MLB Rumors: Red Sox Division Rival Backpedaled Jack Flaherty Pursuit

The Boston Red Sox weren’t the only team in the American League East placing and fielding phone calls before Tuesday’s 6 p.m. ET MLB trade deadline.

Several notable names were being targeted, prompting a handful of triggers to be pulled across MLB, however, the second-place New York Yankees hit the brakes on their interest in frontline starting pitcher Jack Flaherty, according to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic. This allowed the Los Angeles Dodgers, who spent over $1 billion in roster additions this past offseason, to swoop in and acquire Flaherty just before the deadline buzzer.

Rosenthal reported medical records were the primary cause of New York’s sudden disinterest in agreeing on a preliminary trade agreement with the Detroit Tigers. Flaherty battled lower back issues in July which required the right-hander to receive two injections. Yet, despite the durability concern, the 28-year-old has remained lights out, amassing a 2.95 ERA in 106 2/3 innings pitched while tallying 133 strikeouts. Most recently, Flaherty held the Cleveland Guardians scoreless through six innings on July 24 — Flaherty’s final start with Detroit before being swapped for minor league prospects Thayron Liranzo (catcher) and Trey Sweeney (infielder) from Los Angeles.

“Getting an impact starter was a very high priority for us, and Jack is definitely that,” Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said after finalizing the trade, per ESPN’s Alden Gonzalez. “His command, his stuff, the swing and miss — we feel like that’s a real power option come October.”

Although the Yankees have a pitching staff that ranks fifth in MLB with a 3.68 ERA, New York is playing under an immense amount of pressure this season. They entered the 2024 season with the second-highest payroll (over $306 million) in baseball, haven’t had to worry about the division-rival Tampa Bay Rays or the Toronto Blue Jays, and have yet to do anything noteworthy since the hiring of skipper Aaron Boone in 2017. New York hasn’t established a far enough gap to treat the third-place Red Sox like a non-contender — Boston trails the Yankees by 6 1/2 games — which means the division remains up for grabs. With over two months of regular season games left, New York could look back at passing on Flaherty with regret, especially if the October pendulum doesn’t swing its way.