The Los Angeles Dodgers front office made a big splash just before Monday’s non-waiver trade deadline, as they reportedly completed a trade with the Texas Rangers to acquire starting pitcher Yu Darvish.
In exchange, the Dodgers are sending three Minor Leaguers to the Rangers in second baseman Willie Calhoun, pitcher A.J. Alexy and infielder Brendon Davis.
Darvish gives the Dodgers another bonafide ace to slide behind Clayton Kershaw in the rotation, although it could just be for the remainder of the season and playoffs as he is set to become a free agent this winter.
No matter, the Dodgers have taken a significant step toward solidifying their rotation for a run at their first World Series since 1988.
When the deal for Darvish was announced, Alex Wood, Kiké Hernandez, Justin Turner and Cody Bellinger took to Twitter to celebrate the acquisition:
👀
— Alex Wood (@Awood45) July 31, 2017
Yuuuuuuuu!!! pic.twitter.com/fzWoP3Zvar
— Enrique Hernández (@kikehndez) July 31, 2017
Crank dat soulja boy https://t.co/GqV3RerOxU
— Justin Turner (@redturn2) July 31, 2017
Glad I don't have to face yu this year https://t.co/5o6djhoY96
— CodyBellinger (@Cody_Bellinger) July 31, 2017
Darvish made 22 starts with the Rangers this season, going 6-9 with a 4.01 ERA, 3.98 FIP and 1.17 WHIP, while striking out 148 batters and walking 45 in 137 innings of work.
The main piece the Dodgers gave up in the deal was Calhoun, their fourth-round pick from 2015 Draft. In 99 games with Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, Calhoun hit .298/.357/.574 with 23 home runs and 67 RBIs.
But he has shown struggles defensively at second base, leaving him more suited for an American League team. Most importantly for the Dodgers, they’ve acquired an ace without losing the likes of Yadier Alvarez, Walker Buehler or Alex Verdugo.
