The Los Angeles Dodgers landed their primary target in free agency by signing Shohei Ohtani to a 10-year, $700 million contract, and now have shifted attention to starting pitching.
Ohtani won’t pitch during the 2024 season, which has left the Dodgers still in need of multiple starters. They are among the teams with strong interest in signing Yoshinobu Yamamoto, and reportedly could trade for Tyler Glasnow, Dylan Cease or Corbin Burnes.
However, it was recently reported the Chicago White Sox are in a holding pattern with Cease until Yamamoto signs, and the Milwaukee Brewers may be more inclined to keep Burnes for the time being.
Meanwhile, the Dodgers are discussing a trade to send Jonny DeLuca and Ryan Pepiot to the Tampa Bay Rays for Glasnow and Manuel Margot, according to Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times
The Rays are in active discussions to trade starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow and outfielder Manuel Margot to the Dodgers.
The deal is not finalized and could change over the next several days or even potentially collapse, but there is a conceptual framework with the Rays getting back two younger players — starter Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny DeLuca.
In some regard, the Dodgers trading for Glasnow was a more likely scenario than Burnes or Cease. The trade cost presumably is lower for Glasnow, who has an injury history and is only under team control through the 2024 season.
Burnes is due to become a free agent after the 2024 season as well, but his durability and longer stretch of sustained success has him in a different tier when compared to Glasnow.
There are some question marks over Cease’s recent production but he is under team control through 2025.
How Manuel Margot fits Dodgers
Margot just completed a fourth season with the Rays and has also dealt with injury trouble throughout his career. He suffered a right knee sprain in 2022 and underwent right elbow surgery this past August to remove loose bodies.
As a result, Margot played in just 99 games during the 2023 season, and hit .264/.310/.376 with 21 doubles, four home runs and 38 RBI.
He likely would pair with Jason Heyward in right field to form a platoon, as the bulk of Margot’s success has come against left-handed pitching.
Margot is due a $10 million salary in 2024 and his contract includes a $12 million team option for 2025, or $2 million buyout.
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