Detroit Tigers Trade Jack Flaherty to Los Angeles Dodgers
The Detroit Tigers have traded Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to Jeff Passan of ESPN. They'll receive Thayron Liranzo and Trey Sweeney, according to Robert Murray of FanSided.
After rumors about Flaherty being moved, the Tigers decided to pull the trigger in a deal that should align with their future. While Flaherty would've been an excellent piece for the next few years for this ball club, he hits free agency at the end of the season and could've potentially left for nothing.
He has a strong argument to be the best pitcher moved at the deadline, posting an impressive 2.95 ERA in 106 2/3 innings pitched. His 133 strikeouts and 19 walks are a great indication of just how good he's been this year.
Detroit is still in the race, but with the market being as strong as it currently is, it made sense to capitalize on it. However, this does pose some questions about how the front office views the team moving forward.
One could argue that the Tigers are a team that has a chance to win the American League Central as soon as next season, and Flaherty would've been as big as anyone in helping with that. Reports have indicated that if they didn't trade him, they were going to offer him an extension, but that still didn't guarantee that he'd re-sign.
Flaherty took a prove-it deal and will now have an opportunity to show the Dodgers that he can come in and make an impact for a contending team. If he does, he'll get paid handsomely in a few months.
