Michael discussed some of the latest on free agent starting pitcher Jack Flaherty earlier today in a Lukewarm Stove, but another little Cubs-specific bit popped up that was worth sharing.
From Mark Feinsand:
“With few alternatives in free agency, the Orioles could turn to the trade market — San Diego’s Dylan Cease and Seattle’s Luis Castillo are among potential trade candidates — to fill the hole atop the rotation, but a reunion with Flaherty would make perfect sense.
A number of other teams also remain in the mix for Flaherty including the Giants, Blue Jays, Tigers and Cubs.”
This is not the first time the Cubs and Flaherty have been mentioned together, but it has been a sufficiently infrequent that it’s worth highlighting the language Feinsand uses: “remain in the mix.” That suggests something more than a mere speculative fit, and instead seems to reiterate that this is a guy the Cubs actually would like to sign. I suspect that’s true, though I have my doubts they’re going to be willing to go to nine figures on a guy with Flaherty’s injury history (and it might take nine figures to sign him).
Here’s hoping the Cubs do “remain in the mix” for a while yet, and seriously consider adding a guy who has the potential to be an impact-caliber starter near the front of their rotation (and offers a very different look from Shōta Imanaga and Justin Steele, and who is still only 29). Flaherty may well be the best remaining starting pitcher on the traditional free agent market, too.
Note that I do not anticipate Flaherty signing (certainly not with the Cubs) until after Roki Sasaki’s decision becomes more clear, especially now that we’re under two weeks from Sasaki being eligible to sign.
It’s not a matter of being able to afford Flaherty after Sasaki, or to make room for him in the rotation – any club in baseball can afford Sasaki, since he’s tied to IFA bonus pool restrictions, and any club in baseball would gladly fit him into any rotation. Instead, it is simply a matter of resource allocation: if the Cubs were to shockingly land Sasaki, their need for an additional starting pitcher would drop dramatically. Thus, even if they could easily still afford Flaherty at that point, they would have much less incentive to deploy their dollars on the rotation. Instead, those dollars would be better allocated elsewhere on the roster if Sasaki were already in tow.
From Flaherty’s perspective, unless he gets bowled over by an offer, it doesn’t make sense to finish up his negotiations until all possible suitors are involved. If the Cubs or whoever else is not willing to officially offer a huge contract until after Sasaki’s decision is made (privately or publicly), then Flaherty may be best served taking an extra week or two.
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