For many, the New Year’s holiday is a signal for change. It’s seen as an opportunity to make a couple lifestyle improvements, to maybe clean the slate and start fresh. That might not entirely be the case for the Orioles, who are reportedly looking to reunite with a starting pitcher who spent the latter half of 2023 in Baltimore.

Yes, you’ve got that right. The Orioles are once again being connected to right hander Jack Flaherty. Though the O’s traded for Flaherty at the 2023 trade deadline, and the righty pitched to dismal results in the second half last year, Will Sammon and Katie Woo of The Athletic have confirmed Ken Rosenthal’s earlier reporting that the Orioles have been in contact with Flaherty recently about a potential reunion.

Rosenthal had previously mentioned that the Orioles saw Flaherty as a potential fall-back option in the event that they missed out on other top free agent targets. Now that the O’s have missed the mark and failed to bring in a top starter, at least one in free agency, Mike Elias is exploring all options to improve the rotation ahead of 2025.

For what it’s worth, Flaherty did pitch well in 2024 after collapsing in Baltimore in 2023. In total, Flaherty pitched to a 3.17 ERA with a 3.47 FIP and a 29.9% strikeout rate that was tied for his career-best. He did so in 162 innings, which was the most he’s thrown in a season since 2019. Flaherty was exceptional in the first half with Detroit but still put up strong numbers in the second half with the Dodgers. He did struggle in the postseason though, allowing 18 earned runs in 22 innings.

So outside of the poor showing in the postseason, there are reasons to like Flaherty heading into 2025. It’ll depend on the contract a bit, but it’s possible he could wind up being a pretty good signing if he can remain healthy, which hasn’t necessarily been the case over the past 4 years. Earlier this winter, MLB Trade Rumors projected Flaherty for 5 years and $115 million. At that price, no thanks. But if the O’s can get him on a shorter term deal in the $20 million per year range, maybe that makes sense.

Orioles still looking to bolster their pitching depth before 2025

In addition to Flaherty, Sammon and Woo are reporting that the Orioles are one of a handful of teams that remain interested in Kyle Hart. The lefty spent 2024 pitching for the NC Dinos of the KBO, where he threw a career-high 157 innings with a 2.59 ERA and went 13-3 with a strong 28.8% strikeout rate.

Hart had previously been connected to the Orioles, though that previous reporting had mentioned that there were at least 16 major league teams allegedly interested in pursuing Hart. At present, it appears that list has been narrowed down to just 5 teams, which includes the Astros, Twins, Yankees, and Brewers, in addition to the Orioles.

Hart has some very limited exposure to MLB hitters. He threw 11 innings for Boston back in 2020, but he faltered to a 15.55 ERA in just 11 innings. He’d had some minor league success prior to his MLB debut but fell apart after the 2020 season and found himself out of a big league job after 2023.

It’s possible that Hart, like Albert Suarez before him, could return to MLB and have some success. He had a very strong 2024 in Korea and if he gets the chance, will surely look to build off that strong run and cement himself as a major league starter. Whether he winds up in Baltimore remains to be seen.