One hour after it appeared the Los Angeles Dodgers weren’t active at the 2020 MLB trade deadline, the team announced Ross Stripling had been traded to the Toronto Blue Jays in exchange for two players to be named later.
For all intents and purposes it marked a second time Stripling was dealt this year. Though, an agreed upon deal that was sending him — along with Joc Pederson — to the L.A. Angels was eventually called off by owner Arte Moreno.
That amounted to a bit of an awkward situation between Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman and Pederson and Stripling. He did his best to maintain communication with both, and talks with Stripling a second time around were much more straightforward.
“I have a tremendous amount of respect for him as a player and person,” Friedman said. “I just had a very open and honest conversation. He was really appreciative and the consummate pro, as you would expect. It was a really good conversation.”
Friedman indicated it would “take a little bit of time” for the two players L.A. is receiving from Toronto to be on the cusp of being Major League-ready. The Dodgers nonetheless are bullish about their return for Stripling.
“We are definitely getting a guy we like and feel like will fit in really well with our next crop of prospects that are coming,” Friedman said. “And then another guy that will come from a bigger list that we’ll just have some time to kind of work through.”
There were indications the Dodgers had interest in Mike Clevinger, who the Cleveland Indians traded to the San Diego Padres; and Lance Lynn, who remained with the Texas Rangers; plus Milwaukee Brewers closer Josh Hader, another that remained put at the deadline.
“From our standpoint — we talked about this before the deadline — we feel really good about the team that we have, and also the depth behind it,” Friedman explained. “Our mindset was not to just do something to do something, and that we have guys on our 28-man roster who are deserving of playing time.
“Didn’t want to block that unless it was someone really impactful. So we had some of those conversations; nothing that ultimately got all that close.”
Ripple effect of Stripling trade
Stripling had been occupying one spot in the Dodgers starting rotation, which is now going to Tony Gonsolin. Alex Wood remains on the mend from shoulder trouble, but when he will be activated off the 10-day injured list is unclear.
Thus, Gonsolin, Dustin May and Julio Urias should continue to receive opportunities to establish themselves leading into the postseason.
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