Breaking Down the Tigers-Dodgers Trade for Jack Flaherty
Right as Tuesday's trade deadline came to a close, the Tigers and Dodgers announced a trade involving top-shelf starter Jack Flaherty. Let's break down the move and check out the prospects heading the other way.
Minutes before the 6:00 p.m. trade deadline the Detroit Tigers finally struck a deal, moving Jack Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers for catcher Thayron Liranzo (Just Baseball no. 5 in system) and shortstop Trey Sweeney (no. 14) .
Before we dive into each specific player, I think it is important to understand context. If I told you in February that the Tigers would receive a top five system prospect plus another piece for Flaherty most would have signed up for that return.
Flaherty was a successful find for the organization and will be an example to future starts who need to revive their careers making Detroit a higher destination on their list.
No, the return did not include a flashy top 100 prospect. In fact no top 100 prospects (consensus) were moved at this years deadline. We, myself included, talked ourselves into a return that never materialized. Flaherty posted a 2.95 ERA, 3.11 FIP while racking up strikeouts and fixing his walk issues that troubled him for years. Surely, even as a rental, the headliner in this particular deal would have been a bigger name, right?
Well, we are starting to learn more. Ken Rosenthal reported the Yankees backed out of a deal for Flaherty due to medical concerns. After multiple injections for a back issue, we now know of at least one team who was not willing to roll the dice.
But, that’s not all we learned. Evan Petzold had an interesting nugget that was also rumored by others:
If true, which I would bet it is, then Scott Harris and company have some explaining to do. Sure, mixed views on all prospects are out there but I think most people in the prospect/baseball world would take the Blue Jays return for Kikuchi over what the Tigers ultimately landed on. The front office cannot afford to get cute especially when the return was as good as what Toronto received.
Tigers Return
The primary return for the Tigers is Thayron Liranzo, a 21-year-old, switch-hitting catcher who has slashed .220/.344/.356 in High-A. Last season, at 19 in Low-A, Liranzo slashed .272/.400/.562 with 24 home runs in only 94 games.
What really jumps out is the power. At 19 he topped out at a 114 mph exit velocity and has the ability to really impact the baseball as he matures. Like so many young power hitters, the swing and miss is also present.
Whether or not he sticks behind the plate is still up in the air, but surely between Josue Briceno and him, one will not have to move off the position. Here’s what Aram Leighton wrote on Liranzo in December 2023:
Liranzo provides a tantalizing profile as a switch-hitting catcher with plus power and good shot at sticking behind the dish. Projecting as a fringy hitter at best, his swing decisions and ability to tap into his impact in games will be important. Considering the positive trend and helpful adjustments we have seen from the right-handed swing alone, there’s good reason to believe that he can continue to mitigate the whiff enough.
Aram Leighton on Thayron Liranzo
The Tigers also added shortstop Trey Sweeney (24) in the trade. The Yankees 2021 first-round pick hasn’t developed at the rate many though he would, but still has a chance to add value. This season in Triple-A, Sweeney is slashing .254/.334/.427 with 13 home runs and 16 stolen bases.
While nothing about his profile is elite, he’s solid in several areas, provides some speed, and draws walks at an above-average clip. He’s likely a platoon only (struggles against lefties) and does have a chance to at least raise the floor at short. Detroit has had the worst production at shortstop in the league so a change of any kind is welcomed. I think he’ll end up as more of a bench bat or AAAA player which isn’t nothing.
Dodgers Return
The California kid is goin’ back home. Even after a number of offseason additions to their rotation, injuries forced the Dodgers back into the starters market and they walked away with the best rental option. Of course, the rich get richer.
If you are a Dodgers fan, you are probably pretty happy with the package. Josue De Paula and Dalton Rushing (and others) did not have to leave the system for your team to add a significant boost to the rotation. You plug a hole with a veteran who’s always been talented and now looks the best he’s every looked in his career.
If you are concerned about the medical side, well, that usual comes with any Flaherty experience. He’s suffered several injuries throughout his career but did look very good in the games after the back injections.
If healthy, Flaherty will be another option to start in a playoff game. Not only do you get a high-end arm, but the Dodgers can now afford to work back their injured starters at a less aggressive pace. Managing innings for younger options (and Clayton Kershaw) becomes easier, and the rotation gets deeper. Hard not to like this for the Dodgers.
Conclusion
“Winning” or “losing” the trade cannot be determined in the hours after. Years need to pass to really be able to have a complete assessment. I will say that I like the return Detroit received although I did expect a higher profile name. Several respected outlets think the Tigers made out well while others are less inspired. I guess that’s usually the case with trades.
You cannot deny that the Dodgers are in a better position to win. Depending on how the chips fall, there’s a chance Flaherty could stick in LA long term. We know the money will be there and I’m sure he’d be happy to stay in California and play for a contender year in and year out.
Not to leave you on a sour note, but the potential mishandling of trades by the Tigers front office simply cannot happen. True or not, both deadlines have come with buzz around Scott Harris with, bluntly, mistakes or mishaps. We do not have all the facts, but that cannot continue to happen.
Written by