The Detroit Tigers' season came to an end on Saturday night in a 15-inning thriller in Game 5 of the American League Division Series against the Seattle Mariners.
The Mariners walked it off in the 15th inning and will be headed to their first American League Championship Series in 24 years, and the Tigers will begin the offseason.
The Tigers have some important decisions to make this offseason, with a lot of moving parts. However, pitcher Jack Flaherty has a $20 million player option for 2026, and he gave a powerful message on Saturday night on where his mind is at in that decision.
Flaherty Sends Detroit Powerful Message
Flaherty just completed his ninth year in the MLB. His first six-plus years came with the St. Louis Cardinals and the better part of the last two years have been with the Tigers.
The veteran starter signed with Detroit in 2024 and pitched incredible with a 2.95 ERA across 18 starts. The Tigers traded Flaherty to the Dodgers at the MLB trade deadline, and the pitcher went on the win the World Series in Los Angeles.
Then in 2025, Flaherty signed with the Tigers again, and gave Detroit 31 starts this year with a 4.61 ERA. Now, the Tigers' pitcher has a decision to make with a $20 million player option on the table heading into 2026.
"I love these guys, man. I came back here for a reason, to be with these guys, play with them, and be part of this team. I didn’t want to leave it last year [before the trade to LA]," Flaherty said. "We’ve got a chance to do something special."
Jack Flaherty getting a big double play! pic.twitter.com/FmacllOdOl
— Rob Friedman (@PitchingNinja) October 11, 2025
Flaherty hasn't made a decision on his player option yet, but it's obvious he's enjoyed his time in Detroit and believes in the youth and talent on the roster.
"We’ve got Skub. You see what Javy did with a resurgent year and what he did in the playoffs. You go around the diamond. Riley Greene’s special. Tork is all the way back," Flaherty said. "I’m really happy for that guy, after what he went through last year . . . We’ve got some arms.
"It’s incredible what Troy Melton showed in this series. Casey was an All-Star this year . . . It’s an incredible group. You take that all in."
The Tigers have made the playoffs for two straight years now, and have built a solid lineup around some incredible pitchers. However, Detroit has some important decisions to make in the near future around those cornerstone pitchers.