With trade rumors swirling, Tigers’ Jack Flaherty faces Guardians

It’s certainly possible the Detroit Tigers will trade Jack Flaherty by the end of the month. Before then, the veteran right-hander’s focus is on continuing his stellar season with another strong effort against the Cleveland Guardians.

Flaherty will try to help the visiting Tigers regain the upper hand in the four-game series on Wednesday in what could be one of his final starts with the club.

The one-year contract Flaherty signed to pitch for Detroit could be a steppingstone to some monetary resurgence for the veteran. Whether that comes in a deal with another team before next week’s trade deadline or in 2025 remains to be seen.

What’s known is that Flaherty (7-5, 3.13 ERA) is 6-1 with a 2.04 ERA since May 30. He allowed a two-run homer and two other hits and struck out eight in 5 2/3 innings during Detroit’s 5-4 victory at Toronto on Friday.

“The job every single day is to go out and try to win,” Flaherty said. “Regardless of what else is going on. No matter what point in the season, the job is to win each and every day.”

Flaherty is 1-2 with a 2.89 ERA in five career starts vs. Cleveland and has yielded three runs with eight hits over 12 innings while splitting two outings against the Guardians this season. On July 11, he allowed a homer to Bo Naylor and one other hit over six innings during a 10-1 home victory vs. Cleveland.

“He’s been a rock for us, and he’s doing great things,” teammate Mark Canha said of Flaherty, according to MLB.com.

Detroit opened the current series with an 8-2 win, then fell short in a 5-4 loss on Tuesday. Wenceel Perez clubbed a two-run homer for the Tigers, who are amid an 11-4 stretch and are two games under .500.

The Tigers haven’t had trouble scoring against Cleveland’s scheduled Wednesday starter, Tanner Bibee (8-4, 3.58 ERA), who is 0-3 with a 6.86 ERA in four career starts against Detroit. He yielded four runs and five hits and drew three walks while striking out eight over seven innings in the Guardians’ 5-4 loss at Detroit on July 10.

Detroit’s Matt Vierling homered off the right-hander in that contest. Meanwhile, Colt Keith is 2-for-4 with a triple vs. Bibee and Zach McKinstry is 4-for-9 against him. Perez is 1-for-6 vs. Bibee, but he is batting .320 with four RBIs in the past six games against Cleveland.

Bibee, meanwhile, will look to build on his Friday outing, when he allowed two hits and overcame three walks while lasting 5 2/3 innings in Cleveland’s 7-0 victory against the San Diego Padres.

“I think we’ve all known he’s a bona fide ace, and I think now the league’s starting to see it,” Guardians All-Star David Fry said, according to MLB.com.

Jose Ramirez hit his first homer since June 29 to break a 2-2 tie in the fifth inning Tuesday and followed with a key insurance RBI hit in the sixth. The AL Central-leading Guardians snapped a three-game skid by winning for just the third time in 10 contests.

Ramirez is batting .343 with two home runs and seven RBIs in nine games vs. Detroit this year.

–Field Level Media