Guardians would be wise to pursue former division rival in free agency

With the offseason now underway and free agency about to begin, there are going to be plenty of names floated out there as options for teams to sign, not just the Cleveland Guardians. But when it comes down to ideal fits, there are very few names that would outrank signing former division rival and Woldl Series Champion Jack Flaherty.

Stuck in somewhat of a career rut, Flaherty signed with the Detroit Tigers ahead of the 2024 season in an attempt to revive his career. Flaherty managed to have one of the best runs of his career in a Tigers uniform, pitching to a 2.95 ERA, 0.956 WHIP, and 11.2 strikeouts per nine innings, re-establishing himself as one of the game's best pitchers. It was this performance that resulted in the Los Angeles Dodgers acquiring his services via trade and Flaherty being a key part of their rotation en route to winning the World Series.

Now, Flaherty is sure to have his fair share of suitors, including his former team in Detroit. However, that does not mean the Guardians should bow out of the bidding when it comes time. As of now, Tanner Bibee is the only arm in the rotation that can be considered above-average and perhaps, more importantly, reliable and consistent. It is a group that features Bibee and a bunch of bottom-of-the-rotation arms. Expecting Cleveland to replicate their success from 2024 in 2025 with that group can be considered one thing and one thing only. Foolish.

It is about understanding what the Guardians have, what they need, and where they are in terms of their contention window. The rotation in Cleveland has one dependable starter and arms with potential. What they need is more reliable starting pitchers and options who are not considered lottery ticket flier types. And their contention window? It's open, and there needs to be a sense of urgency about addressing their pitching staff if they want to make what is perceived to be a genuine run and finding a way to bring Flaherty to Cleveland would be a gigantic step forward in that regard.