One of the biggest names to move on Tuesday’s MLB Trade Deadline was Jack Flaherty. The hard-throwing starting pitcher was traded from the Detroit Tigers to the Los Angeles Dodgers. Flaherty, though, nearly went to the New York Yankees.
In fact, if not for a reported case of cold feet, Flaherty would have ended up in the Bronx.
Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic reported on the near-deal after Flaherty was traded to the Dodgers.
“Jack Flaherty could have landed with the New York Yankees instead of the Los Angeles Dodgers,” Rosenthal reported. “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.”
Injuries have been an issue for Flaherty in his career. He made only nine appearances in 2022 while dealing with shoulder injuries. He also missed a start in early July due to a back issue. That said, Flaherty has pitched well since missing that start. In three July starts, Flaherty posted a 1.53 ERA, 0.736 WHIP and 18 strikeouts in 17.2 innings.
There also seems to be little to no concern about Flaherty’s health from Los Angeles. The Dodger Blue X (formerly Twitter) page reported on Tuesday that Flaherty will likely pitch for the Dodgers in their weekend series against the Oakland Athletics.
Jack Flaherty will likely pitch in Oakland to make his #Dodgers debut.
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) July 30, 2024
The Yankees have also had bad luck with the health of pitching acquisitions. New York acquired Frankie Montas at the 2022 deadline. He made eight starts that season but only appeared once in 2023. Similarly, Carlos Rodón was signed ahead of the 2023 season. He made only 14 starts that year, though has made 22 in 2024.
If Flaherty has experienced any health issues this season, they’re not showing with his performances. After a down year in 2023, Flaherty has responded in 2024. Before the trade to Los Angeles, he made 18 starts with the Tigers, posting a 7-5 record with a 2.95 ERA, 0.956 WHIP and 133 strikeouts in 106.2 innings.
[NYTimes.com/Athletic, Dodger Blue on X]
