The Los Angeles Dodgers had a very quiet trade deadline. They acquired left-handed reliever Adam Kolarek from the Tampa Bay Rays and injured St. Louis Cardinals infielder Jedd Gyorko. However, they made a significant move after the chaos settled. It has been reported that the club has called up Dustin May, their top pitching prospect.
The Dodgers didn’t make a big move at the trade deadline, but they’ve got reinforcements coming: Dustin May, their top pitching prospect, will make his major league debut Friday, sources tell ESPN. May, 21, is nicknamed Gingergaard: his long hair is red, his stuff is like Thor’s.
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) August 1, 2019
Dustin May Called Up By Los Angeles Dodgers
May started the year in Double-A, and was solid. He posted a 3.74 ERA while striking out 86 batters in 79.1 innings. His numbers significantly improved upon his promotion to Triple-A. In five games, he’s posted a 3-0 record to go along with a dazzling 2.30 ERA and .212 BAA.
May will certainly provide some much-needed aid to the Dodger rotation. Rich Hill will be out until September, and his health moving forward is a concern. Ross Stripling is also dealing with injuries. May, who is set to make his MLB debut on Friday against the San Diego Padres, will allow Los Angeles to slide Julio Urias back to the bullpen where he’s been impressive as the team’s primary left-handed reliever.
If May thrives, he could also work his way into the playoff rotation, which in turn would bump Kenta Maeda into the bullpen. Calling up May serves as an “acquisition” that will not only improve the starting rotation, but the bullpen as well. If he pitches anywhere close to his numbers in Triple-A, the Dodgers may very well send out a playoff rotation that consists of Hyun-Jin Ryu, Clayton Kershaw, Walker Buehler, and May.
Keeping the Farm System Intact
Many fans wanted to see the team go big by acquiring the likes of Felipe Vazquez, Noah Syndergaard, and Edwin Diaz. However, the Dodgers took the smart route. Instead of blowing up their carefully cultivated farm system, they made smaller moves. For this reason, they now have loads of young talent ready to be unleashed into the league.
The past two years, the Dodgers have gone out and acquired big names like Yu Darvish and Manny Machado. But they lost in the World Series both times. This year, they opted to mostly stand pat, and they now have Gavin Lux, Will Smith, Josiah Gray, DJ Peters, and more to show for it. As a result, this is now the league’s deepest organization. With Will Smith hitting game-winning homers, and now Dustin May in the majors, the front office’s patience is already paying off.
Main Photo:
Embed from Getty Images
