Los Angeles Dodgers, New York Yankees Big Trade Deadline Winners
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.
A quick look at some of the difference makers:
Jack Flaherty
Detroit:
Dodgers:
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.
Michael Kopech
White Sox:
Dodgers:
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
Yankees: .825
Need help? Call Miami. Chisholm was having a fine year with the Marlins, who are always looking to save a buck, and the Yankees pounced when they needed to fill a hole at third base after looking at Oswaldo Cabrera and DJ LeMahieu. Chisholm is playing third for the first time in his five-year career, but his athleticism has made it work.
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:
Houston:
The Astros acquired Kikuchi from Toronto after their rotation was hit with injuries to Justin Verlander, Jose Urquidy and Cristian Javier, and he delivered. The Astros won Kikuchi's first nine starts before losing his 10th, a day after clinching a playoff berth.
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:
Baltimore:
The Orioles got as much as they could out of veteran closer Craig Kimbrel before making the move for Dominguez. Kimbrel had 23 saves before the All-Star break, but he failed to convert his final three save chances and the Orioles knew a change was in order when he gave up 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:
Philadelphia:
Estevez, a free agent this winter, was available to the highest bidder at the deadline and the Phillies worked a deal with the Angles the day after sending Dominguez to Baltimore during a bullpen reorganization.
Jose Alvarado and Jeff Hoffman had traded time as the primary closer, and both are now primary setup men, strengthening a group that also includes specialist Matt Strahm.
Tanner Scott AND Jason Adam
Scott/Miami:
Scott/San Diego: 3-1, 2.73 ERA, 10 holds
Adam/Tampa Bay:
Adam/San Diego:
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:
Kansas City:
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
