Shrewd Trade Deadline Moves Help Dodgers Reach World Series

Every year, just moments after MLB’s trade deadline, everyone wants to rush to judgement about which teams were winners and losers.

That’s unfair. It is hard to determine who won a trade before any of the players involved have put on the uniform of their new team.

However, nearly three months have passed since this year’s deadline. Enough time has elapsed to make clear that the Los Angeles Dodgers were one of the biggest winners.

The Dodgers might not have made it to the World Series without the work vice president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman did at the deadline. The Dodgers and New York Yankees open the Fall Classic on Friday night at Dodger Stadium.

The Dodgers acquired right-hander Jack Flaherty from the Detroit Tigers, and he will start Game 1 against the Gerrit Cole. Utility player Tommy Edman came over from the St. Louis Cardinas and was the MVP of the Dodgers’ six-game victory over the New York Mets in the National League Championship Series.

Right-hander Michael Kopech has been an important high-leverage reliever since being picked up from the Chicago White Sox. Veteran outfielder Kevin Kiermaier, who will retire at the end of the World Series, hasn’t played much since being acquired from the Toronto Blue Jays, but has value as a late-inning defensive replacement.

Flaherty has bolstered an injury-depleted rotation, going 6-2 with a 3.58 ERA in 10 regular-season starts. Though he has allowed 12 runs over 15 1/3 innings in three postseason starts, Flaherty did pitch seven shutout innings against the Mets in the NLCS opener.

The Tigers originally had a deal in place with another team, who backed out just hours before the deadline because of concerns about Flaherty’s lower back. That team was the Yankees. Funny how baseball works.

“It was crazy,” Friedman told reporters. “The final 60, 90 minutes of the trade deadline is always crazy. There’s lots of action and things going on. We had some back and forth with Detroit but had been kind of more focused on other fronts thinking that Detroit was going a different direction. And then got back to us, I think, 40 minutes before and things happened pretty quickly from there.

“Jack’s been great for us. And we feel really confident with him on the mound.”

Edman had yet to play in a major-league game this season when the Dodgers made that trade. He began the season on the injured list while recovering from offseason wrist surgery then sprained an ankle on a minor-league rehab assignment.

Edman returned in time to play 37 games during the regular season, making 22 starts in center field and 13 at shortstop while hitting .237/.294/.417 with six home runs and six stolen bases. Asked to play shortstop in the postseason with Miguel Rojas injured, Edman went 11 for 27 (.407) in the NLCS with three doubles, a home run and 11 RBIs.

“I can’t say enough about the front office being able to acquire him at the deadline,” Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. “What he can do for us on the field, in the clubhouse, is just amazing. I trust him. The guys trust him. He’s made huge defensive plays for us and has had huge hits. Just very fortunate to have a player like Tommy.”

Kopech was 2-8 with a 4.74 ERA in 43 games with the woebegone White Sox but turned his season around after getting to Los Angeles. He went 4-0 with six saves and a 1.13 ERA in 24 regular-season games and has allowed one run in 5 1/3 innings and six games during the playoffs.

Kiermaier has just two plate appearances this October but could win his first World Series ring in a 12-year career that has included four Gold Gloves.