Jack Flaherty’s decision to stay with Tigers shows Detroit is becoming destination

After turning a two-year, $35 million contract into a $45 million payday thanks to performance bonuses, Jack Flaherty had every reason to test free agency again this winter.

Instead, he stayed. And in doing so, he said something far more important about the Detroit Tigers than any offseason press conference or marketing slogan ever could. Detroit isn’t just rebuilding anymore — it's a destination.

“Not everything is about money,” Flaherty said (via Chris McCosky of The Detroit News). “Especially when you are in a place you feel you have a chance to win.”

That sentence would have sounded almost unimaginable around this franchise just a few years ago.

For much of the late 2010s and early rebuild era, Detroit was viewed as a stopover — a place veterans rebuilt value before moving elsewhere or where young players learned through losses while the organization stockpiled draft capital. Now, players are voluntarily choosing to stay.

Starting pitching remains baseball’s most valuable currency, and a strikeout arm coming off a season with 10.5 K/9 and elite swing-and-miss traits absolutely would have drawn interest. But Flaherty's interest remained in Detroit.

Jack Flaherty choosing to return to Tigers shows the future is now in Detroit

Flaherty didn’t just cite teammates as reasons for returning. He specifically pointed to pitching coach Chris Fetter and assistants Robin Lund and Juan Nieves as key selling points. Under Fetter’s guidance, the Tigers have built one of baseball’s most respected pitching development environments — blending biomechanics, individualized planning and aggressive pitch design adjustments. It’s not coincidence that reclamation arms and established veterans alike continue finding improvements here.

Flaherty admitted he suspected the Tigers would add pieces this winter. He probably didn’t expect Framber Valdez and Justin Verlander. But those additions alone perfectly capture how dramatically expectations have shifted in Detroit. The Tigers didn't simply retain talent — they stacked it.

A rotation that already featured swing-and-miss depth suddenly added a Cy Young-caliber left-hander and a franchise legend returning home. Instead of asking Flaherty to carry innings alone, the Tigers handed him something pitchers crave late in their careers: protection.

Flaherty’s surface statistics told a frustrating story in 2025. He recorded an American League-high 15 losses and a 4.64 ERA with too many balls leaving the yard at the wrong time. But dig underneath, and the picture changes quickly.

Flaherty's 2.92 second-half FIP ranked among baseball’s best. Hitters batted just .205 against his knuckle-curve while whiffing 42 percent of the time. His four-seam fastball generated positive run value. The strikeouts never disappeared.

The Tigers clearly believe that version shows up more often in 2026 — and Flaherty clearly believes Detroit gives him the best chance to find it consistently.