On Monday, it seemed like the New York Yankees were well-positioned to acquire Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers before Tuesday’s MLB trade deadline. However, on Tuesday, Flaherty was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers instead. Did the Dodgers outbid the Yankees, or was there more to the story? According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, sources indicated that New York withdrew from a potential deal due to injury concerns.
Rosenthal pointed out that Flaherty had a lower back issue earlier in July. Despite this, he finished the month strong, and the Dodgers were evidently not too worried about any injury problems.
Flaherty was scratched from his scheduled start on Monday, likely to prevent any potential injuries before the trade deadline. Nevertheless, the Yankees reportedly abandoned their pursuit for that very reason.
If Flaherty has any underlying injury issues, they haven’t shown in 2024. The right-hander currently boasts an impressive 2.95 ERA and has struck out 133 batters.
Flaherty will be a solid addition for the Dodgers. While the Yankees made several moves before the deadline, they ultimately chose not to pursue Flaherty.
