The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired starting pitcher Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers, Yahoo Sports’ Russell Dorsey confirmed, in the final minutes before the MLB trade deadline hit at 6 p.m. ET Tuesday.
The right-hander, who signed a one-year deal with Detroit in December, will now travel to L.A. to help shore up the Dodgers’ rotation.
In return, the Tigers reportedly received catcher Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney. It’s a return that tilts toward the Dodgers as the winners in the trade.
For Flaherty, Tigers get 1B/C Thayron Liranzo (Dodgers’ No. 8 prospect) and shortstop Trey Sweeney (Dodgers’ No. 22 prospect). At first glance, underwhelming.
— Bob Wojnowski (@bobwojnowski) July 30, 2024
The Dodgers also grabbed center fielder Kevin Kiermaier from the Toronto Blue Jays at the deadline, sending relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough in return, per multiple reports. Kiermaier, a four-time Golden Glove winner, signed with the Blue Jays in 2023 after 10 seasons with the Tampa Bay Rays.
The Dodgers also land Gold Glove center fielder Kevin Kiermaier from the Toronto Blue Jays.
The Blue Jays will get reliever Ryan Yarbrough, as @ByRobertMurray reported.— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) July 30, 2024
Flaherty has been a key part of Detroit’s rotation this year, striking out 133 in 106 2/3 innings. He has an ERA of 2.95 so far this season.
The 28-year-old pitcher spent six-and-a-half seasons with the St. Louis Cardinals before being traded to the Orioles at the 2023 deadline and becoming a free agent last winter.
The Dodgers’ acquisitions come as two-way sensation Shohei Ohtani is sidelined on the pitching front after undergoing Tommy John surgery last fall. The 30-year-old pitcher and designated hitter signed an unprecedentedly massive contract with Los Angeles last December, but deferred much of the deal so the Dodgers could continue to acquire talent and build a potentially championship-winning team.
Ohtani has continued to be a dominant hitter. He has already hit 30 home runs this season, but the Dodgers’ rotation has been decimated by injuries to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler and Dustin May, among others. As a result, the team needed a boost to the starting rotation at the deadline, and they’ll hope Flaherty provides just that.
