The Los Angeles Dodgers made a big move just before the MLB trade deadline, acquiring ace pitcher Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers and outfielder Kevin Kiermaier from the Toronto Blue Jays. The Dodgers sent two prospects to the Tigers and traded veteran left-hander Ryan Yarbrough to the Jays in return.
Flaherty, 28, brings much-needed help to the Dodgers’ starting rotation, which has been plagued by injuries. He has a 7-5 record with a 2.95 ERA through 18 starts this season, striking out 133 batters while walking just 19 in 106 2/3 innings. This is the second consecutive year that Flaherty has been moved at the trade deadline, as he was traded from the St. Louis Cardinals to the Baltimore Orioles last season. He signed a one-year, $14 million contract with Detroit in December.
Kiermaier, 34, is in his second season with the Blue Jays after spending 10 years with the Tampa Bay Rays. He is batting just .195 with four home runs and 18 RBIs in 81 games this season. Kiermaier is a four-time Gold Glove award winner and has a career .246 batting average with 94 home runs, 370 RBIs, and 131 stolen bases in 1,124 games.
Yarbrough, 32, has a 4-2 record with one save and a 3.74 ERA in 67 1/3 innings over 32 relief appearances for the Dodgers this season. In his career, he has a 52-40 record with three saves and a 4.30 ERA in 184 games (68 starts) with the Rays, Kansas City Royals, and Dodgers.
The Dodgers also traded catcher Thayron Liranzo and infielder Trey Sweeney to the Tigers in the deal. Liranzo, 21, was the No. 8 prospect in the Dodgers’ farm system and was batting .220 with seven home runs and 30 RBIs at High-A Great Lakes. Sweeney, 24, a former first-round draft pick by the New York Yankees, is batting .254 with 13 home runs and 62 RBIs for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season.
Overall, the Dodgers have made significant moves at the trade deadline, adding Flaherty and Kiermaier to a roster that already includes Michael Kopech, Amed Rosario, and Tommy Edman. These acquisitions should bolster the team’s chances as they make a push for the postseason.
–Field Level Media
