It was an active Major League Baseball trade deadline for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
A flurry of moves checked multiple boxes to stabilize a club that was wobbly through most of July. Adding defensive versatility and lineup depth with Amed Rosario and Tommy Edman will be helpful. Bringing Michael Kopech into the bullpen will give that struggling group some relief as well.
LA's final and most impactful move came just before the deadline when they acquired starting pitcher Jack Flaherty from the Tigers. That move made the Dodgers the No. 2 deadline winner according to MLB.com. Will Leitch called Flaherty the best available starter when LA made the deal.
Just minutes before the Deadline clock ticked over to 6 p.m. ET, news broke that the Dodgers had acquired Jack Flaherty, perhaps the top pitcher available at the Deadline once it became clear Garrett Crochet would not be leaving the White Sox. This is the second straight Deadline that Flaherty switched teams, and it should be noted that he struggled for the Orioles last year, putting up a 6.75 ERA and eventually losing his rotation spot. He has been a lot better in Detroit this year than he was in St. Louis in the first half of last year, though, and he gives some stability to a rotation that still is relying, alternately, on guys coming back from injury and rookies trying to establish themselves.
Through May and June when the Dodgers rotation was banged up and struggling it was easy to tab starting pitching as their biggest need. Then their bullpen started to falter and that became a problem they had to address. They also suffered some injuries in the lineup that exposed some of their depth problems on the bench.
There are reinforcements coming in the bullpen with Brusdar Graterol and Michael Grove working through rehab outings in Triple-A. The Dodgers lineup would also be getting a sizable boost from the return of shortstop Mookie Betts. There were ways they would've survived a playoff run without bolstering their bullpen and bench depth.
It was clear starting pitching was always going to be something LA had to address. The rest of the moves were fine, but Flaherty was the one they needed.
He solidifies their rotation alongside Tyler Glasnow, Gavin Stone, Clayton Kershaw and rookie Justin Wrobleski. That group could get even better if Yoshinobu Yamamoto returns.
This is now the deepest the Dodgers' pitching rotation has been all season. They've turned a significant weakness into one of their strengths. Combining that with a shored-up bullpen and a deeper lineup gives LA a real shot to represent the National League in the World Series.
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