The New York Yankees are still focused on signing star outfielder Juan Soto to a record deal in a commitment that will surely surpass $700 million. Still, they have been linked to other top free agents.
The Yankees were named a “perfect fit” for Dodgers pitcher Jack Flaherty
Oddly enough, the Yankees have been more frequently tied with players from a position they really don’t need (starting pitchers) than to those slots they actually need to cover, such as first base, second base, and the bullpen. In recent days, it was reported that the Yankees were in on Blake Snell before he signed in Los Angeles, and there have also been rumors that they are interested in Max Fried and Corbin Burnes.
According to MLB insider Jim Bowden, however, Jack Flaherty makes sense for the Yankees. They were his predicted landing spot for the World Series champ:
“The Yankees seem to be a perfect fit for Flaherty, whom they came close to acquiring at last season’s trade deadline,” Bowden wrote.
The Yankees would be a great destination for Flaherty
The former general manager explained that Flaherty was close to joining the Yankees this past season before they bailed citing concerns about his lower back. The talented righty also has a long history of shoulder injuries that once sapped his talent, but he bounced back with good numbers in 2024.
Flaherty went on to dominate for the Dodgers and helped them win in the Fall Classic against the Yankees, where he pitched a fantastic Game 1 and struggled in Game 5. Between the Detroit Tigers and the Dodgers, the right-hander went 13-7 with a 3.17 ERA over 28 starts. He accumulated 194 punchouts in 162 innings and 3.1 WAR.
Those numbers would look excellent in the Yankees rotation and would give the team a chance to use Nestor Cortes and Marcus Stroman as trade bait should they want to upgrade other positions.
