Dodgers GM Breaks Down Jack Flaherty Addition

The Dodgers aimed for an impact starting pitcher to bolster their rotation for the second half of the season. Los Angeles had its eyes on two options, White Sox left-hander Garrett Crochet and Tigers right-hander Jack Flaherty.

Crochet came with a lucrative price tag and a demand for a contract extension. Given these circumstances, Flaherty was the best choice for the Dodgers. 

In a last-minute deal with the Tigers, the Dodgers acquired Flaherty. The Dodgers traded two prospects, catcher Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney, for the Los Angeles native.

“You look at the guys that were moved across baseball, he’s pretty much the top of the food chain as far as starters,” manager Dave Roberts said to the Los Angeles Times. “So I think for what was out there, we did a great job.”

Flaherty’s performance on the mound this season is nearly matching what it was in 2019 when he received Cy Young award votes. The veteran is 7-5 with a 2.95 ERA and only 19 walks across 106.2 innings. 

Flaherty boasts a five-pitch arsenal that has helped him rack up 133 strikeouts this season. He relies on his four-seam fastball (44.1%), slider (31.4%), and curveball (18.9%). Flaherty occasionally mixes in a changeup (3.2%) and sinker (2.4%). 

“We felt like getting an impact starter was a very high priority for us, and Jack is definitely that,” general manager Brandon Gomes told reporters. “His command, his stuff, the swing, and miss, we feel like that’s a real power option come October. So he fits into this rotation really well.”

The addition of Flaherty comes at the same time as the return of Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw from injury. If the trio remains healthy, they will pitch alongside Gavin Stone for the remainder of the season. That would give the Dodgers a rotation consisting of three Cy Young-caliber veteran pitchers and a frontrunner for NL Rookie of the Year. 

Yoshinobu Yamamoto was another Rookie of the Year candidate before his shoulder injury. If he can recover in time for the postseason, the Dodgers could have a dominating five-man rotation.

Photo Credit: Junfu Han-USA TODAY NETWORK

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