Dodgers strengthen their rotation by acquiring Tigers starter

One of the best pitchers available on the market has been moved as the Los Angeles Dodgers have traded for Detroit Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty right before the end of the trade deadline.

Flaherty is having a stellar season after signing a one-year, $14M deal with the Tigers. He is currently 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA, 0.96 WHIP and 133 strikeouts in 106.2 innings, he is looking more like the pitcher that dominated the league in 2019.

A native of Burbank, California, the 28-year-old right-hander gets to go back home and pitch in front of friends and family with the Dodgers, and he joins a top rotation that has been struggling with injuries.

In return for Flaherty, the Dodgers are trading 24-year-old outfielder Trey Sweeney and 21-year-old catcher Thayron Liranzo to complete the deal.

Sweeney was acquired from the New York Yankees this offseason and has spent the season in Triple-A where he has posted a .254/.334/.427 slash line with 13 home runs, 62 RBI and 16 stolen bases in 96 games.

Liranzo is a young catcher who smashed 24 home runs in 94 games last season in Single-A but has had trouble repeating the performance in 2024. Currently slashing .220/.344/.356 he has only seven home runs in 74 games played after moving up to High-A.

With Flaherty set to become a free agent this offseason, the Tigers knew that they weren't going to be able to demand a high asking price and took a flyer on these two prospects.

As for the Dodgers, they own one of the deepest farm systems in baseball and have used it to improve their team by not only acquiring Flaherty but also adding utilityman Tommy Edman and Amed Rosario, outfielder Kevin Kiermaier and relief pitcher Michael Kopech during the trade deadline.

With one of the highest payrolls in baseball, the Dodgers made these deals looking to make another deep playoff run in 2024.