New York Yankees Were on ‘Verge’ of Trading Struggling Left-Handed Pitcher

The New York Yankees were looking to land the best pitcher traded during the deadline, but also nearly dealt one of their own hurlers as well.

Jul 31, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; New York Yankees pitcher Nestor Cortes (65) throws a pitch during the first inning against the Philadelphia Phillies at Citizens Bank Park. / Bill Streicher-USA TODAY Sports

The New York Yankees have played well since the trade deadline, a promising sign after the rut the team has endured since mid-June.

Tied for first place in the American League East, the Yankees are 7-3 in their last 10 games. They'll also have an excellent opportunity to build a lead in the division, taking on the Los Angeles Angels, Chicago White Sox, and Detroit Tigers in three of their next four series.

Those are three very winnable series, and one could even argue that New York could sweep each one. While that's a difficult task, the White Sox are the worst team in baseball and the Angels are 14 games under .500.

The trade deadline was interesting for the Yankees, as they addressed some areas but likely could have been a little more aggressive. Only time will tell if their moves were enough.

New York was reportedly looking to land Jack Flaherty, but there was a report from The Athletic that the team was worried about his medical reports. The righty starter has had some back problems this season, however, that didn't stop the Los Angeles Dodgers from going out and trading for him. Yankees general manager Brian Cashman denied that they backed out of a deal due to injury concerns.

Whatever the reasoning, Flaherty wasn't traded to the Bronx, and they didn't land a starting pitcher.

According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today Sports, however, the Yankees were on the verge of acquiring Flaherty and trading Nestor Cortes. He mentioned the St. Louis Cardinals as a potential trade partner for Cortes in a possible deal for Tommy Edman.

"The Yankees were on the verge of acquiring Tigers starter Jack Flaherty and then trading away starter Nestor Cortes (perhaps to St. Louis for injured infielder Tommy Edman), until plans changed. 

"Yankees GM Brian Cashman denied they backed out after reviewing Flaherty’s medicals, concerned with his recent back problems, but several GMs were convinced that Flaherty’s back problems indeed scared off the Yankees."

Cortes hasn't had as good of a year as he has in prior campaigns, posting a 4.16 ERA and 1.20 WHIP. This comes after a year where he had a rough 4.97 ERA and a 1.25 WHIP while dealing with rotator cuff issues. During the 2022 season, he was an All-Star and one of the better pitchers in Major League Baseball, posting a 2.44 ERA and 0.92 WHIP.

Cortes doesn't hit free agency until 2026, so if the Yankees were willing to make him available during the trade deadline, there's certainly a possibility that they'll do so again in the offseason.