The Los Angeles Dodgers waited until almost the last minute, but they came through with the needed acquisition of a starting pitcher.
Right before 6PM ET, it was announced that the Dodgers had traded for Jack Flaherty of the Detroit Tigers. Prospects C/1B Thayron Liranzo and SS Trey Sweeney will be heading to the Motor City. Sweeney was acquired from the New York Yankees trade for Victor Gonzalez.
Flaherty is 7-5 on the season, with a 2.95 ERA, and should help stabilize the very injured starting rotation. He joins Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw, in addition to the rookies Gavin Stone, Justin Wrobleski and River Ryan.
The Dodgers will have to decide which of those last two will be sent back down to the minors, but both have performed very well being thrust on to the rotation before they were probably ready.
In the other move on Tuesday, the Dodgers traded relief pitcher Ryan Yarbrough to the Toronto Blue Jays for outfielder Kevin Kiermaier. Both players had been DFA’d by their respective teams earlier in the week.
Brent Honeywell has pretty much taken the slot that Yarbrough would be occupying. Kiermaier, although he is at the end of his playing days (he announced he would retire at the end of the season) still has good defense and will help solidify the outfield.
The Dodgers now start a two game series in San Diego, who sit 6.5 back of the Dodgers for the division lead. The Padres made a flurry of trades in the last few days, and now have one of the best bullpens in the majors. Glasnow and Kershaw will pitch for the Dodgers, facing off against Matt Waldron and Dylan Cease, fresh off his no-hitter.
Overall, the Dodgers acquired five players at the deadline, including Amed Rosario whom they picked up yesterday, for a DFA’d player, one guy on the 26-man roster, and prospects, with only one in the top 15. The team is solidified around the margins while waiting for those players that are injured to return.
Freddie Freeman has yet to return to the team after his son Maximus was hospitalized last week. Our thoughts go out the Freeman family for a quick recovery for their three year old.
Think Blue Planning Committee 
Good deals all around by AF. He gave up nothing to rent Flaherty for a couple months as insurance in case we don’t get Yamamoto back. He fits right in with Wrobleski most likely to go down. I think River Ryan has impressed enough to be given that #5 role for the time being with Glasnow, Kershaw, Flaherty and Stone. Still would have loved to have traded for Mason Miller if he hadn’t been an idiot and punched something with his pitching hand. Kiermaier is still a good glove veteran in CF that can play all over the OF. Rosario was a cheap insurance policy for Muncy so you aren’t putting so much on Biggio and Kike’. Good on AF for not making a huge deal just because everyone thought we would. Still upgraded the team without downgrading the farm system.
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Yep like this deal. Liranzo is a good prospect but thoroughly blocked. Sweeney has played well. But neither a huge loss for the Dodgers. Detroit gets a very solid catching prospect for a guy that is a rental for the Dodgers. I have been impressed by both Wrobleski and Ryan and glad they did not trade them. Ryan has been especially impressive. I imagine the Dodgers were hoping that Miller or Buehler stepped up before the deadline. Unfortunately neither did and had terrible outings. They seem to be regressing. Buehler value has certainly taken a big hit for a contract in 25.
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Buehler may have to sign a one year prove-it deal this off season.
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So Roberts doesn’t know the rule that after a mound visit the pitcher has to pitch to that batter. He admitted it! So a manager of an elite baseball organization doesn’t bother to learn the rules. For that alone he should be fired. Absolutely no excuse.
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I missed it, TMax. Exactly what happened?
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Vesia on the mound walked the bases loaded. Had Pryor mound visit then Roberts came out talked to umpire and wanted to bring in Phillips. Umpire told him rule. Pitcher must pitch to batter. And Dodgers lose. Many refute the fact that Roberts struggles with in game pitching changes despite the evidence. But not knowing a critical rule in your profession!! I am harsh on Roberts because most of us worked in very demanding professions. Failure was rewarded with the loss of jobs. You needed to know the rules! Everyone says Roberts isn’t responsible for just about everything. Even Friedman’s sock puppet should know the rules.
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If we don’t at least get to the WS this year, I figure Doc has a big chance of losing his job. It will still be more on the players than on him, but you can’t fire the whole team and the higher ups will have to find a scapegoat.
I’m neutral to slightly negative on Roberts. Don’t hate him as much as some. Don’t love him as much as others. But he’s definitely under the gun.
