The Los Angeles Dodgers made a big move for starting pitcher Jack Flaherty at the MLB trade deadline. They needed pitching depth amidst a season full of injuries on the hill and they got it. The Dodgers, however, will live to regret making this move.
In the immediate wake of the trade deadline, reports surfaced about injury concerns from other teams, namely the New York Yankees. Flaherty had a lower back issue in July that forced him to miss some starts and the Yankees were scared off by that. They decided to stay with their current rotation, which allowed the Dodgers to swoop in and grab Flaherty.
The Dodgers season has been defined by their injuries. Mookie Betts has been out since June, Yoshinobu Yamamoto is on the 60-day Injured List, Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw are just coming back, and Shohei Ohtani is only hitting this year as he recovers from Tommy John surgery. There is injury risk involved with any pitcher but Flaherty specifically was the wrong choice for the injury reasons.
On the mound, Flaherty has not shown signs of slowing down. He has a 2.95 ERA and a career-low 0.956 WHIP in 18 starts. he thrived as part of a dominant top-of-the-rotation in Detroit with Tarik Skubal. He will have an opportunity to do that with the Dodgers.
Jack Flaherty's trade deadline history
Another reason that the Dodgers will regret trading for Jack Flaherty is because of his recent history. Last year, Flaherty was traded from the Cardinals to the Orioles. After a great career in St. Louis, he joined an American League contender during a pennant race. He then proceeded to put together some of the worst starts of his career.
Flaherty struggled to acclimate to a team running away with their division and did not earn a playoff spot the last time he was traded. The Dodgers cannot afford a repeat of last year. With Yamamoto injured and the trade of James Paxton, Flaherty is a necessity, not a luxury. If his performance mirrors his time in Baltimore at all, the Dodgers will regret this move.
The Dodgers also paid a steep price to land the biggest pitching fish at the deadline. C/1B Thayron Liranzo is the fifth-ranked prospect in the Tiger system and SS Trey Sweeney comes in at 24. With Flaherty headed to free agency at the end of the season, the high price could come back to bite the Dodgers as soon as this winter.
Flaherty struggled to get a long-term deal last offseason, pushing him to the Tigers on a one-year deal. That gamble paid off perfectly for them, as they got great starts out of him in the first half and snagged two great prospects. While the Dodgers can keep Flaherty after the season, there's no guarantee that they will.
The Dodgers will regret the move to trade for Jack Flaherty at the MLB trade deadline. With his injury and trade deadline history, Flaherty is a risky addition to a win-now team that desperately needs pitching.
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