Eric O'Flaherty, Relief Pitcher

Date of Birth: 2/5/1985
Birthplace: Walla Walla, Washington

Eric O'Flaherty, relief pitcher, was a top player in high school. In his senior year, he was named the Big Nine Conference Pitcher of the Year.

The Seattle Mariners drafted O'Flaherty in 2003. He pitched in their minor league system from 2003 through 2005. He was a starting pitcher in 2004 and a reliever in 2003 and 2005.

O'Flaherty first joined the Mariners in 2006, pitching in 15 games with them. He had a 4.09 ERA in 11.0 innings. He also pitched 71.2 innings in 43 games in the minors. In 2007, his first full season in the majors, he had a 4.47 ERA, 7 wins and 1 loss, and 36 strikeouts to 20 walks in 52.1 innings in 56 games. The following season, he was sent back to the minors after having a 20.25 ERA in 6.2 innings in 7 games.

The Atlanta Braves claimed O'Flaherty off waivers on November 20, 2008. In 2009, he pitched in a career high 78 games. He finished the season with a 3.04 ERA in 56.1 innings. He spent time on the DL in 2010, finishing the season with a 2.45 ERA in 44.0 innings in 56 games.

O'Flaherty had his best season so far in 2011. That year, he had career highs in games played (78), innings pitched (73.2), and strikeouts (67 to 21 walks). He had an impressive career low ERA of 0.98. He had another good season in 2012, finishing with a 1.73 ERA in 64 games.

O'Flaherty had Tommy John surgery in May, 2013. He pitched in just 19 games that season. He became a free agent on October 31, 2013.

The Oakland Athletics signed O'Flaherty on January 22, 2014. He spent most of the 2014 season recovering from Tommy John surgery. In 21 games with the Athletics, he had a 2.25 ERA.

O'Flaherty was traded to the New York Mets on August 4, 2015. He spent time on the DL in 2015 with a left shoulder strain. He finished the season with a 5.91 ERA in 25 games with the Athletics and a 13.50 ERA in 16 games with the Mets.

O'Flaherty became a free agent on November 2, 2015. He signed with the Pittsburgh Pirates on February 11, 2016, but stayed with them just through Spring training. He returned to the Braves on March 27th. In 2016, he had injuries again and he spent time on the DL with a right knee strain and with left elbow surgery. He finished the season with a 6.91 ERA, 1 win and 4 losses, and 22 strikeouts to 11 walks in 28.2 innings in 39 games with the Braves.

The Braves released O'Flaherty on July 21, 2017. He pitched in 22 games with the Braves and he had a 7.85 ERA in 18.1 innings. He hasn't played professional baseball since 2017.

Career pitching statistics for O'Flaherty through 2017 include:

• 496 games played
• 416.1 innings pitched
• 23-15 win-loss record
• 318 strikeouts to 153 walks
• 3.70 ERA

Sources for Information
Wikipedia - Eric O'Flaherty
ESPN - Eric O'Flaherty