The National League West-leading Los Angeles Dodgers made a big splash just minutes before the deadline, acquiring right-hander Jack Flaherty for prospects Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney.
Flaherty was the best arm moved before Tuesday’s deadline and is a two-month lease for the Dodgers, who have had a heckuva time keeping arms healthy this season.
Flaherty has been nasty this season, a true career season, and just as he’s set to walk into free agency. In 18 starts, the former St. Louis Cardinals first-round pick has posted elite runs-allowed numbers across the board, including a 2.95 ERA and 2.57 xFIP.
He’s posted a career-high 32% strikeout rate and a career-best 4.6% walk rate, among other high-level results.
Flaherty’s four-seamer sits 92-96 mph and is highly effective in setting up two devastating secondaries in a plus mid-80s slider and 76-80 mph curveball. Both breakers miss bats and he’s commanded his entire arsenal well all season.
He also mixes in a changeup and two-seamer on occasion.
The 28-year-old is set for a big payday following the season, but for now, he’ll join Tyler Glasnow and Gavin Stone in a rotation in Los Angeles which expects to get Yoshinobu Yamamoto back in August.
Sweeney is a 24-year-old infielder with a chance to stay up the middle (likey second base) but with the power to perhaps profile enough for the hot corner where his athleticism and arm play well.
He’s shown enough hit tool in the minors to project some everyday scenarios, and he’s nearing the big-league-ready phase of his development.
The game power could reach the 18-25 homer range and while there’s some swing-and-miss in his game the left-handed batter also works walks to above-average rates.
The upside here is an average regular infielder with 15-20 stolen bases to go with some pop, and solid-average on-base marks.
Liranzo is the headliner here, one of the top 5 prospects in the Dodgers’ system. He’s a 21-year-old switch-hitting catcher who likely moves to first base, but there’s 70-grade raw power to tap into, and he started doing just that last season in Single-A.
He’s physical with limited athleticism but has OBP skills that project well. He lacks the arm strength to confidently project behind the plate.
The Dodgers set themselves up for a World Series run, like every year, and do it at a fair yet more than affordable cost.
The Tigers did well to load up for next season with near-ready talent, but it feels light considering the market. Perhaps the best sign for Tigers fans is they did not move Tarik Skubal, which never made much sense, anyway.
The Dodgers also traded recently DFA’d lefty Ryan Yarbrough to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Kevin Kiermaier.
TRADE GRADES (20-80 Scale)
Los Angeles: 60
Detroit: 50
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