The Dodgers’ second move of the trade deadline was a rather familiar one.
Just as they did last year, the team acquired utility infielder Amed Rosario in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays on Monday in exchange for minor league pitcher Michael Flynn. Long reliever Ryan Yarbrough was designated for assignment 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 the Chicago White Sox (the Dodgers also picked up reliever Michael Kopech in the deal). Rosario’s return will further bolster the Dodgers’ infield depth and bottom-of-the-order options.
A 28-year-old veteran who finished last season with the Dodgers (though missed the cut for their postseason roster) 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 missing with Chris Taylor, Miguel Rojas and Mookie Betts on the injured list. Rosario also provides versatility, having made starts at second base, third base, shortstop and right field this season.
The Dodgers acquired Rosario at the deadline last year from the Cleveland Guardians, trading him for then-struggling pitcher Noah Syndergaard. But Rosario batted only .256 with a .709 OPS over the remainder of the season. And after missing out on the Dodgers’ National League Division Series roster, it was no surprise he signed elsewhere last winter.
As a member of the Rays, Rosario was putting together one of his best big league seasons. Though he wasn’t playing on an everyday basis, Rosario’s batting average was a career high, 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+ (an all-encompassing offensive stat in which 100 is considered league average) was the best of any of his eight MLB seasons.
Rosario gives the Dodgers added coverage at third base, where Max Muncy has been absent for more than two months because of an oblique strain. It gives the club another shortstop option, with Rojas and Betts currently on the injured list. Most importantly, he represents a potential upgrade over the team’s other bottom-half hitters, an area of concern the Dodgers wanted to address at the deadline.
Yarbrough, a fellow 2023 deadline acquisition who had a 3.74 ERA this season, was the odd man out from Monday’s moves, creating room on the 40-man roster for Rosario and in the bullpen for Kopech.
The Dodgers could still look to trade Yarbrough before Tuesday’s deadline similar to how they dealt starting pitcher James Paxton last week after designating him for assignment.
With less than 24 hours to go until the deadline, and lineup and bullpen additions now secured, the Dodgers’ main focus will probably shift to starting pitching, where the team remains in play for Garrett Crochet and Jack Flaherty, according to people with knowledge of the situation who weren’t authorized to speak publicly.