O DodgerThe second movement of the trade deadline was quite familiar.
Just like they did last year, the team acquired utility infielder Amed Rosario in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday in exchange for a minor league pitcher michael flynn. Long reliever Ryan Yarbrough was assigned a mission to make room on the 40-man roster.
The move came hours after the team added another utility player, Tommy Edman, to its roster in a three-way trade with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox (the Dodgers also added reliever Michael Kopech in the deal). Rosario’s return will further increase the Dodgers’ infield depth and bottom line options.
A 28-year-old veteran who finished last season with the Dodgers (although he missed out on postseason roster selection) after being acquired from the Cleveland Guardians, Rosario signed with the Rays as a free agent this offseason and batted .307 in ’76 games .
For the Dodgers, Rosario will provide a right-handed infield bat, something the club is currently lacking with Chris Taylor, Miguel Rojas and Mookie Betts on the injured list. Rosário also offers versatility, having started at second base, third base, shortstop and right field this season.
The Dodgers acquired Rosario at last year’s trade deadline from the Cleveland Guardians, trading him for then-pitcher Noah Syndergaard. But Rosario hit just .256 with a .709 OPS over the remainder of the season. And after missing the Dodgers’ roster for the National League Division Series, it was no surprise that he signed elsewhere last winter.
As a member of the Rays, Rosario was putting together one of his best major league seasons. Although he did not play every day, Rosario’s batting average was the highest of his career, while his 17 doubles ranked fourth on the team. His .748 OPS is the second-highest mark he has had in a season. And his 114 OPS+ (a broad offensive statistic in which 100 is considered league average) was the best of any of his eight MLB seasons.
See more information: Dodgers acquire Tommy Edman and Michael Kopech in three-team deal from Cardinals and White Sox
Rosario gives the Dodgers additional coverage at third base, where Max Muncy has been out for more than two months with an oblique strain. This gives the club yet another shortstop option, with Rojas and Betts currently on the injured list. More importantly, he represents a potential upgrade over the other hitters in the team’s bottom half, an area of concern the Dodgers wanted to address at the deadline.
Yarbrough, another 2023 deadline acquisition who had a 3.74 ERA this season, was the odd man out in Monday’s moves, making room on the 40-man roster for Rosario and in the bullpen for Kopech.
The Dodgers could still try to trade Yarbrough before Tuesday’s deadline, similar to how they handled starting pitcher James Paxton last week after designating him for assignment.
With the deadline less than 24 hours away, and roster and bullpen additions now secured, the Dodgers’ main focus will likely shift to starting pitching, where the team remains in play for Garrett Crochet and Jack Flaherty, according to people with knowledge of the situation that they were not authorized to speak about publicly.
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This story originally appeared on Los Angeles Times.
