The Dodgers lineup has been hit laborious by accidents, notably their infield, which in current weeks has misplaced shortstop Mookie Betts, third baseman Max Muncy, and multipositional backups Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor. On Monday, the group made a transfer to shore that up, buying versatile former Gold Glove winner Tommy Edman — who himself has but to play a serious league recreation this season after present process offseason wrist surgical procedure — from the Cardinals as a part of a three-team, 10-player commerce that additionally concerned the White Sox.
Within the full deal, each the NL West-leading Dodgers (63-44) and the Wild Card-chasing Cardinals (54-51) acquired one participant for his or her lineup and one for his or her pitching workers, whereas the White Sox (27-81) loaded up on younger infielders. The top rely for the deal contains two gamers to be named later, although the groups might as a substitute trade money. Right here’s the way it all shakes out:
Dodgers get:
Cardinals get:
- RHP Erick Fedde (from White Sox)
- OF Tommy Pham (from White Sox)
- Money (from White Sox)
- Participant to be named later or money (from Dodgers)
White Sox get:
Edman, a 29-year-old switch-hitter who traditionally has been stronger in opposition to lefties (117 wRC+) than righties (93 wRC+), is a contact-oriented hitter who doesn’t stroll a lot however who has some pop to go along with his velocity. He batted .248/.307/.399 (92 wRC+) final 12 months for the Cardinals whereas hitting 13 homers and stealing 27 bases; for his profession, he’s hit .265/.319/.408 (99 wRC+). In 2023, he break up his time between shortstop (46 begins), second base (40 begins), heart area (37 begins) and proper area (six begins), persevering with a career-long development of by no means staying pinned to at least one place for very lengthy. He performed extra third base than wherever else in as a rookie in 2019 and in ’20 as properly, and has dabbled in left area right here and there. In 2021, the 12 months he received the NL Gold Glove for second basemen, he made 35 begins in proper area and three at shortstop in addition to 115 on the keystone. When he’s wholesome, he ought to match proper right into a Dodgers roster that has quite a lot of transferring components, however his well being is a query mark, and past his potential to steal a base — one thing the Dodgers in addition to Shohei Ohtani haven’t executed a lot of — he doesn’t have quite a lot of upside offensively.
Edman missed three weeks final July as a result of proper wrist irritation, and the harm hampered him by way of the top of the season. He truly hit for the next wRC+ after the harm than earlier than (98 versus 89), although he did stoop simply previous to being sidelined. He underwent surgical procedure on the wrist in October, however by early March it was clear he hadn’t recovered sufficient to be prepared for Opening Day, as he was nonetheless experiencing lingering ache as a result of irritation. A deliberate rehab stint in late June was forestalled by a proper ankle sprain. He lastly returned to motion on July 9 with Double-A Springfield, however performed simply 4 video games earlier than reinjuring the ankle simply earlier than the All-Star break. Although he’s been capable of retrun to hitting, he’s been restricted to DH responsibility, hitting a skinny .207/.294/.241 in 34 PA unfold over eight video games.
The dearth of defensive work implies that Edman might want to proceed his rehab task for a minimum of a number of extra video games. Assuming he returns quickly, the Dodgers will in all probability slot him at shortstop initially, which might possible finish the temporary tenure of Nick Ahmed, who debuted for the group on July 24. Betts — who’s performed 65 video games on the place after enjoying 16 video games there final 12 months — has been out since an errant fastball fractured a metacarpal in his left hand on June 16. Cleared to swing a bat final week, he could possibly be about two weeks away from returning to the Dodgers lineup. As soon as he returns, the Dodgers might deploy Edman at third base, as Muncy’s progress in his return from a strained indirect suffered in mid-Could has been “stagnant,” per supervisor Dave Roberts. The Dodgers have been 29-16 when Muncy final performed, however they’ve gone simply 34-28 since, with their third basemen hitting a mixed .169/.253/.263 (52 wRC+) in a lineup that’s distinctly missing in size. Enrique Hernández, Taylor, and Cavan Biggio have executed many of the injury in Muncy’s absence; none of them has hit properly at any place, with Biggio posting an 86 wRC+ total with Toronto and Los Angeles, and each Hernández (70 wRC+) and Taylor (62 wRC+) even much less productive.
