The New York Yankees have failed to bag some big names this offseason. While many have connected it to their lack of enthusiasm in the front office, another free agent was reportedly interested in joining the Yankees—the Los Angeles Dodgers’ Jack Flaherty. On January 24, Flaherty consented to the Yankees making a serious run at him, despite his health issues. However, ultimately, the team didn’t sign him, with the 29-year-old starting pitcher revealing his take on the issues plaguing the Yankees at present.

As a starting pitcher, Flaherty posted a 7.36 ERA in just five games, and his performance in the 22 innings helped position the Dodgers for their World Series title. While the recent injuries to the pitching staff have pushed them to be aggressive at the deadline, the Yankees’ reluctance to acquire Flaherty despite showing interest helped them complete the move to acquire him. However, is the free agent keen to make a return to the Dodgers?

Dodgers’ $72M free agent offers his insights on the Yankees’ issues

While the New York Yankees have a lot to confess after their failure to win the 2024 World Series title, a surprising revelation comes from someone who has never been with the team but wished to. The statement comes from the Dodgers’ $72 million free agent, Jack Flaherty, right after the New York Yankees backed out on a potential trade with the Detroit Tigers—something the fans never expected. Jack has taken a dig at the Yankees, highlighting their poor stability at the front-office, which continues to haunt them for some time.

Jack Flaherty recently said on the Foul Territory podcast, “They had still been trying to make just a different trade. Like, ‘We don’t love the medicals, but we’re still trying to make a trade.’ I was like, ‘Okay, whatever. I’m in LA now.’ And then ending up against them in the World Series was kind of a full circle thing.” So, this surprising revelation confirms the Yankees’ GM Brian Cashman’s motives behind the negotiations, displaying his lack of interest in investing in a player who struggled with injuries. Nonetheless, there’s more to Flaherty’s statement from the January 24 podcast.

According to his statement, the New York Yankees’ front office suffers from this half-hearted approach, showing interest in every player but not going all in on them. That’s where the problem lies! While Jack feels happy playing for the Dodgers, he has expressed his concerns over some injuries in their lineup recently—Tyler Glasnow going down with an elbow injury, Yoshinobu Yamamoto, to name a few. However, he considers himself lucky to be fit and pitching the ball whenever needed by the team. But, going by his recent statement, a probable union looks uncertain.

Jack’s probable reunion with the Dodgers seems unlikely

Jack Flaherty looked like a probable signing for the Los Angeles Dodgers; however, the pitcher recently dismissed the idea of going back to them as per reports. The reason is that the Dodgers have added two starting pitchers—Roki Sasaki and Blake Snell. The two-time Cy Young winner, Blake, posted a 2.25 ERA with 234 strikeouts in 180 innings, while Sasaki, coming off the Japanese league, posted a 30-15 record with a 2.02 ERA and fastball speed at over three digits, which is on par with Shohei Ohtani. With the two pitchers on the roster, it’s unlikely the Dodgers would add another starting pitcher. So, is it the end for Jack?

Well, Flaherty had a successful stint with the Detroit Tigers before getting traded to the Dodgers, where he posted a 7-5 record in his 18 appearances, making a 2.95 ERA, 0.956 WHIP, and 133 strikeouts in 106.2 innings. Hence, getting into the offseason as a free agent, and the Detroit Tigers already looking for a starting pitching option, Jack could be the perfect fit. The right-hander has also expressed his interest in going back to the Motor City, raising speculations of a Tigers-Flaherty reunion.

It is though too early to judge where Jack Flaherty may go—will it be the LA Dodgers or the Detroit Tigers? What do you think of his landing spot? Share your thoughts in the comment section below.