The Los Angeles Dodgers addressed their biggest need at this year’s MLB trade deadline by acquiring Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers in exchange for prospects Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney.
It was a significant addition as the Dodgers traded for the best starter who wound up being moved at the deadline. The Chicago White Sox kept Garrett Crochet and the Tigers didn’t trade Tarik Skubal, neither of which was particularly surprising considering both pitchers are under team control for multiple years.
But while the Dodgers were lauded for landing a coveted starting pitcher, Flaherty nearly was traded to the New York Yankees.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Yankees agreed to a Flaherty trade with the Tigers but stepped away from the verbal agreement because of health concerns:
Jack Flaherty could have landed with the New York Yankees instead of the Los Angeles Dodgers. But according to sources briefed on the discussions, the Yankees backed out of a preliminary trade agreement with the Detroit Tigers for Flaherty after reviewing the right-hander’s medical records.
The Yankees were specifically worried about Flaherty’s back injury that was treated with multiple shots, with the first on June 10 and another July 2:
The issue with Flaherty, his lower back, forced him to miss a start at the beginning of July and receive two injections in a span of three weeks.
Little information was provided at the time of Flaherty missing his start earlier this month, but Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris assured the right-hander is in good health:
“I can’t comment on medical stuff with trades,” Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris told reporters in Detroit. “You would have to ask the other teams. Jack is healthy. If we didn’t trade him, he was going to start for us on Thursday.”
The Tigers scratched Flaherty from his scheduled start on Monday in anticipation of a trade on deadline day. He otherwise missed two starts this season, one each time after being administered an injection for his lower back pain.
Jack Flaherty injuries
Throughout his eight-year MLB career, Flaherty’s injuries have included a left oblique strain, right shoulder strain, right shoulder discomfort, right shoulder strain and the lower back discomfort earlier this year.
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