Could the SF Giants turn their attention to a division rival to address the rotation?

Could the SF Giants now turn their attention to a division rival after missing out on Corbin Burnes? Mark Feinsand of MLB.Com reports that the Giants are among the teams interested in pitcher Jack Flaherty.

Could the SF Giants turn their attention to a division rival to address the rotation?

Feinsand also lists the Toronto Blue Jays, Detroit Tigers, and Chicago Cubs as potential suitors. The Baltimore Orioles could be in the mix as well, but he speculates that they could pursue a trade instead. That said, the Orioles may no longer be in the market for pitching after adding Tomoyuki Sugano and Charlie Morton.

It feels like whenever the Giants have interest in a player, the Blue Jays are not far behind. Both teams were considered the frontrunners to land Burnes, but he opted to stay home by signing with the Arizona Diamondbacks. The bad news is that the Giants will see a lot of him over the next several seasons.

On the other hand, they could look to keep one pitcher in the NL West by pursuing Flaherty. The veteran pitcher is coming off of an excellent 2024 campaign that ended with him helping the Los Angeles Dodgers win the World Series.

Flaherty pitched to a 3.17 ERA in 28 starts split between the Tigers and Dodgers in 2024. He did struggle in the playoffs as he tallied a 7.13 ERA in six outings.

Since the eight-year veteran was traded in the middle of the year, he was not eligible to receive a qualifying offer. This should bode well for his expected market.

The Giants have a need for rotation help and have been surveying free agency for additions. They have been connected to star NPB pitcher Roki Sasaki as well. Sasaki has a healthy market and he is not expected to sign until his posting window expires later this month.

As currently constructed, the Giants rotation has more questions than answers. Logan Webb and Robbie Ray will anchor the rotation. Kyle Harrison, Hayden Birdsong, Jordan Hicks, and Landen Roupp will follow behind.

The Giants hope that Harrison, Birdsong, and Hicks can increase their workload in 2025. At the end of the day, the Giants need innings. Flaherty would offer that while arguably being the best option remaining outside of Sasaki.

The 29-year-old pitcher is looking to earn a substantial payday after a strong 2024 season. It bears mentioning that he does not have the most predictable track record in terms of performance or durability.

Flaherty reached the 150-inning threshold last season for the first time since 2019. During that season, he completed 196.1 innings with the St. Louis Cardinals. Similarly, he recorded an ERA above four in 2022 and 2023 before lowering that mark considerably last year.

As with any prospective free agent, there is inherent risk. Flaherty offers considerable upside and flashed that potential last year. His profile also has wrinkles, and perhaps too many to warrant a sizable investment. Unlike Max Fried or Corbin Burnes, there is a level of projection that the Giants would need to weigh if they consider Flaherty.