This week’s mailbag covers how free agent righty Jack Flaherty would possibly method his present state of affairs, whether or not Alex Bregman is sensible for the Nationals, accusations of the Dodgers having a predetermined deal for Roki Sasaki, low-cost proper area choices for the Pirates, how the Giants may slot in a bat, a comparability of Jordan Montgomery, Taijuan Walker, and Marcus Stroman, why the Twins collapsed, and far more.
Lance asks:
It is considerably stunning to see Jack Flaherty type of iced out, up thus far, in free company given the urgency and worth positioned on high quality beginning pitching. Would he be in line for a ‘higher’ contract if he opted for a long-term (5-yr) contract at a decrease AAV than anticipated/most well-liked versus choosing a short-term contract that would see him saddled with a Qualifying Provide subsequent offseason?
I am seeing a little bit of a Carlos Rodon parallel right here. Rodon had an superior breakout 2021 with the White Sox and hit the market with out a qualifying supply, however with a doubtful well being monitor report. So he took two years and $44MM from the Giants with an opt-out, had an excellent higher season, acquired the QO, and nonetheless landed a $162MM deal.
Rodon’s Giants contract got here after the lockout, and that was an unorthodox winter for all free brokers. However he was solely 29 on the time, and I think about he had lower-AAV longer-term presents such as you talked about for Flaherty. In that case, he made himself some huge cash by not taking that sort of deal.
That labored out so effectively for Rodon as a result of he dominated in 2022. Flaherty would wish to remain wholesome and pitch effectively in 2025 to get the $100MM+ deal he is seemingly searching for. He does not flip 30 till October, so he is in a superb place to take a short-term deal (with opt-outs if it is multiyear) and return to the market even with the QO. If he actually wished to be strategic, he may signal with a staff that’s more likely to commerce him on the deadline, and dodge the QO once more. If Flaherty’s 2025 is respectable however not nice, he may additionally contemplate accepting a QO.
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