The New York Yankees apparently had a deal in place for one of the MLB trade deadline’s top pitching targets. However, medical issues reportedly led the trade to fall apart.
The Yankees had initially agreed to a deal with the Detroit Tigers for starting pitcher Jack Flaherty. According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees “backed out of a preliminary trade agreement” due to concerns over Flaherty’s medical records.
Flaherty ended up getting traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers
The 28-year-old righty has been dealing with a lingering back injury this season. Flaherty reportedly received two injections this month to help deal with his back problems, which had forced him to miss a scheduled start in early July.
Tigers executive Scott Harris was adamant that Flaherty was healthy and would have started for Detroit on Thursday had he not been traded.
But injuries aside, Flaherty has been terrific on the mound this season. Through 18 starts, the new Dodger has an ERA of 2.95 and a WHIP of 0.96 across 106.2 innings pitched.
The Yankees have dealt with a shaky starting rotation throughout the season. If truly healthy, Flaherty could have provided a huge boost in that area.
The Bronx Bombers did add a former All-Star in the infield who has already endeared himself to fans just a few games into his Yankees career.
