By Adam Berry | 31 minutes ago
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After turning heads with the record-breaking signing of Shohei Ohtani, the Dodgers have turned heads again with a trade for one of the best starters available this offseason: Rays ace Tyler Glasnow.
The Dodgers and Rays have agreed to a trade that would send Glasnow and veteran outfielder Manuel Margot to Los Angeles for young starter Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny Deluca, sources told Mark Feinsand of MLB.com on Thursday.
The teams have not confirmed the trade, which Feinsand said is contingent on Glasnow agreeing to a contract extension with the Dodgers.
The Dodgers made the biggest move of the offseason by signing Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract, but with the two-way star not expected to pitch until 2025, they still had to address their needs take care of frontline pitching. Glasnow is a perfect fit as he only has one year and $25 million left on the eventual contract extension he signed with the Rays at the end of 2022.
The 30-year-old Glasnow has often shown some of the most electrifying stuff in baseball, but has been limited by injuries since joining the Rays in a blockbuster 2018 trade deadline deal with the Pirates. When he's on the mound, he dominates hitters with a high-octane fastball and two swing-and-miss breakballs. Last season we saw both sides of the coin.
Glasnow entered spring training fully healthy and missed the first two months of the season due to a left oblique strain. It took him a few starts to find his form, then he posted a 3.14 ERA with 129 strikeouts and held opponents to a slash line of .5 in 94 2/3 innings over his final 16 regular-season starts. 204/.255/.310. He finished the year with 120 innings in 21 starts, both career highs.
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Glasnow was already sidelined in 2019 with a forearm/elbow injury, then underwent Tommy John surgery in 2021 before returning in 2022. If healthy, he would provide a huge boost to a Dodgers rotation that currently features Walker Buehler (who missed all of last season), former Rays left-hander Ryan Yarbrough and young guys like Bobby Miller and Emmet Sheehan.
Of course, the Dodgers are also reportedly in the market for Japanese standout Yoshinobu Yamamoto and could bring back Clayton Kershaw, who is recovering from left shoulder surgery, later this season.
Margot, 29, would also be a good fit for the Dodgers, especially as a platoon partner with veteran outfielder Jason Heyward. As a right-handed hitter who is primarily used against lefties, Margot can skillfully play all three outfield spots. He is due $10 million next season, with a $12 million club option (or a $2 million buyout) for 2025. He is a career .281 hitter. .341/.420 against left-handed pitchers, compared to .244/.294/.370 slash line against right-handed hitters.
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The return also makes a lot of sense for the Rays, whose projected payroll would be well above franchise-record levels if they brought everyone back next season. Pepiot, a former top-100 prospect according to MLB Pipeline, could effectively fill Glasnow's spot in the rotation. Deluca, 25, has the profile of a less experienced Margot: a right-hander who has filled all three outfield spots.
The 26-year-old Pepiot has posted a 2.76 ERA with 80 strikeouts in 78 1/3 innings in 17 appearances for the Dodgers over the past two seasons. He is not yet eligible for salary arbitration and would be under the club's control through the 2028 season, making him not only a short-term replacement for Glasnow but also a long-term option if the deal is completed.
The Rays have plenty of candidates in their rotation to start next season, including Zach Eflin, Aaron Civale, Zack Littell and young starters Taj Bradley, Shane Baz and Jacob Lopez. However, they should be closer to full strength by 2025, when they expect Shane McClanahan to return from Tommy John surgery following the return of Jeffrey Springs and Drew Rasmussen in the mid-to-late 24s. It's understandable that adding a young arm like Pepiot to the mix is attractive.
Deluca made his big league debut in 2023 when he hit .262/.311/.429 with two home runs in 45 plate appearances. He thrived in the minors, posting a .956 OPS in 73 games between Double-A and Triple-A. The Rays have two everyday outfielders who will return in Jose Siri and Randy Arozarena, as well as two starters who are left-handed in Josh Lowe and Luke Raley.