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Inside Detroit Tigers trade deadline: How Jack Flaherty ended up with Los Angeles Dodgers
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- Inside Detroit Tigers trade deadline: How Jack Flaherty ended up with Los Angeles Dodgers
Jack Flaherty , who becomes a free agent in the upcoming offseason, was a popular name and the best two-month rental starting pitcher available at the trade deadline.
So popular and so available that there were two trades agreed upon for Flaherty ahead of Tuesday's 6 p.m. trade deadline, but only one of them became official.
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The Detroit Tigers — led by president of baseball operations Scott Harris — officially traded Flaherty to the Los Angeles Dodgers for catcher/first baseman Thayron Liranzo and shortstop Trey Sweeney , agreeing to the deal in the final minutes before the deadline.
THE TRADE: After getting 'a lot of calls,' Tigers trade Jack Flaherty to Los Angeles Dodgers
It was considered an underwhelming return for a 28-year-old frontline right-handed pitcher who owns a 2.95 ERA in 18 starts this season, especially compared to market value.
"We didn't feel an urgency to move him," Harris said of Flaherty, citing the option of extending the one-year qualifying offer instead, which could have led to a draft pick after the first round in Competitive Balance Round A depending on Flaherty's free agency. "The reason we did it is because we feel really good about Liranzo and Sweeney and what they're going to do in this organization."
Tigers pitcher Jack Flaherty reacts after giving up a home run in the sixth inning of the Tigers' 2-1 loss on Monday, May 6, 2024, in Cleveland.
But Liranzo and Sweeney weren't supposed to be Tigers .
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Instead, Flaherty was supposed to join the New York Yankees .
The Tigers and Yankees agreed to a Flaherty trade on Monday — the same day Flaherty was scratched from his start against the Cleveland Guardians at Comerica Park — but the Yankees decided not to finalize the deal after reviewing Flaherty's medical records.
Earlier this season, Flaherty received two injections for pain in his lower back and missed two starts within a three-week span . Flaherty was asked about the health of his back, not long after the agreed upon trade to the Yankees had fallen apart.
"I'm good," he simply said.
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Just like that, the Harris-led Tigers were forced to look elsewhere for a trade partner.
"I can't comment on medical stuff with trades," Harris said. "You would have to ask the other teams. Jack is healthy. If we didn't trade him, he was going to start for us on Thursday."
Harris maintained a high asking price for Flaherty, even as other teams caught wind of the medical concerns. Interested teams pivoted to different starters who weren't as desirable as Flaherty because of the high asking price combined with the injury risk.
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The asking price for Flaherty had been astronomically high for days , and even on the day of the deadline, Harris kept asking for more than teams would give him.
As pressure mounted into the final two hours, Harris continued to ask for more than the Dodgers were willing to give. He ended up not getting what he wanted from the Dodgers, but the two sides officially completed the deal anyways, just minutes before the deadline.
Therefore, it's not clear if Harris targeted Liranzo and Sweeney or simply ended up with them.
LET'S MAKE A DEAL: Tigers trade deadline preview: Jack Flaherty and other players on trade block in 2024
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After all, Flaherty wasn't even supposed to end up with the Dodgers.
"As far as the return, Jack was a very popular name on my phone all week," Harris said. "We got a lot of calls about Jack. Our goal was to find young talent, especially position playing talent, that could help us at premium positions moving forward.
"We added a switch-hitting catcher who has an advanced approach and hits the ball really, really hard and has a chance to project into a frontline catcher for us. We also added a left-handed hitting shortstop, which is an area of need for us as an organization."
Toronto Blue Jays pitcher Yusei Kikuchi (16) pitches to the Detroit Tigers during the first inning at Rogers Centre in Toronto on Saturday, July 20, 2024.
The Tigers, though, could have acquired right-hander Jake Bloss , outfielder Joey Loperfido and second baseman Will Wagner from the Houston Astros , but Harris passed in search of a better return. Then, the Astros sent that package to the Toronto Blue Jays for left-hander Yusei Kikuchi , a fellow two-month rental with a 4.75 ERA in 22 starts.
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It was considered a massive haul for the Blue Jays.
Everyone expected the Tigers would get an even greater return for Flaherty because he's a better pitcher.
After the trade deadline, Harris was asked if he thought the Tigers received a "less return" for Flaherty compared to what the Blue Jays received for Kikuchi.
"I completely reject the premise of the point," Harris said. "These players we got are really good. We had opportunities to make different deals with different teams. This is the deal we chose for a reason."
Thayron Liranzo of the Los Angeles Dodgers awaits a pitch during the fifth inning of the All-Star Futures Game at Globe Life Field on July 13, 2024 in Arlington, Texas.
MORE ABOUT HIM: Jack Flaherty recaptures edge with Tigers by controlling emotions in career revival
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Whether the Tigers actually chose the deal or not, Flaherty represents an organizational win for the Harris-led Tigers because he revived his career in Detroit. He changed the way his body moved down the mound , and he changed his pitch mix , all under the instruction of the Tigers' pitching department.
Remember, Flaherty had a 4.99 ERA in 2023.
Flaherty then signed a one-year, $14 million contract with the Tigers because he believed in Harris' plan to fix him. As a Tiger, Flaherty registered a 2.95 ERA with 19 walks and 133 strikeouts across 106⅔ innings in 18 starts.
Not only did Flaherty get back on track, but he returned to being one of the best pitchers in baseball, something he hadn't been described as since the 2019 season.
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"When we signed Jack Flaherty , most people around this organization and around baseball didn't really expect him to be the pitcher that he is today," Harris said. "The fact that he came into this organization, got a whole lot better, demonstrated he can be one of the best pitchers in all of baseball, and he's leaving this organization better than he entered it, is a great sign of health, a great sign of progress for this organization."
Contact Evan Petzold at epetzold@freepress.com or follow him @EvanPetzold .
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This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Detroit Tigers trade deadline: Inside Jack Flaherty to Dodgers deal
