MLB Trade Rumors: Dodgers Acquire Jack Flaherty from Tigers, Kiermaier from Blue Jays
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired Jack Flaherty, a right-handed starting pitcher for the Detroit Tigers. According to Robert Murray of FanSided, Dodgers prospects Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney are returning to Detroit. During his 18 starts this season, the 28-year-old Flaherty is 7–5 with a 2.95 ERA (0.96 WHIP) and 133 strikeouts in 106.2 innings pitched.
Just before the deadline on Tuesday, Murray reports that L.A. also acquired Toronto Blue Jays outfielder Kevin Kiermaier via trade. Ryan Yarbrough, a left-handed relief pitcher, is headed to Toronto. As a future free agent, Flaherty was one of the most valuable players available for trade. For a possible two-month rental, the Dodgers were ready to give up two of their top-25 prospects, but it’s obvious the franchise is eager to overhaul the lineup and contend for a World Series.
The Dodgers have done work before the deadline, adding relief pitcher Michael Kopech and outfielder Tommy Pham from the Los Angeles Dodgers as well as St. Louis Cardinals utility man Tommy Edman and Tampa Bay Rays infielder Amed Rosario.
It’s obviously World Series-or-bust for L.A., which sits first in the NL West with a 63-44 record despite a host of injuries to stars and key players such as Mookie Betts, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Max Muncy.
The team obviously needed more depth to compensate for the shorthanded nature of the roster. But Flaherty should make a huge impact in October as a member of the Dodgers’ rotation. He’s been sensational in Detroit this year, and the Dodgers’ gain is other teams’ missed opportunities at the deadline.
The 34-year-old Kiermaier, a four-time Gold Glove winner, still stands as one of the game’s best defensive outfielders. He’ll serve as great defensive depth for the Dodgers, perhaps in later innings when L.A. holds leads. At the dish, Kiermaier is hitting .195 (.546 OPS) with four home runs and 18 RBI.
As for the Tigers’ return, the 21-year-old Liranzo is a catcher-first base prospect ranked No. 8 among Dodger prospects, per MLB.com. He played this year with the High-A Great Lakes Loons and had seven home runs, 30 RBI and a .700 OPS in 70 games.
Sweeney, 24, is a shortstop ranked No. 22 in the Dodgers’ farm system. He’s fared well for Triple-A Oklahoma City, posting a .761 OPS with 13 home runs and 62 RBI in 96 games.
