Dodgers Fall in Latest National Power Rankings After Trade Deadline

The Dodgers secured the best pitcher available on the last day of the trade deadline — but was it enough? According to the latest national power rankings, Los Angeles still has problems they need to address.

The Dodgers fell to No. 5 in Newsweek's MLB Power Rankings after being swept by the San Diego Padres and losing the series with the Houston Astros. Los Angeles previously held the No. 3 spot but fell two places following their losses to the Padres and Astros.

On Wednesday, three-time Cy Young award winner Clayton Kershaw struggled on the mound at Petco Park. The left-hander exited the game with two outs in the fourth-inning but that wasn't before the Padres' bats scored seven runs.

There are several question marks surrounding the Dodgers rotation but right-handed pitcher Jack Flaherty provides some answers. The 28-year-old has a 2.95 ERA and 133 strikeouts which means Flaherty is a much-needed weapon for the Dodgers.

The Burbank native is set to make his debut on Saturday versus the Athletics in Oakland. It's likely that Flaherty will join Tyler Glasnow and Clayton Kershaw in the slot this postseason, but there is still some unpredictability that remains.

Los Angeles has suffered a myriad of losses in their rotation. Many of their starting pitchers have dealt with injuries or are still doing so. Yoshinobu Yamamoto and Walker Buehler are currently working on returning to the team. The New York Yankees reportedly pulled out of a trade for Flaherty due to a medical concern though the right-hander said he feels great.

“All I know is I feel great,” Flaherty said, via the L.A. Times. “I’ve felt great since we got back from the [All-Star] break, or even right before that.”

Along with injuries, the Dodgers rotation has also battled inconsistency on the mound thus it's imperative that Flaherty bring consistency and poise.

The Dodgers missed out on left-handed reliever Tanner Scott who would've been a solid addition to the bullpen. To make matters worse, a division rival, the San Diego Padres snagged Scott on the last day of the deadline.

The Padres have won nine out of their 10 last games. Not only are the Padres playing their best baseball, but San Diego just added a highly sought-after reliever to their bullpen which could be bad news for the Dodgers in the final stretch of the regular season.

As San Diego closes the gap in the division race, the Dodgers have no room for error.