The New York Yankees made significant moves in the trade market, acquiring Jazz Chisholm Jr. from the Miami Marlins on July 27. They also added Mark Leiter Jr. from the Chicago Cubs and Enyel De Los Santos from the San Diego Padres to their roster. However, the Yankees opted out of a preliminary trade deal with the Detroit Tigers for Jack Flaherty due to medical concerns.
According to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, the Yankees considered acquiring Flaherty but withdrew from the trade after reviewing his medical records. Flaherty was ultimately traded to the Dodgers for catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney. The details of the Yankees’ offer for Flaherty remain unclear.
Rosenthal noted that medical evaluations during trade talks can be subjective, with different teams assessing a player’s health and value differently. The Yankees may have been cautious about Flaherty’s condition, particularly since he missed a start in early July due to lower back issues and received two injections within three weeks. Despite these concerns, Flaherty has posted a 1.53 ERA in 17 2/3 innings since his return and holds a 2.95 ERA overall in 106 2/3 innings.
Jack Flaherty will likely pitch in Oakland to make his #Dodgers debut.
— Dodger Blue (@DodgerBlue1958) July 30, 2024
Tigers president of baseball operations Scott Harris mentioned that Flaherty was healthy and slated to start for Detroit if he hadn’t been traded.
The Yankees’ trade deadline was highlighted by Chisholm’s acquisition. He has made an immediate impact, hitting four home runs in his first three games with the Yankees—becoming the first player in team history to achieve this feat. Chisholm had only three home runs in July before the trade.
Leiter and De Los Santos were brought in to strengthen the bullpen. Leiter, who has a 4.10 ERA this season, pitched a scoreless inning on the day he was acquired. De Los Santos, with a 4.46 ERA, had pitched 40 1/3 innings for the Padres before the trade.
The Yankees, currently 64-45 and just half a game behind the Baltimore Orioles in the American League East, have addressed some of their weaknesses with these trades. The impact of these acquisitions will be evaluated based on their performance in the postseason.
