The Boston Red Sox have finally made a trade for a starting pitcher. It was well-documented that Boston needed to acquire a depth starter before the 6 p.m. trade deadline, and they are reportedly in agreement on a deal with the Los Angeles Dodgers for one of their starters.
In what is a big move for the Red Sox, who desperately needed a depth starter, they are now acquiring Dustin May from the Dodgers. ESPN Insider Jeff Passan was first on the news.
What Does This Deal Mean for Los Angeles?
For the Los Angeles Dodgers, this trade means their starting pitchers are getting healthier. The news was announced just yesterday that May was going to be moved to the bullpen in a more full-time role, and now he heads to the Boston Red Sox to presumably be a starter. May is a rental addition for Boston, but he has been serviceable for Los Angeles this season. The Dodgers are getting Boston’s fifth-ranked prospect James Thibbs III in return. This is a pretty good return for a pitcher in May, who is on an expiring contract and has a high ERA.
May has made 18 starts this season over 104 innings and posted a 4.85 ERA. Those 104 innings are by far a career high for May. The 27-year-old May had been the subject of trade rumors this season, and just the other day, said sarcastically, it was “shocking” his name had been in the mix for a potential trade. Before this season, May had missed nearly two years with various injuries, and injuries have been a big part of his career. The Red Sox will be getting a good mid-bottom of the rotation piece that looks to at least be able to take the ball each fifth day this season.
“Taking into consideration both his workload and the state of the Dodgers’ rotation, which is growing healthier, May was likely looking at a second-half role change one way or another. In his only outing that was not a start, May followed Shohei Ohtani, pitching 4 2/3 scoreless innings of long relief. He could also be converted to a short-burst reliever, which would effectively manage his innings and perhaps help his stuff tick up,” wrote Sonja Chen of MLB.com on the deal.
Dodgers Overall Deadline Deals
Besides trading away May, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired both Brock Steward from the Minnesota Twins and Alex Call from the Washington Nationals in what were their most notable deals. The instant reaction is a little underwhelming, as the Dodgers didn’t add one of the huge relievers that were dealt. They were rumored to be in on a lot of them, but could never meet the right asking price. For Call, it will be interesting to see what happens with him and if he replaces Michael Conforto in left field.
Losing May is okay, considering Blake Snell is returning to the mound on Saturday, and he has been a little inconsistent this season. We’ll certainly have to see how it plays out, but the Dodgers were expected to do more while still holding a comfortable lead atop the National League West. With other contenders drastically improving their roster, the Dodgers will certainly have an uphill climb during the playoffs.
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