Yankees' Brian Cashman 'Would Have Loved' to Land Jack Flaherty at MLB Trade Deadline

New York Yankees general manager Brian Cashman admitted the team wanted to make a big splash for former Detroit Tigers starter Jack Flaherty before Tuesday's deadline but said the two sides could not reach terms.

"I think Jack Flaherty is an exceptional starter," Cashman told reporters. "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."

The Tigers traded Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers for catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney ahead of the deadline. Neither Liranzo nor Sweeney are considered surefire future stars, so it's fair to wonder how much Cashman was really willing to give up in talks.

Flaherty was the top pitcher traded at the deadline after a stellar first half in Detroit. He posted a 7-5 record with a 2.95 ERA and 0.96 WHIP while striking out 133 batters in 106.2 innings over 18 starts.

The 2024 season has been a marked bounce back for Flaherty, a former top prospect who battled injuries and ineffectiveness in recent years. He will join a Dodgers rotation that recently welcomed back Clayton Kershaw to go along with Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone. Offseason acquisition Yoshinobu Yamamoto is currently on the injured list with no timetable to return.

The Yankees made a splash earlier this month when they traded for infielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., but they were looking to bolster their rotation for the playoffs. Luis Gil is the Yankees' only starter who has an ERA below 3.50. Ace Gerrit Cole has not looked like his Cy Young-winning self since returning to the rotation in June, and Nestor Cortes, Marcus Stroman and Carlos Rodon have all been inconsistent.

Flaherty would have arguably slotted in as the Yankees' SP2 in a playoff rotation. Instead, they'll have to hope Cole recaptures his dominance and one of the other starters finds themselves before September.