New York Mets president of baseball operations David Stearns wants to acquire "multiple" starting pitchers for his rotation this winter. Does his offseason wish list include making a run at Los Angeles Dodgers hurler Jack Flaherty?
The Mets' rotation was among the best in baseball this season. While their 3.91 rotation ERA was the league's 12th-best mark, they reached a new level in the second half. That number dropped to 3.46 following the All-Star Game, ranking fifth overall.
Stearns is looking for multiple starters because several key 2024 contributors are on the open market. Sean Manaea, Jose Quintana and Luis Severino are all free agents. Flaherty would serve as a perfect addition to pair with Kodai Senga at the top of New York's starting staff.
The right-hander split 2024 between the Detroit Tigers and Los Angeles Dodgers. He tossed 162 innings, producing a 13-7 record with a 3.17 ERA, 1.07 WHIP and 133 strikeouts. Flaherty also experienced a deep postseason run as he helped Los Angeles win a World Series title over the New York Yankees.
Will Laws and Nick Selbe of SI.com shared predictions on where this winter's top free agents could land. They're saying Flaherty heads to the Big Apple to join the Mets. MLB Trade Rumors is predicting the hurler will land a five-year, $115 million deal. However, it could be tough to convince him to leave LA, especially if the Dodgers are interested in a reunion.
Flaherty is a local kid, selected out of Harvard-Westlake High School in Los Angeles during the 2014 MLB Draft. "This is unbelievable. I love this city. I never want to leave. I never want to leave," he said during the Dodgers' championship parade on Nov. 1.
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