The New York Yankees, currently 60-43 and chasing the Baltimore Orioles by just one and a half games in the American League East, are considering adding reinforcements before the trade deadline. One proposed trade scenario, as suggested by The Athletic’s Chris Kirschner, involves acquiring right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers.
In Kirschner’s proposed trade:
**Yankees receive:**
– Jack Flaherty, right-handed pitcher
**Tigers receive:**
– Will Warren, right-handed pitcher
– Everson Pereira, outfielder
Kirschner highlighted that the Yankees could offer Triple-A pitcher Will Warren and outfielder Everson Pereira to the Tigers. Warren has had struggles in Triple-A this season, while Pereira is recovering from Tommy John surgery and is expected to be ready for spring training. Despite their current setbacks, Warren was a contender for a roster spot with the Yankees earlier in the year, and Pereira is highly regarded as one of their top prospects, ranked No. 7 and No. 5 respectively in the Yankees’ system.
This trade proposal suggests the Yankees are actively looking to bolster their roster with Flaherty’s addition, potentially leveraging their depth and prospects to strengthen their pitching staff for a playoff push.
Flaherty Could Bolster the Yankees Rotation
The New York Yankees have been solid in starting pitching this season, boasting the fifth-ranked ERA from their starters at 3.62. As a team, they maintain a 3.55 ERA overall. Despite this, there’s still interest in potentially adding Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers to bolster their rotation.
According to Chris Kirschner, Flaherty would immediately slot in as the Yankees’ second-best pitcher behind Gerrit Cole. Flaherty has excelled this season as one of baseball’s top strikeout pitchers and has been effective at limiting base runners.
Adding Flaherty could allow the Yankees to optimize their pitching depth. They might consider moving a current starter to the bullpen, such as Luis Gil, who has had workload concerns. Gerrit Cole, despite a slow start with a 4.60 ERA in his initial six starts following his season debut on June 19, has shown improvement recently with two consecutive quality starts and 15 strikeouts over 12 innings.
Behind Cole, the Yankees rely on Marcus Stroman, Nestor Cortes, Carlos Rodón, and Luis Gil. Gil leads this group with a 3.10 ERA, followed closely by Stroman at 3.51. In comparison, Flaherty has posted a 3.13 ERA in 17 starts this season, and his 127 strikeouts would lead the Yankees’ staff.
Bringing Flaherty aboard could enhance the Yankees’ rotation depth and strengthen their playoff prospects as they vie for position in the American League East.
Flaherty’s Trade Market
According to reports, the Detroit Tigers are open to trading Jack Flaherty, who has been having a strong season with a 3.13 ERA over 17 starts. Flaherty, who signed a one-year, $14 million deal with the Tigers in free agency and will be a free agent again after this season, is seen as a valuable asset for the Tigers to acquire prospects in return.
Jim Bowden of The Athletic noted that Flaherty’s comeback season has been impressive, resembling his best years with the St. Louis Cardinals. The Tigers are reportedly looking for a top-seven prospect from a team with an average farm system, or possibly two top-15 prospects in exchange for Flaherty.
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Yankees general manager Brian Cashman has expressed openness to exploring various options ahead of the July 30 trade deadline, indicating the team’s willingness to consider impactful moves. While adding Flaherty wouldn’t directly address the Yankees’ struggling offense, his addition could significantly strengthen their rotation heading into October.
Chris Kirschner suggested that pairing Gerrit Cole and Jack Flaherty at the top of the playoff rotation would position the Yankees as one of the strongest teams in the American League for postseason contention.
