The Toronto Blue Jays continue to be linked to top free agents on the market, and after missing out on Corbin Burnes, another name has emerged as a pitching target. Jack Flaherty is a pitcher who the Blue Jays are showing interest in according to Mark Feinsand of MLB.com, and while other teams are in on his market, Toronto’s desire to spend and desperation to import talent onto the roster may allow them to have the highest bid on the table. They’ve been linked heavily to Anthony Santander for weeks, and if they add him, they could bolster their rotation with Flaherty as well.
Last season, the right-hander punched out 194 batters across 162 innings with a 3.17 ERA, and after winning the World Series with his hometown Dodgers, Flaherty could provide a much-needed frontline ace to a team like the Blue Jays.
Jack Flaherty Is An Option For A Blue Jays Team Desperate To Land a Star
The Toronto Blue Jays have some offensive holes to fill on their roster, notably in the power department, but they also have some holes to fill in their rotation. With Alek Manoah recovering from Tommy John Surgery and Yusei Kikuchi being dealt last summer before signing a three-year deal with the Angels, the Blue Jays have some uncertainty in their fifth rotation slot, as Yariel Rodriguez looked more like a reliever, and prospect Jake Bloss could use more refining.
Last season Toronto finished 14th in ERA (3.95) and 17th in fWAR (11.0) as a rotation, and they’ll want to improve on those marks if they want to put an ugly 2024 season behind them. The Blue Jays finished in last place in an AL East that wasn’t as loaded as it has been in previous seasons, and they play in an American League that has seen multiple star players such as Corbin Burnes and Juan Soto depart for the National League.
If they want to contend for a playoff spot, their time may be running out as both Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette hit free agency at the end of the 2025 season.
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Vladimir Guerrero Jr. and Bo Bichette have yet to win a playoff game with the Blue Jays, as this core that they tanked for has resulted in disappointing playoff exits in the Wild Card Round at best. They’ve been swept in all three of their playoff berths with this duo, but having someone like Jack Flaherty near the top of their rotation would help them at least take a game from a contender.
Jack Flaherty was fourth in K% (29.9%) among qualified MLB pitchers last season as his ability to throw fastballs up in the zone and breaking balls low in the dirt allowed him to rack up whiffs and chases. With Kevin Gausman, Jose Berrios, Bowden Francis, and Chris Bassitt already in the rotation, the addition of Flaherty could give the Blue Jays one of the best rotations not just in the American League East, but in all of baseball.
Whether their interest in Flaherty results in him going north of the border remains to be seen, but Toronto is eager to add a free agent of note, as shown in their interest in both Anthony Santander and Alex Bregman.