The Los Angeles Dodgers won the offseason race for National League MVP Shohei Ohtani and power hitter Teoscar Hernandez.
They also won the trading deadline. At the July 30 deadline, when contenders acquire and losers sell, the Dodgers added power arms Jack Flaherty and Michael Kopech, as well as infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman, to their already formidable team.
Starter Flaherty and closer Kopech strengthened a Dodgers pitching staff plagued by injury, while Edman provided a seasoned position player with the flexibility they seek.
As postseason participation indicates, the Dodgers were not alone in their ability to identify helpers. Infielder/outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., starter Yusei Kikuchi and bullpen arms Seranthony Dominguez, Carlos Estevez, Lewis Erceg, Tanner Scott and Jason Adam have been major contributors to their new teams down the stretch.
A quick look at some of the differentiators:
Jack Flaherty
Detroit: 7-5, 2.95 ERA
Dodgers: 6-2, 3.58 ERA
The Dodgers urgently needed rotation help with injuries to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, and Clayton Kershaw, as well as the occasional success of Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller, and Flaherty, a native of Los Angeles, has shown to be an ideal fit.
He won five of his first seven outings and stabilized the rotation as the Dodgers defeated San Diego to win the NL West for the 11th time in 12 years.
Flaherty was so excellent, and the Detroit Tigers appeared so far away from a postseason spot, that trading him felt like a good opportunity to get future assets for a player who had priced himself out of their plans.
Flaherty will be a free agent again this winter, having signed a one-year, $14 million contract before the 2024 season.
Michael Kopech
White Sox: 2-8, 4.74 ERA, 9 saves
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Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees Big Trade Deadline Winners
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Jack Flaherty has given the Los Angeles Dodgers [+]plenty of 0s after arriving to bolster the starting rotation at the trade deadline. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
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The Los Angeles Dodgers won the offseason competition for soon-to-be National League MVP Shohei Ohtani and power hitter Teoscar Hernandez.
They also won the trade deadline.
The Dodgers added power arms Jack Flaherty and Michael Kopech and infielder/outfielder Tommy Edman to an already stacked roster at the July 30 deadline, when contenders buy and also-rans sell.
Starter Flaherty and closer Kopech solidified a Dodgers’ pitching staff plagued by injuries, and Edman gave them a proven position player with the flexibility they prize.
As postseason participation indicates, the Dodgers were not alone in their ability to identify helpers. Infielder/outfielder Jazz Chisholm Jr., starter Yusei Kikuchi and bullpen arms Seranthony Dominguez, Carlos Estevez, Lewis Erceg, Tanner Scott and Jason Adam have been major contributors to their new teams down the stretch.
Orioles Yankees Baseball
Jazz Chisholm has added some flavor to the New [+]York Yankees’ run to the AL East pennant. (AP Photo/Noah K. Murray)
A quick look at some of the difference makers:
Jack Flaherty
Detroit: 7-5, 2.95 ERA
Dodgers: 6-2, 3.58 ERA
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The Dodgers desperately needed rotation help after injuries to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw and the intermittent success of Walker Buehler and Bobby Miller, and Los Angeles native Flaherty has proven to be a perfect fit.
He won five of his first seven starts while stabilizing the rotation as the Dodgers held off San Diego to win the NL West for the 11th time in 12 seasons.
Flaherty was so good, and the Detroit Tigers seemed so far away from a playoff berth, that moving him seemed like a good way to acquire future assets for a player who had priced himself out of their plans. Flaherty will become a free agent again this winter after signing a one-year, $14 million deal before the 2024 season.
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Michael Kopech celebrates the final out of the [+]Dodgers’ NL West-clinching victory over San Diego on Thursday.. (AP Photo/Mark J. Terrill)
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Michael Kopech
White Sox: 2-8, 4.74 ERA, 9 saves
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Dodgers: 4-0, 1.17 ERA, 6 saves
The Dodgers eased Kopech into the closer’s role slowly after obtaining him from the Chicago White Sox in a three-team deal that also included Edman, and he and his 100 mph fastball have been close to untouchable since he took over the role from the Evan Phillips in September after alternating with Phillips for the last two weeks of August.
