Jack Flaherty's rehab assignment, return better not give Tigers any ideas for 2027

Jack Flaherty has been on the Tigers' IL since late July with flexor inflammation, but the rotation hasn't missed him much. Without Flaherty, Tarik Skubal, and Casey Mize; Troy Melton, Jackson Jobe, and Drew Anderson have stepped into more prominent roles. None have been perfect, but the rotation has also been the least of Detroit's worries.

The Tigers sent Flaherty on a rehab assignment on Sunday. His first start yielded a promising result: 1 1/3 innings pitched, one hit, one walk, two strikeouts.

The current plan is to get him back to Detroit before the regular season ends, whether or not he'll actually be pitching in meaningful games. They might not be able to build him back up to a full workload, but he could take on a piggyback role behind an opener.

"I think we owe it to him," AJ Hinch said. "He certainly feels responsible to us to get back and contribute something. [...] I certainly hope that he pitches in the big leagues because he's worked hard to demonstrate his health."

Hinch is almost certainly alluding to Flaherty's impending free agency, his third go-around on the open market since the 2023-24 offseason.

It's fine if the Tigers want to give Flaherty a few more appearances to make his case to teams before an inevitable lockout, but under no circumstances should Detroit be among them.

Jack Flaherty getting healthy shouldn't tempt Tigers to re-sign him in 2027

The free agent pool this offseason is relatively thin. Skubal is obviously the biggest headliner, but no one else can be considered anywhere near elite. Combined with the looming lockout, it should make for an incredibly unpredictable offseason. Player markets are going to come together quickly, as most free agents are presumably going to want to sign before the CBA expires.

Flaherty could come cheaply. He's at least not as much of a fixer-upper as he was when the Tigers signed him to a prove-it deal ahead of the 2024 season, but he's not so far off that he should expect anything more than a three-year deal, if that.

Starting pitching should be low on Scott Harris' list of priorities, but he might be inclined to stick to what he knows and re-sign Flaherty to yet another short-term deal.

The Tigers need to move on, though. Flaherty was looking better on the mound before he got hurt, but he's been far too unpredictable for Detroit to keep this experiment going beyond 2026.

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