The Los Angeles Dodgers made power moves at the 2024 trade deadline, and they absolutely had to do so.
Though they have fielded one of the most talented rosters in the history of Major League Baseball, the Dodgers have been ravaged by pitching injuries like no other team in the sport.
They've lost nine starting pitchers to injury at some point during the season, with the latest scare coming from Clayton Kershaw's early exit on Friday night. Tyler Glasnow and Yoshinobu Yamamoto are already on the injured list, and Kershaw could be next to join them.
Amid all those injuries, the addition of former Detroit Tigers star Jack Flaherty has been vital to the Dodgers' success in the second half of the season. The Dodgers have managed to take over the best record in MLB, with Flaherty leading the charge atop the rotation.
Because he has stabilized an ailing rotation, Flaherty was named the sixth-best trade deadline acquisition of 2024 by MLB.com's Brian Murphy.
"Putting together his best full season since 2019, Flaherty has exceeded expectations all year long and should play a prominent role on a Dodgers staff that will be burdened with sky-high expectations once the postseason begins," Murphy said. "He... has provided a significant boost to banged-up rotation."
Flaherty, 28, had a career resurgence in the first half with the Tigers and has carried over his success to his hometown team in the Dodgers. In five starts with L.A., he has a 3-1 record, 3.49 ERA, and 34 strikeouts in 28 1/3 innings.
Flaherty was joined on the list by teammate Michael Kopech, who ranked just behind him in seventh.
Because he is an impending free agent, the Dodgers seem to be willing to push Flaherty down the stretch. He is throwing more pitches than ever, averaging exactly 100 per start in a Dodger uniform. The Dodgers need a workhorse, and Flaherty is delivering in that role.
Rankings aside, Flaherty can solidify his status as a trade deadline addition with a championship, something the Dodgers long for every year. That would help make him a lot of money in 2025 as well, whether it's the Dodgers or someone else that pays him.
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