The New York Yankees were MLB’s first team to reach the 50-win plateau in 2024. They’re about to get stronger with the return of reigning American League Cy Young Award winner Gerrit Cole, too. Could general manager Brian Cashman further bolster the rotation with someone like Detroit Tigers hurler Jack Flaherty?
FOX Sports’ Deesha Thosar tossed out the right-hander’s name as an option for the Yankees as the trade deadline creeps closer.
The Tigers have disappointed so far this season. They’re entering June 19 games with a 34-39 record. That has them 11.5 games out of first place in the American League Central. Detroit’s chances to make a run at the AL Wild Card are a little better. They’re currently sitting 6.5 games behind the final postseason spot.
Manager A.J. Hinch’s club isn’t a definite seller at the trade deadline yet. But they’ll likely turn into one if the Tigers don’t right the ship within the next few weeks. It doesn’t have to be a full-on fire sale, though. Flaherty would be attractive because he’s pitched well and will be a free agent this winter.
Through 77.2 innings (13 starts), Flaherty is 4-4 with a 3.01 ERA, 0.95 WHIP and 100 strikeouts while playing on a one-year, $14 million deal.
Why Could Flaherty Be an Attractive Option for the Yankees?
Thosar’s main reason for the Yankees possibly being interested in adding to the rotation has to do with rookie sensation Luis Gil. He’s posted a 2.03 ERA through 80 innings. The biggest potential concern for him is his workload. The most innings he’s tossed in a professional season is 108.2, which he did in 2021 between splitting his time in the majors and minors.
But Gil isn’t the only Yankees starter potentially dealing with workload concerns. “The rest of the Yankees rotation is quietly in a similar boat as Gil. Marcus Stroman has thrown 176 innings four times in his career, but Carlos Rodón has only surpassed that mark once (178 IP in 2022), while neither of the remaining healthy starters (Nestor Cortes, and Clarke Schmidt) has done it,” Thosar said. “There are just not a lot of workhorses in the Yankees’ staff to maintain this run when paired with middle-of-the-road expected FIP [Fielder Independent Pitching].”
Thosar finished by saying, “Perhaps right-hander Jack Flaherty is the man for the moment, since he hits free agency in the offseason and the Tigers could be shaping up to be sellers.”
There’s No Time for New York to Get Complacent
The Yankees own baseball’s best record at 51-24 as of June 19. Despite that, their divisional lead is the smallest of any first-place team. New York leads the Baltimore Orioles by just 2.5 games. The Cleveland Guardians’ 4.5-game lead over the Minnesota Twins is the second-tightest race in MLB. Outside of them, every other division-leading team has at least a 6.5-game lead.
The Orioles are also fresh off a 101-win campaign and winning the AL East in 2023. They have a roster loaded with young talent and still own baseball’s best farm system, per MLB.com. That means they’ll have the prospects needed to make a big splash at the trade deadline.
Things are looking good for the Yankees right now, especially with Cole on the verge of returning. But with some potential workload concerns for their current starters and the Orioles trending close behind them, adding some pitching depth is likely a good idea for Cashman and Co.
