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Yankees GM Talks Failed Pursuit of Top Pitcher at Trade Deadline


The New York Yankees entered the trade deadline looking to land a top starting pitcher to help bolster their rotation for the stretch run. However, when the trade deadline clock struck zero, the Yankees were left empty-handed.

More News: Dodgers to Acquire Tigers Star Pitcher in Blockbuster Trade Before Deadline

New York reportedly had a deal lined up with the Detroit Tigers to land starting pitcher Jack Flaherty. After taking a look at his medical file, the Yankees reportedly backed away. Despite the report Yankees general manager Brian Cashman pushed back on this narrative and simply said that the two teams couldn’t match up on an agreement.

“I think Jack Flaherty is an exceptional starter,” Cashman said. “I had difficulty matching up with the Tigers on Jack Flaherty. I certainly would have loved to have him as a choice for us, as well as anybody else that would potentially be an upgrade on our rotation. Unfortunately, you get a lot of different reports going out there. At the end of the day, I would have brought Jack Flaherty in if I could have matched up. I had difficulty matching up, and that was the reason I don’t have him. Simple as that.”

Brian Cashman
BRONX, NEW YORK – DECEMBER 21: New York Yankee general manager Brian Cashman speaks to the media during a press conference at Yankee Stadium on December 21, 2022 in Bronx, New York. Cashman opened up…


Photo by Dustin Satloff/Getty Images

Flaherty was ultimately traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers, giving them a boost for the playoff run. The right-hander missed a start earlier in July due to a lower back problem, receiving injections over the few weeks leading up to the deadline.

He has been one of the more efficient pitchers throughout this season, posting an ERA of 2.95 over 106.2 innings of work. Cashman believes the inability to land Flaherty was a failure as the Yankees could have used his services.

“But ultimately, since there is so much reporting out there, in the end I could not match up with value [on Flaherty]. All the way to the end, I was talking to the Tigers regarding Jack Flaherty, and he wound up going a different direction. In the end, we failed because we couldn’t match up on value. That’s all.”

The Dodgers sent catcher Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney to the Tigers in the Flaherty trade.

The Yankees will go forward mostly with their pre-deadline roster in place, but they did add a few players via trade. Outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr. has looked incredible to start his Yankees career, hitting four home runs and driving in eight runs over four games with New York.

In separate deals with the Cubs and Padres, respectively, the team also landed right-handers Mark Leiter Jr. and Enyel de los Santos for the bullpen. New York sits with a record of 65-45, second place in the American League East. They have been one of the better teams all season and will now look to bring home World Series trophy No. 28.

More news: MLB Power Rankings Post Trade Deadline: Yankees Soar Past Phillies to Top