Kopech has converted all six of his save chances and very well could be Dodgers’ closer again in 2025. He is a bargain. He is scheduled to make $1.02 million this season and has one more year of arbitration eligibility remaining
Jazz Chisholm Jr.
Miami: .730 OPS, 13 HR, 50 RBI, 22 SB
Yankees:.825 OPS, 11 HR, 23 RBI, and 18 SB. Need assistance? Call Miami. Chisholm was having a good year with the Marlins, who are always searching for ways to save money, and the Yankees pounced when they needed to fill a third-base vacancy after considering Oswaldo Cabrera and DJ LeMahieu. Chisholm is playing third for the first time in his five-year career, but his athleticism has helped him succeed.
Chisholm had two homers in his second game with the Yankees, the first off Philadelphia ace Zack Wheeler, and with two years of arbitration eligibility remaining could be with the Yankees for Awhile
Yusei Kikuchi
Toronto: 4-9, 4.75 ERA
Houston: 5-1; 2.70 ERA The Astros acquired Kikuchi from Toronto after Justin Verlander, Jose Urquidy, and Cristian Javier were injured, and he performed admirably.
The Astros won Kikuchi’s first nine outings before losing his tenth, the day after securing a postseason spot.
Kikuchi has 76 strikeouts in 60 innings for Houston, and his ERA is almost two runs below his career average.
He will be a free agent this winter, the reason the Jays made the deal, and his time with Astros could bring a nice payday.
Seranthony Dominguez
Philadelphia: 3-2, 4.75, 1 save
Baltimore: 0–2, 4.09, 10 saves. Before making the trade for Dominguez, the Orioles used up all of veteran closer Craig Kimbrel’s innings.
Kimbrel recorded 23 saves prior to the All-Star break, but he failed to convert his final three save opportunities, and the Orioles understood a change was needed after he allowed 23 earned runs in his final 19 games.
Dominguez took over as Baltimore’s closer on Aug. 10 and the Phillies were 15-4 in his first 19 appearances. A couple of recent hiccups have bumped up his numbers, but he nailed down the ninth inning when it was needed.
Carlos Estevez
Angels: 1-3, 2.38 ERA, 20 saves
Philadelphia: 3-2, 2.57 ERA, with 6 saves. Estevez, a free agent this winter, was available to the highest bidder before the deadline, and the Phillies reached an agreement with the Angels the day after trading Dominguez to Baltimore as part of a bullpen reorganization.
Jose Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman had alternated as the lead closers, and both are now major setup men, adding to a group that includes specialist Matt Strahm.
Tanner Scott AND Jason Adam
Scott/Miami: 6-5, 1.18 ERA, 18 saves
Scott/San Diego: 3-1, 2.73 ERA, 10 holds
Adam/Tampa Bay: 4-2, 2.49 ERA, 4 saves
Adam/San Diego: 3-0, 1.07 ERA, 0 saves
Scott and Adam have worked in tandem, and with closer Robert Suarez the Padres have been to able to shorten games to six innings with what has become the best bullpen in the National League. With their stellar starting rotation, that has been a winning formula.
The Padres traded seven prospects to get the pair. Scott, who had been the the Marlins’ closer, cost them top hitting prospect Graham Pauley. Padres general manager A.J. Preller is never afraid to throw his chips on the table.
Lucas Erceg
Oakland: 2-3, 2.68 ERA, 3 saves
Kansas City: 0-3, 2.88 ERA, 11 saves
Erceg, another power arm who hits 99 mph with his fastball, was acquired from Oakland to give the Royals another closing option with James McArthur, and it did not take long before Erceg was elevated. He took over two weeks later and cemented the role when McArthur went on the injured list in mid-September.
Josh Bell
Miami: .699 OPS, 14 HR, 49 RBI
Arizona: .769 OPS, 5 HR, 22 RBI
The Diamondbacks were not in the market for a first baseman until Christian Walker suffered an oblique injury right at the deadline, prompting general manager Mike Hazen’s call to the Miami marketplace.
Bell, the textbook example of a two-month rental, announced his presence with with two two-homer games in his first six with Arizona.
