MLBTR Ranks Next 10 Free Agents, Led by Jack Flaherty at No. 51

Q: Can Jack Flaherty parlay his elite strikeout metrics and late-season health proof into a massive payday despite his injury history?

Probably not a massive payday, but he can still turn his strikeout profile and healthy finish into a solid rebound deal. Flaherty’s case starts with the traits teams pay for in short-term pitching bets. Even in an injury-limited 2026, he struck out 26% of hitters with an 11% swinging-strike rate, both comfortably above average for a starter in this tier. His 4.05 FIP was better than his 4.48 ERA, and evaluators will note he pitched better in June and July before the flexor issue shut him down. That gives clubs a credible argument that the raw stuff still plays. The late-season return mattered, but mostly as proof of functionality, not as a market-changing showcase. His two scoreless innings in the finale helped answer the basic question of whether he could get on a mound healthy before free agency. It did not erase the larger concern: multiple injuries, only 88 1/3 innings, and back-to-back seasons with middling run prevention. That is why the market signals point much lower than a major long-term commitment. MLB Trade Rumors framed him as a likely one-year “pillow” candidate in the $10 million to $12 million range. Spotrac’s broader estimate of roughly two years and $30.5 million suggests there is some room for upside if a club believes in a bounce-back, but even that is not star-level money. So yes, Flaherty can cash in relative to his risk profile. But his injury history and limited workload make a short-term, prove-it contract far more likely than any massive payday.

3 articles · Updated · MLB Trade Rumors · Nov 4

Jack Flaherty and Gleyber Torres head MLBTR’s next 10 free agents after the site’s Top 50, with Flaherty ranked No. 51 and Torres No. 52.
Flaherty slipped out of the Top 50 after San Diego declined Nick Pivetta’s option, and an injury-shortened season left the 31-year-old right-hander with a 4.48 ERA over 88 1/3 innings in 20 appearances.
MLBTR still sees upside in Flaherty’s 26% strikeout rate and 11% swinging-strike rate, projecting a one-year pillow deal in the $10 million-$12 million range.
Torres was the highest-ranked position player outside the Top 50 after posting a .260/.364/.363 line in 420 plate appearances, with a career-high 13.6% walk rate and 19.3% strikeout rate.
MLBTR said the gap between roughly No. 40 and No. 60 is slim, with most players in that tier expected to land one- or two-year contracts at mid-level salaries.