Tigers Star Hits Contract Milestone, Player Option for 2026 Is Now $20 Million

The Detroit Tigers were looking to land a big fish this past offseason.

After signing Gleyber Torres and Alex Cobb, they also added a few pieces to their already-stout bullpen.

But in the midst of their pursuit for Alex Bregman, the Tigers decided to reunite with Jack Flaherty on a two-year, $35 million contract after the star wasn't able to secure a long-term deal coming off winning the World Series with the Los Angeles Dodgers.

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Detroit put together a creative offer, giving him $25 million for the first season of the deal and a $10 million value attached to the player option for 2026.

However, there was a kicker that also came with that contract.

If Flaherty were to make 15 starts in 2025 amidst the concerns about his health, then that $10 million player option would increase to $20 million.

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Well, the veteran right-hander reached that milestone on Friday, and now, he's going to have something to think about when this campaign eventually ends.

For one, Flaherty was expected to opt-out and hit the open market again.

The 29-year-old was searching for something in the five-season range, however, after not getting that type of deal this past winter when he posted a 3.17 ERA and was a key part of the championship-winning rotation, the fact he now owns a 4.83 ERA through 15 starts this year could scare off teams even further.

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Flaherty will have to prove he can rebound.

Metrically, the numbers suggest he's been a bit unlucky with his xERA sitting at 4.07 while his xFIP is 3.68 compared to his FIP of 4.49. But even if his true statistics matched his expected ones, those don't suggest he's a nine-figure ace.

Either way, there's nothing Detroit can do if Flaherty decides to change course and opt into his deal.

And after he reached his 15th start, they will now be on the hook for $20 million if Flaherty wants to return.

For more Tigers news, head over to Tigers On SI.