting pitcher in free agency, despite already signing Yusei Kikuchi and Kyle Hendricks in November. Jack Flaherty, the top-ranked starting pitcher left in traditional free agency, was one name Murray singled out as a potential target for Los Angeles.
“If we’re talking about pitching, I would imagine they look at – if they’re going for a bigger name guy – I think Jack Flaherty makes the most sense for them,” Murray said. “They’ve got the California connection, they’ve always needed starting pitching, it seems like. And Flaherty would be a really strong fit there, even on a short-term deal or even a long-term deal. I would imagine, if it’s with the Angels, it’ll be a shorter-term deal.”
Flaherty is originally from Burbank, California, and pitched for the Los Angeles Dodgers down the stretch in 2024. A deal with the Angels would keep the 29-year-old right-hander close to home, even if it is only for a season or two.
The St. Louis Cardinals drafted Flaherty out of high school in 2014, then called him up to the big leagues in 2017. Flaherty finished fifth in NL Rookie of the Year voting in 2018 before finishing fourth in the NL Cy Young race the following season.
Between those two years, Flaherty went 19-17 with a 3.01 ERA, 1.028 WHIP, 10.7 strikeouts per nine innings and an 8.9 WAR.
The next few seasons were a mixed bag for Flaherty, and his production dropped off a cliff when he got traded to the Baltimore Orioles at the 2023 deadline. From 2020 to 2023, Flaherty went 23-15 with a 4.42 ERA, 1.398 WHIP, 9.5 strikeouts per nine innings and a 1.1 WAR.
Flaherty enjoyed a resurgent 2024 – first with the Detroit Tigers, then with the Dodgers – going 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA, 1.068 WHIP, 10.8 strikeouts per nine innings and a 3.1 WAR. His 7.36 ERA across five postseason starts didn’t prevent him from earning a World Series ring, either, and he is now one of the most-coveted pitchers in baseball.
The Toronto Blue Jays have also been connected to Flaherty, as have the Tigers, Orioles, San Francisco Giants and Chicago Cubs.
