Met’s Poised to Land Dodgers Prize Player in…

The Los Angeles Dodgers may still be on top of the world, but they’ll soon have to refocus on preparing for the 2025 season.

Though they were the best team in the 2024 regular season, it was still surprising how easily the Dodgers took down the New York Yankees in the World Series. In five games, the Dodgers flexed their superiority over the Bronx Bombers in just about every facet of the game.

Before downing the Yankees, however, the Dodgers had a solid six-game battle with the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series. The Mets don’t appear to be going anywhere, and to heighten the stakes in the rivalry, New York could be positioned to poach a key Dodgers starter.

The Mets need starting pitching, and Dodgers Game 1 starter Jack Flaherty will be one of the top free agents available this winter. Insider Mark Feinsand of MLB.com recently linked the Mets to Flaherty as a possible fit on the open market.

“Flaherty’s first dalliance with free agency didn’t go well a year ago, as he bet on himself with a one-year, $14 million deal with the Tigers. His gamble paid off, as the right-hander pitched well in 18 starts with Detroit before being dealt to the Dodgers prior to the Trade Deadline.”

“He went 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 regular-season starts for Los Angeles, helping the club reach the World Series, then had a great Game 1 start to further enhance his attractiveness. In a relatively thin starting pitching market — albeit a top-heavy one — Flaherty should be able to land the multiyear deal he struggled to find last offseason.”

On the season, the 29-year-old Flaherty struck out 194 batters in 162 innings to accompany a 3.17 ERA. The Mets stand to lose two to three starters in free agency, so signing Flaherty to counteract their losses seems like a solid proposition.

Projecting a contract for Flaherty is difficult because his value hit a low point before he showed out this season. MLB Trade Rumors recently projected him for a five-year, $115 million deal, but it’s feasible that he could only wind up commanding three or four years instead.

Money may be no object to either the Dodgers or Mets this winter, depending on how budgets and other free-agent sweepstakes shake out. But losing Flaherty to New York could wind up coming back to bite L.A. if he continues his resurgence into 2025.