Flaherty returned as a free agent, agreeing to a $35 million, two-year contract that was finalized Friday. The right-hander gets a $5 million signing bonus payable on Feb. 11 pending confirmation of terms between Major League Baseball and the players’ association, and a $20 million salary this year.

Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris was declarative last month when asked about being active on the market following the signing of free-agent reliever Tommy Kahnle. “We’re not done,” Harris said at the time.

Flaherty signed a two-year contract worth up to $45 million. His return creates a new level of competition in the Tigers rotation.