It goes without saying that no free agent will generate more interest this upcoming offseason than Shohei Ohtani.

The Los Angeles Angels two-way sensation will be the most unique player to reach the open marker since the advent of baseball free agency in 1976. Ohtani is a premier pitcher and hitter as his season statistics indicate with his slash line of .303/.406/.661, 41 home runs, 17 stolen bases, 10-5 pitching record and 3.15 ERA.

However, the market will also include plenty of starting pitchers who should land lucrative contracts. Let’s look at five of them who could use a strong finish over the final 6 ½ weeks of the 2023 season to increase their potential paydays.

Flaherty looked rejuvenated in his first start for the Baltimore Orioles, allowing one run in six innings on Aug. 3 to beat the Toronto Blue Jays, after being acquired from the St. Louis Cardinals in a deadline trade. However, the 27-year-old has subsequently given up 10 runs in eight innings in his last two starts, including getting rocked for seven runs in three innings by the San Diego Padres on Tuesday night.

Flaherty seemed to get caught in the malaise in St. Louis this season as he was just 7-6 with a 4.43 ERA in 20 starts. It would behoove Flaherty to stay healthy the rest of the way after he was limited to a combined 32 starts from 2020-22, leaving questions about his long-term availability.

Gray is having a fine season for the Minnesota Twins with a 6-5 record and 3.04 ERA in 24 starts. However, he also went 15 starts between wins during a three-month span from May 1-Aug. 2.

Scouts have also long questioned the 5-foot-10 Gray’s durability and he has pitched into the seventh inning just five times this year. There are also concerns about Gray being able to perform on a big stage following his rocky tenure with the New York Yankees, but he can dispel some of those concerns by pitching well down the stretch for the American League Central-leading Twins.

Nola is having a very ordinary season for someone about to enter free agency after spending his entire nine-year career with the Philadelphia Phillies. He has a 9-8 record and 4.49 ERA in 24 starts. That comes two years after his ERA was 4.63 ERA in 2021 over 32 starts.

Nola is durable as he is on pace to make at least 32 starts for the fifth consecutive full season. While his consistency in taking the ball will likely result in a big contract, he could help his chances of getting more money by improving on his ratio of 11 quality starts in 24 outings this season.

It seemed certain that Stroman would trigger the opt-out clause in his contract after this season following a strong first half for the Chicago Cubs in which he was 9-6 with a 2.96 ERA in 19 starts. However, injuries and ineffectiveness have plagued the right-hander recently, leaving open at least a slight possibility that the 32-year-old could exercise the $21 million player option in his contract for 2024.

Stroman was originally scheduled to pitch Wednesday against the Chicago White Sox after being on the injured list since Aug. 2 with right hip inflammation. However, right rib discomfort will force Stroman to stay on the IL and the string of injuries might give potential free-agent suitors at least some pause for concern.

The Los Angeles Dodgers left-hander is having an OK season with a 10-6 record and 4.35 ERA in 18 starts. However, it pales after his previous two seasons in which Urias went 20-3 in 2021 then led the National League with a 2.16 ERA in 31 starts in 2022.

A strained left hamstring that sidelined Urias for six weeks earlier this season has certainly had some effect on his stats. Urias is 3-0 with a 1.50 ERA in three starts in August, though, which is a good sign for the Dodgers as they run away with the NL West and look to play deep into the postseason.