The Detroit Tigers have had their moments this season but nonetheless remain in fourth place in the AL Central with a 52-57 record as of Tuesday.
The Tigers dealt right-hander Jack Flaherty to the Dodgers for minor league Thayron Liranzo and Triple-A shortstop Trey Sweeney on Tuesday, a trade that instantly improved the Dodgers' pitching staff.
This trade was a win for both teams as the Dodgers bolstered their pitching staff for a playoff run and the Tigers got young talents.
The Dodgers deserve a grade of B+ for this trade while the Tigers deserve an A-. Flaherty is a free agent at the end of the season and Detroit needed to add more promising position player talent to their farm system.
Flaherty's impact on 2024 Dodgers
The Dodgers picked up a player who outperformed expectations this season with a 7-5 record and a sub-3.00 ERA.
The Burbank, California native has 133 strikeouts in 106 innings proving that he can be an effective frontline Major League starter.
The Dodgers have made several moves to rearrange their pitching staff recently including when James Paxton was let go and ended up with the Boston Red Sox. Now they have added Flaherty, who is younger than Paxton and may have more juice in the battery for the postseason.
A fresh start in Los Angeles could do wonders for Flaherty but it won't be easy. He will now find himself in a division championship race in LA. He must ratchet up the intensity and learn to pitch with postseason pressure on his back or he won't last long with the Dodgers' day-to-day staff.
Tigers add to farm system
Shortstop Trey Sweeney was among the two prospects the Tigers added in this deal. Sweeney is a former number one pick of the New York Yankees who hits for power, steals bases and drives in runs. He has 13 home runs this season along with 62 runs batted in and is expected to head to the Toledo Mud Hens, Detroit's Triple-A affiliate.
The Tigers are also expected to add Thayron Liranzo, a young catcher, to the Single-A West Michigan White Caps.
Liranzo is believed to be the crown jewel of this trade in many baseball circles. He has had a down season this year in the Dodgers' farm system but hit 24 home runs with 72 RBI last season. That type of power is incredibly rare for a catcher, giving the Tigers a chance to make out like bandits in this deal by the time the careers of these three trade pieces have concluded.
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