If the Dodgers ever method full energy, Edman might share time at second with the lefty-swinging Gavin Lux, who’s hit for only a 33 wRC+ in opposition to lefties this 12 months (94 vs. righties). He might additionally discover time in heart area, the place the Dodgers have netted -0.1 WAR with a 73 wRC+, primarily from Andy Pages, a righty-swinging rookie, and James Outman, a lefty whose struggles have despatched him shuttling between L.A. and Oklahoma Metropolis.
Each gamers the Dodgers acquired are underneath management although 2025. Edman is making $7 million this 12 months and is signed for $9.5 million subsequent 12 months; he’s additionally bought awards-based bonuses in his deal. Kopech — who moved to the bullpen after a dreadful 2023 season spent in Chicago’s rotation — is making $3 million this 12 months and will likely be arbitration eligible another time. The 28-year-old righty is famend for having thrown a 105-mph fastball as a minor leaguer again in 2016. He nonetheless averages 98.6 mph along with his four-seamer, and is considered as having incredible stuff by our two pitch-modeling techniques (he throws his cutter barely extra usually to lefties and his slider barely extra usually to righties). Nonetheless, his command is a matter; along with placing out 30.6% of hitters, he’s strolling 12.6% (each enhancements in comparison with final 12 months), and he’s additionally served up 1.65 homers per 9, so he has a gaudy 4.74 ERA and 4.82 FIP in 43.2 innings:
Kopech has saved 9 video games and customarily has a late-inning profile, however he’s going to be a little bit of a challenge for pitching coach Mark Prior and firm. The Dodgers bullpen ranks fourth within the NL with a 3.64 ERA, but it surely’s thirteenth in FIP, and it’s been downright horrible for the reason that begin of July, posting a 5.77 ERA and 4.74 FIP in 93.2 innings, tied for the second-highest whole within the majors; relatedly, their banged-up rotation has a 5.10 ERA and 5.47 FIP in 100.2 innings this month, the majors’ second-lowest whole. Righty Evan Phillips leads the group with 15 saves, however he has simply two over the previous 5 weeks, as Roberts has extra usually turned to righty Daniel Hudson, who has 4 saves since July 12 and 7 total; lefty Alex Vesia has 5 saves, and each Blake Treinen and Brent Honeywell have one apiece.
As for the Cardinals, their large addition is Fedde. A primary-round choose by the Nationals in 2014, he spent components of six seasons (2017-22) with Washington, getting knocked round for a 5.41 ERA and 5.17 FIP in 454.1 innings. Upon being non-tendered in November 2022, he spent a 12 months pitching for the KBO’s NC Dinos, the place he flat-out dominated, going 20-6 with a 2.00 ERA and a pair of.38 FIP in 180.1 inning. His efficiency earned him All-Star and MVP honors in addition to the Choi Dong-won Award because the league’s high pitcher, and it rekindled curiosity in him stateside. The White Sox signed Fedde to a two-year, $15 million deal final December.
As Eric Longenhagen detailed when Fedde signed with Chicago, he improved primarily by elevating his arm slot, boosting his changeup utilization, and reshaping his slider (Statcast classifies it as a sweeper). On a group whose present .250 successful share is degree with that of the 1962 Mets, Fedde posted a more-than-respectable 3.11 ERA and three.76 FIP in 121.2 innings — a efficiency much better than he ever managed with the Nationals. Together with his sinker/cutter/sweeper/changeup combine, he’s placing out a modest 21.5% of hitters however strolling simply 6.8%, and producing a wholesome 44.8% groundball charge:
It’s a command-over-stuff profile, however then, that is the Cardinals. After a 91-loss 2023 season during which their starters have been lit for a 5.08 ERA and 4.61 FIP, they spent this previous winter reshaping their rotation by signing free brokers Sonny Grey, Kyle Gibson, and Lance Lynn. All three have been strong however unspectacular, with Grey the most effective (3.79 ERA, 2.85 FIP) as anticipated, however the unit nonetheless ranks twelfth within the NL with a 4.44 ERA and tenth with a 4.09 FIP. Andre Pallante, a 25-year-old righty, has spent the previous two months because the fifth starter, succeeding the place the likes of Matthew Liberatore and the now-inured Steven Matz have scuffled. His 3.42 ERA and three.78 FIP in 47.1 innings over 9 begins is, uh, miles past the work of Miles Mikolas (4.99 ERA, 4.25 FIP). Because of Grey’s backloaded deal, Mikolas is at present the group’s highest-paid pitcher, nonetheless, so it might be a shock if he results in the bullpen, whereas Pallante pitched in that capability for the Cardinals for the primary few weeks of the season.
