The Pittsburgh Pirates are looking to add multiple starting pitchers this offseason, and they’re reportedly keeping tabs on a long-time division rival.
The Pirates are “monitoring the market” for right-hander Jack Flaherty, according to Jeff Jones of the Belleville News-Democrat. Jones says Pittsburgh is interested in bringing Flaherty in on a shorter-term deal if he is not able to land a long-term deal with another team.
Flaherty, 28, has pitched for seven seasons as a major leaguer. For his career, he’s gone 42-34 with a 3.75 ERA across 131 appearances/125 starts.
The majority of his career has been with the St. Louis Cardinals, but the right-hander was traded to the Baltimore Orioles in a deadline deal this past season.
Flaherty was off to a solid start in St. Louis to being the year. Prior to the trade, he went 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA in 20 starts. In 109.2 innings, Flaherty struck out 106 batters, walked 54 and allowed only 10 home runs.
After he was sent to Baltimore, Flaherty struggled down the stretch and was ultimately moved to the bullpen. Between the two teams, Flaherty finished the 2023 campaign at 8-9 with a 4.99 ERA.
The most encouraging development for the 2014 first-round pick was his health. His 144.1 innings pitched marked his highest total since throwing nearly 200 innings with St. Louis in 2019. That season, Flaherty went 11-8 with a magnificent 2.75 ERA and finished fourth in the National League Cy Young race.
Since that season, Flaherty’s career has been riddled with injuries. Combined between 2021-22, Flaherty was limited to a total of 114.1 innings pitched.
As it currently stands, Mitch Keller is the only dependable starting pitcher in the Pirates’ rotation. The news of Johan Oviedo requiring Tommy John surgery on an ailing elbow further emphasized the need for the Pirates to add starting pitching this winter.
Earlier in the day on Monday, general manager Ben Cherington said on MLB Network at the Winter Meetings that the Pittsburgh Pirates would also like to add an outfielder this offseason.
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