Dustin May is used to the trade rumors by now, and his method of coping is sarcasm.
The embattled Los Angeles Dodgers starter, who will be a free agent at the end of the season, finally spoke about the potential trade rumors he’s been subjected to this season.
Despite consistently taking his turn in the Dodgers starting rotation — something few LA pitchers have been able to do this season — May is just 6-7 with a 4.85 ERA and minus-0.4 WAR in 19 games and 18 starts.
What Did Dustin May Say About Trade Rumors?
May spoke of the consistent trade rumors, which have trailed him throughout his six-season stint with the Dodgers.
âShocker,â he quipped, according to the Los Angeles Times. âItâs there every year. Itâs not anything new.â
Still, May hasn’t done much to quell them, since he continues to pitch inconsistently. He is just days after one of his most impressive outings — where he scattered five hits and overcame three walks to throw 4 2/3 scoreless innings of relief behind Shohei Ohtani against the Minnesota Twins.
But on Sunday, May was tagged for four runs on five hits in five innings and took the loss in the Dodgers’ 4-3 defeat to the Boston Red Sox.
The Dodgers gave him a 3-1 lead into the fifth inning, but May allowed three runs, including a two-run homer to Alex Bregman. LA lost the series in Boston — falling for the 13th time in its past 18 games — and the Dodgers are just 9-9 in his 18 starts.
“I know that thereâs good stuff is in there,” May said. “Itâs just a matter of eliminating the one bad inning.
“I felt good in the middle part [of the game]. Mechanics were in a good spot.”
According to the LA Times, May simply said “no” when asked if he felt he was pitching for his spot in the rotation. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts wouldn’t speak directly to the trade rumors involving May or whether he would be a part of LA’s six-man rotation, which could feature reigning National League Cy Young Award winner Blake Snell.
“In all honesty things seem to change a lot each week,” Roberts said, according to the LA Times. “I think that right now I donât want to put anyone into a corner. Weâll just kind of read and react after this start.”
What Could The Dodgers Get In A Trade For Dustin May?
Though exclusively a starter since 2020, May has pitched out of relief in the past, so him going to the Dodgers pen — either as a long reliever or bulk pitcher behind Ohtani — could work if the Dodgers don’t find a trade partner.
But according to The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal, May has been dangled as a potential trade chip for the Dodgers to acquire bullpen assistance with Tanner Scott on the IL and Kirby Yates potentially eligible for free agency after the seasons.
“One way, according to sources briefed on the clubâs thinking, might be to trade right-hander Dustin May, a potential free agent who could lose his spot in the rotation once left-hander Blake Snell comes off the injured list,” Rosenthal wrote.
Still, Rosenthal noted May’s struggles, which may affect his value for a trade.
“May would have only so much value as a rental,” Rosenthal wrote. “The Dodgersâ difficulties keeping pitchers healthy also might make them reluctant to move a starter who is second on the team in innings pitched.”
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