Finally, the Boston Red Sox have acquired a starting pitcher. Boston reportedly reached an agreement with the Los Angeles Dodgers for one of their starters, and it was well known that they needed to acquire a depth starter prior to the 6 p.m. trade deadline. The Red Sox are making a significant move by acquiring Dustin May from the Dodgers, as they were in dire need of a depth starter. The first person on the news was ESPN Insider Jeff Passan.
What Does Los Angeles Stand to Gain from This Deal?
The Los Angeles Dodgers’ starting pitchers will be healthier as a result of this deal. May is moving to the Boston Red Sox to likely be a starter after it was revealed just yesterday that he will be shifted to the bullpen in a more full-time position. Although he has been useful for Los Angeles this season, May is a rental addition for Boston. In exchange, the Dodgers will receive James Thibbs III, a prospect ranked fifth by Boston. For a pitcher in May with a high ERA and an expiring contract, this is a respectable return.
This season, May has made 18 starts, pitched 104 innings, and recorded a 4.85 ERA. For the month of May, those 104 innings are by far a career high. This season, there had been trade rumors involving the 27-year-old May, who jokingly stated the other day that it was “shocking” that his name had been mentioned in connection with a possible move. May has experienced numerous injuries throughout his career, missing almost two years prior to this season. A solid mid-bottom of the rotation player who should be able to take the ball every fifth day of the season will be acquired by the Red Sox.
May was probably considering a second-half role shift in one form or another given his workload and the Dodgers’ rotation, which is getting stronger. May pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings of extended relief after Shohei Ohtani in his lone appearance that wasn’t a start. Sonja Chen of MLB.com said on the deal, “He could also be converted to a short-burst reliever, which would effectively manage his innings and perhaps help his stuff tick up.”
Overall Deadline Deals for the Dodgers In addition to dealing away May, the Los Angeles Dodgers’ two most noteworthy acquisitions were Alex Call from the Washington Nationals and Brock Steward from the Minnesota Twins. The Dodgers did not add one of the big relievers that were dealt, so the immediate response is a touch lackluster. They allegedly had a number of them, but they were never able to pay the asking price. It will be intriguing to watch Call’s progress and whether he takes Michael Conforto’s job in left field.
Given that Blake Snell is making his pitching comeback on Saturday and has been a little erratic this season, losing May is acceptable. Although we’ll have to wait and see, the Dodgers were supposed to perform better while maintaining a commanding lead in the National League West. The Dodgers will undoubtedly have a difficult playoff run as other contenders significantly improve their rosters.
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