“Jack Flaherty could have landed with the New York Yankees instead of the Los Angeles Dodgers,” said Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. “But according to sources briefed on the discussions, the Yankees backed out of a preliminary trade agreement with the Detroit Tigers for Flaherty after reviewing the right-hander’s medical records.”
Flaherty was traded to the Dodgers for catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney. According to Rosenthal, the Yankees’ offer for Flaherty remains unknown.
“Medical reviews in trade negotiations are subjective,” Rosenthal stated. “One team may perceive a player’s condition differently than another. A team may also lower its judgment of the player’s value based on the risk it perceives it would face by acquiring him, and aim to make a smaller offer.”
Yankees’ Injury Concerns With Flaherty
“The issue with Flaherty, his lower back, forced him to miss a start at the beginning of July and receive two injections in a span of three weeks,” according to Rosenthal.
Since his return, he has a 1.53 ERA in 17 2/3 innings over three starts. Overall, he has a 2.95 ERA in 106 2/3 innings.
“I can’t comment on medical stuff with trades,” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris told reporters in Detroit. “You’d need to consult the other teams. Jack is healthy. If we didn’t move him, he was scheduled to start for us on Thursday.”
Flaherty was the best pitcher traded at the deadline and could have improved the Yankees rotation. He signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Tigers this summer and will become a free agent once the season is over. However, the Yankees may have been unwilling to trade prospects for a player with injury concerns and little control beyond this season.
“The Yankees, though, might have been particularly sensitive to a medical issue with a potential trade acquisition,” according to Rosenthal. “Frankie Montas, a right-handed starting pitcher acquired at the 2022 deadline, had shoulder tightness prior to the trade and later stated that his shoulder was not totally healthy when he joined the organization. He ended up having shoulder surgery and pitched only 41 innings for the Yankees.
Yankees’ Trade Deadline
The Yankees’ trade deadline was highlighted by the acquisition of Chisholm. The Yankees needed offensive performance from their infield, and he provided it.
Chisholm has blasted four home runs in three games against the Yankees. Prior to the transfer, he had hit three home runs in July. Chisholm is the only player in Yankees history to hit four home runs in his first three games.
Leiter and De Los Santos deliver much-needed bullpen help to the Bronx. Leiter has a 4.10 ERA this season after 37 1/3 innings pitched. In addition, he pitched a scoreless inning on July 30, the day he was acquired by the Yankees.
De Los Santos has a 4.46 ERA this year. He played 40 1/3 innings for the Padres before being traded. The Yankees are 64-45, half a game behind the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East. Their trade deadline acquisitions corrected certain weaknesses. However, their ultimate payoff will be determined by how far the Yankees advance in the postseason.
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