The Yankees had a deal in place to acquire Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers at the deadline, but General Manager Brian Cashman pulled out at the final moment. Citing a lack of value, Flaherty was perceived as a potential liability despite pitching a scoreless six-inning gem in his first outing with the Los Angeles Dodgers.
The Yankees Missed an Opportunity with Flaherty
With the performance of Marcus Stroman and Nestor Cortes deteriorating, Flaherty would have been a true asset to the Yankees and a key playoff arm.
However, rumors surfaced that Cashman had considered moving Cortes, their 29-year-old lefty veteran starter. He has pitched 134.1 innings this season, registering a 4.42 ERA, including 8.31 strikeouts per nine, a 73.1% left-on-base rate, and a 30.4% ground ball rate. Over the past two seasons, Cortes has regressed, striking out the fewest batters of his career and still giving up 1.41 home runs per nine.
Future Decisions on Cortes
Cortes has one more year of team control before he becomes a free agent in 2026 when he will be 31 years old. At that point, not many teams will be looking to spend big on his services, and the Yankees could end up trading him this upcoming winter anyway.
Medical Concerns Derail Acquisition
If the Yankees had acquired Flaherty, Bob Nightingale of USA Today believes that Cortes would have been on his way out. Unfortunately, Flaherty’s medical reports were concerning, as he experienced two lower back injections in early July, forcing the Bombers to make a difficult decision.
Evaluating Cortes’ Current Value
At this point, Cortes doesn’t have much value since he will only have one year left of control, and his numbers have deteriorated. Still, a team in need of starting pitching could see potential and may extend him on an affordable deal to serve as a back-end rotation arm.
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The Yankees’ Hopes for the Playoffs
For the Yankees, they’re relying heavily on the progression of Gerrit Cole, rookie Luis Gil, and Carlos Rodon to carry his weight after signing a $162 million deal in 2023. The Yankees still have a few weeks left to find their groove before the playoffs roll around, so the hope is that Cortes can take a big step forward despite giving up no fewer than three earned runs in his last five performances, including six against the Angels on Thursday night.