In Pham, the Cardinals are getting a well-recognized face, because the now-36-year-old outfielder was drafted by the group out of highschool within the sixteenth spherical in 2006 and spent components of 5 seasons in St. Louis from ’14-18, when he was dealt to the Rays for 3 prospects (Génesis Cabrera, Roel Ramírez and Justin Williams) simply forward of the commerce deadline. The White Sox, with whom he signed a break up deal for a $3 million wage in mid-April, have been the sixth group for which he’s performed since then. In 297 PA with them, he’s hit .266/.330/.380 (102 wRC+) with 5 homers and 6 steals.
Pham isn’t hitting the ball as laborious as normal. His 90.5 mph common exit velocity, which locations him within the seventy fifth percentile, is nonetheless down 1.6 mph from final 12 months, when he was within the 93rd percentile, and each his 7.2% barrel charge and 39.9% hard-hit charge are within the 40s, percentile-wise; final 12 months, they have been within the 69th and 89th percentiles, respectively. He’s nonetheless an efficient lefty-masher, with a 141 wRC+ in 61 PA in opposition to southpaws this 12 months, and a 118 in 392 PA for the reason that begin of 2022, in comparison with a 93 wRC+ (in 1,008 PA) in opposition to righties. Dreadful protection (-13 DRS, -6 FRV, and -2.5 UZR, all in 570.2 innings unfold throughout the three outfield positions) has offset the modest worth of his offense. He’s bought no enterprise in heart area, although that’s one of many positions the place the Cardinals landed on my current Substitute Stage Killers record, and there may be a minimum of a pure platoon match. In Edman’s absence, rookie Victor Scott II began the 12 months in heart however went simply 5-for-59 earlier than being despatched down. Michael Siani, a lefty-swinging 25-year-old rookie, has executed the majority of the work since, hitting a meek .245/.284/.319 (73 wRC+) however enjoying stellar protection (12 FRV, 8 DRS, 6.1 UZR together with his temporary time at each outfield corners). He’s hit for a 44 wRC+ in 80 PA in opposition to lefties, so letting Pham take some begins there will not be the worst factor, protection be damned.
Buying and selling Edman was reportedly a part of the Cardinals’ try to stay payroll-neutral. In dealing him, nonetheless, they’ll miss the prospect to shore up not solely heart area but additionally second base, the place Nolan Gorman struggled to the purpose of creating the Killers record.
In a separate put up, Longenhagen will cowl Gonzalez, a 17-year-old righty who’s at present within the Dominican Summer season League, and go into element relating to the White Sox’s return, however right here’s a thumbnail information. The 24-year-old Vargas, who positioned forty eighth on our High 100 Prospects record in 2023, fizzled in half a season as a rookie final 12 months earlier than being exiled to Triple-A Oklahoma Metropolis. He’s hit .239/.313/.423 (108 wRC+) in 80 PA since coming back from the minors in late Could; the place he performed primarily second base final 12 months, he’s been nearly solely a left fielder this time round. The 19-year-old Albertus ranks sixteenth on the up to date White Sox record as a 40-FV prospect. The 19-year-old Perez, in the meantime, has been reevaluated since he went unranked on the Dodgers High Prospects record again in March, although he was included within the “Contact-Pushed Profiles” part of the honorable mentions. He now carries a 40+ FV grade and is twelfth on the up to date White Sox record. Preliminary experiences of the commerce additionally included 21-year-old shortstop Noah Miller, however he was not truly a part of the deal.
With lower than 24 hours to go earlier than the July 30 deadline, the percentages are the not one of the three groups on this commerce are executed. The Dodgers have taken an affordable step to patching up an injury-created weak point whereas additionally discover a successor for the Hernández/Taylor multiposition position (it’s robust to think about both of these gamers on subsequent 12 months’s roster given their struggles); if Edman can present league-average offense, he’s a lift. They’re nonetheless attempting to find “an impact-type arm,” with the White Sox’s Garrett Crochet one pitcher who might match the invoice. The Cardinals wish to enhance their bullpen, as is each different contender. The White Sox nonetheless have Crochet and Luis Robert Jr. as big-ticket gamers to restock their system. We’ll see what awaits.