By admin What if Jack Flaherty had never been traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers?
It almost happened this season when the New York Yankees “had a tentative trade agreement in place,” according to baseball insider Ken Rosenthal.
Rosenthal told Foul Territory that the Yankees checked Flaherty’s health and withdrew, opening the door for the Dodgers, and Flaherty had no back problems.
For the record – Jack Flaherty was ALMOST traded to @Yankeesbefore they withdrew for medical reasons.@Ken_Rosenthal returns to a deal that almost didn’t happen. pic.twitter.com/pQ3Weq3l5Z
— Foul Territory (@FoulTerritoryTV) October 15, 2024
Flaherty turned in one of the most impressive postseason pitching performances in Dodgers history, allowing only two hits over seven scoreless innings. His dominant performance helped the Dodgers earn an impressive 9-0 victory over the New York Mets in Game 1 of the National League Championship Series at Dodger Stadium on Sunday night.
“It was,” said Dodgers manager Dave Roberts, “just a pitching clinic.”
“They just didn’t look comfortable all day,” said Tommy Edman, Flaherty’s former St. teammate. Louis Cardinals. “That definitely came first in terms of how good he looked.”
“He has an aura about him,” Dodgers catcher Will Smith said. “He has an intensity to him. He had a great year, obviously he’s had great years in the past and we’re lucky that he pitches for us in the postseason and gives us a break.
Flaherty, who joined Detroit on a one-year contract after a difficult 2023 split between the Cardinals and Orioles, performed well, posting an ERA of 2.95 in 18 starts for the Tigers. After being traded to the Dodgers, he posted a 6-2 record and a 3.55 ERA in 10 regular-season starts to finish the year strong.
“I think we’re getting Jack at the perfect time because he’s a veteran, he’s been through a lot, ups and downs, but he’s found his way back,” Roberts said. “It’s definitely a childhood dream for him and his family. We just knew he could handle this market, he could handle pitching in a playoff game, starting a playoff game. This wasn’t much of a surprise to us.
“Like I said tonight (before the game), I think he’s going to spit a really good one tonight. This moment just won’t be very important to Jack.
Flaherty now has the opportunity to send the Dodgers to the World Series. He takes the mound in the fifth game, a potential deciding moment, at Citi Field.