Inside The Pinstripes

Yankees Trade Deadline Target Deemed Top Free Agency Fit For New York

A player the New York Yankees almost traded for a few months ago has been deemed a potential fit for them in free agency.

Grant Young

Feb 28, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; A detail view of New York Yankees baseball hat at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images
Feb 28, 2019; Tampa, FL, USA; A detail view of New York Yankees baseball hat at George M. Steinbrenner Field. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-Imagn Images / Kim Klement-Imagn Images
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The New York Yankees had a preliminary trade agreement in place to acquire starting pitcher Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers just a few hours before the 2024 MLB Trade Deadline.

Alas, the trade fell through — and there were conflicting reports as to why. A July 30 report from Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic asserted that New York backed out of the trade because of medical concerns, however, Yankees GM Brian Cashman later told reporters that the team didn't acquire Flaherty simply because they didn't match up in a trade.

Flaherty was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers instead and has since become one of the trade deadline's best acquisitions. Since joining the Dodgers, Flaherty has posted a 6-2 record with a 3.58 ERA and 61 strikeouts in 55.1 innings pitched.

Flaherty will become an unrestricted free agent this offseason. And an October 10 article from Bleacher Report's Zachary D. Rymer suggests that the Yankees are one of his top potential fits.

"Fueled by a reinvigorated fastball and one of the better curveballs in the league, the righty finished in the top 10 among qualified starters in strikeout-to-walk ratio. He gave up three earned runs or fewer in 23 of his 28 starts," Rymer wrote.

"Flaherty did have some back issues in the middle of the season, and he seemed out of gas by the end of it. The worst fastball velocity he had all year was in his last two starts.

"This wasn't totally unexpected, however. Nor is it necessarily a five-alarm fire. Flaherty will only turn 29 on October 15, making him relatively young for a high-upside free-agent pitcher," he continued.

"He could be in for Eduardo Rodriguez money, a la four years and $80 million. And if his market really picks up, it's a short leap from there to nine figures," Rymer concluded, before listing the Yankees as a top potential fit along with the Padres, Orioles, and Astros.

The Yankees' urgency to acquire a top-tier starter will likely hinge on their success in retaining Gerrit Cole. Or perhaps they'll seek out Flaherty's services regardless.

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Grant Young
GRANT YOUNG

Grant Young covers the New York Yankees, the New York Mets, and Women’s Basketball for Sports Illustrated’s ‘On SI’ sites. He holds an MFA degree in creative writing from the University of San Francisco, where he also played Division 1 baseball for five years. He believes Mark Teixeira should have been a first ballot MLB Hall of Fame inductee.

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