The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired left-handed hitting Minor League outfielder Ryan Noda from the Toronto Blue Jays as the second player to be named later from last season’s Ross Stripling trade. The Dodgers previously received Kendal Williams as part of the deal.
Noda will soon join the Dodgers at Camelback Ranch as a non-roster invitee to Spring Training. The Blue Jays selected Noda in the 15th round of the 2017 MLB Draft. He recently was heralded for his strength and impressive walk rate.
Noda batted .364/.507/.575 with 18 doubles, seven home runs and 39 RBI for the Blue Jays’ Rookie level affiliate in 2017. However, he then experienced some regression in each of the next two seasons.
Playing for High-A Dunedin in 2019, Noda hit .238/.372/.418 with 27 doubles, 13 home runs and 74 RBI in 117 games. He also tied a career high with 14 stolen bases while only being caught two times.
After playing a combined five games in center field through each of his first two professional seasons, Noda exclusively saw time at first base, left field and right field in 2019.
The 24-year-old figures to be assigned to Double-A Tulsa or potentially Triple-A Oklahoma City to begin the 2020 Minor League season.
Dodgers bullish over trade
While Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged there was difficulty in trading Stripling to the Blue Jays, he was encouraged by what the team’s return would ultimately become.
“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 at the time of the trade. “And then another guy that will come from a bigger list that we’ll just have some time to kind of work through.”
Although Noda’s ceiling may be as a platoon player or bat off the bench, some scouts view Williams as a potential ace.
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