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Lots of people disagree with my opinion of Roberts. That’s ok! and I like Bear lol.. Bear knows more about many aspects of baseball than I do. But…I was in a highly demanding supervisory and then management position. It paid well but we had to achieve outrageous goals set by a money crazy company. What I learned after 30 years in managing highly individualistic IT professionals was that you had to individually learn how to motivate them to over achieve. It took me years to learn. Roberts teams despite the talent have NEVER been accused of over achieving. I loved watching Lasorda he was a master manipulator. Roberts teams consistently under perform. The Dodgers have league leading attendance and a massive entertainment contract. They are reportedly making great money on their investment. They acquire talent and stack the team but seem content with Sock Puppet. I wonder if it’s Friedman’s hubris that he can make the important calls and don’t need an actual manager?
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Two guys in Buehler and May with some of the nastiest stuff in the game have unfortunately had their careers derailed. I really hope Buehler can still be a solid 3rd or 4th starter for a contender but I think it’s safe to say his hopes of being the ace of the Dodgers for the next decade are over with. I really hope May comes back as a reliever. He could be a great closer if he can stay healthy and locate his fastball. Two big ifs after being out the last year and a half. I hope our rotation next year is
Ohtani
Glasnow
Yamamoto
Sasaki
Buehler/Stone/Ryan
That would be just unfair and wonderful. I expect this year is Kershaw’s swan song so I hope he goes into retirement on a good note having success in the postseason.
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It will be interesting to see how Kershaw does between now and October. If he pitches poorly to mediocre I would think he would definitely retire, but…………………………….what if he pitches well? I think his competitive nature might make it hard for him to ride off into the sunset if he thinks he’s still got something left in the tank. I guess we’ll know soon enough.
I can’t see any scenario in which Buehler is back in next year’s rotation. Even if he works out his issues, I think someone would offer him a better deal. AF will just have too many guys to choose from.
When you listed your pitchers you left out Wrobleski. Did you forget him or do you feel he’s not as talented as Buehler/Stone/Ryan? And then there is Bobby Miller. Do you figure we’ve seen his best and that he’ll never be the same again?
And what about Landon Knack who just gets no respect. I’m expecting him to be traded this winter.
One last guy that everyone is totally forgetting. Tony Gonsolin.
Do you remember what his numbers were in 2022, before he got hurt. Let me refresh your memory:
16-1 (you read that correctly) with a 2.14 ERA and a WHIP of 0.875. That’s some mighty fine pitching.
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I agree there’s no chance Buehler is a Dodger next year unless he’s playing for a very incentive laden deal. I forgot about Bobby Miller but I left Wrobleski out on purpose. I still love his potential but I don’t think he’s quite on that tier with Gavin Stone. River Ryan would be the closest to Stone and Miller if he can get healthy and locate his pitches. That fastball gets blasted when he can’t locate it. Stone is just nails when he’s got the ball. You can feel the competitor in him and he’s way more advanced pitching whereas Miller is still throwing it as hard as he can and hoping for good results. I can see Stone being the perfect 5th starter for this team for several years if he stays healthy. Wrobleski will be back though, he just needs a bit more time. Same with Knack (aka Chad Billingsley 2.0). What will really be the big deciding factor next year on our rotation is if Sasaki comes over from Japan. If so I ant see us not being the favorites for him.
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I am a huge Gonsolin supporter. He always gets forgotten He was an All Star! Knack’s last outing where he was struggling with his control but toughed it out and only allowed 2 ER over 5 showed his mental strength and talent. I have watched Wrobleski pitch several times and have even rewatched his innings. He has gotten better every start. Ryan for a young guy brought up from A ball so fast has been remarkable. Under contract in 25. Dodgers have Glasnow, Yamamoto, Stone, May, Gonsolin, Knack, Wrobleski, Ryan and Miller with some others on the farm showing great progress. I wonder if the Dodgers will use their proven young pitchers as trade bait for a great contact hitter with a high OBP? The Dodgers top of their line up is so talented maybe the recent trades will help. Edelman has been good if he can get off rehab.
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Sasaski has 3 years and signed for a fourth. According to baseball rules he has to be signed under amateur contract rules with a cap if under 25 and under 6 years. Ohtani signed that way with the Angels and signed for only 2.3 million.
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