So far this season, the Tigers have underwhelmed. They have a 34-39 record heading into the games on June 19. That puts them 11.5 games out of first place in the American League Central. Detroit’s prospects of competing for the AL Wild Card have improved slightly. They’re now 6.5 games behind the final playoff berth.
Manager A.J. Hinch’s club has yet to commit to selling at the trade deadline. However, if the Tigers do not correct their course during the next several weeks, they will most likely become one. However, it is not necessary to hold a full-fledged fire sale. Flaherty would be appealing because he has pitched well and will be a free agent this winter.
Flaherty is 4-4 with a 3.01 ERA, 0.95 WHIP, and 100 strikeouts over 77.2 innings (13 starts) on a one-year, $14 million contract.
Why Might Flaherty Be An Appealing Option for the Yankees?
Thosar believes the Yankees are interested in adding to the rotation mostly because of rookie sensation Luis Gil. He has a 2.03 ERA through 80 innings. His workload is likely to be his most pressing worry. The most innings he’s thrown in a professional season is 108.2, which he accomplished in 2021 while spending time between the majors and minors.
Gil, however, is not the only Yankees starter who may be concerned about his workload. “The rest of the Yankees rotation is in a similar situation as Gil. Marcus Stroman has thrown 176 innings four times in his career, but Carlos Rodón has only surpassed it once (178 IP in 2022), and nobody of the remaining healthy starters (Nestor Cortes or Clarke Schmidt) has,” Thosar noted. “There are just not a lot of workhorses in the Yankees’ staff to maintain this run when paired with middle-of-the-road expected FIP [Fielder Independent Pitching].”
Thosar concluded by stating, “Perhaps right-hander Jack Flaherty is the man for the moment, since he hits free agency in the offseason and the Tigers could be shaping up to be sellers.”
There is no time for New York to get complacent.
The Yankees have the best record in baseball, 51-24, as of June 19. Despite this, their divisional lead is the shortest among the first-place teams. New York leads the Baltimore Orioles by only 2.5 games. The Cleveland Guardians have a 4.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins, the second-closest race in MLB. Outside of them, every other division-leading team has at least a 6.5-game advantage.
The Orioles are also coming off a 101-win season and look to capture the AL East in 2023. According to MLB.com, they still boast the strongest farm system in baseball and a squad filled with young talent. This implies they’ll have enough prospects to make a major splash at the trade deadline.
Things are looking well for the Yankees right now, especially with Cole on the approach of returning. However, with some possible workload concerns for their existing starters and the Orioles gaining ground, Cashman and Co. are sure to benefit from adding pitching depth.
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