As reports of the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox completing a Mookie Betts blockbuster were filtering out Tuesday night, so too did news of an agreement being reached on a Joc Pederson trade with the L.A. Angels.
The Angels were not a third team in the deal between the Dodgers and Red Sox — that instead is the Minnesota Twins — but their trade for Pederson nevertheless is a byproduct of Betts heading to L.A.
The Dodgers initially were said to receive Luis Rengifo in exchange for Pederson, but the deal later was said to also involve additional prospects from both teams and called for a Major League starting pitcher to head to Anaheim.
According to Bob Nightengale of USA TODAY Sports, that has since been revealed as likely to be Ross Stripling, and the Dodgers are expected to receive two prospects along with Rengifo:
The #Angels and #Dodgers still working to finalize their deal that now is expected to include Dodgers pitcher Ross Stripling. The Dodgers would send OF Joe Pederson and Stripling to the #Angels for middle infielder Luis Rengifo and two prospects. Still, a lot of moving parts.
— Bob Nightengale (@BNightengale) February 5, 2020
Even with losing Rich Hill and Hyun-Jin Ryu in free agency, and prior to acquiring David Price as part of the Betts trade, the Dodgers boasted a surplus of starting pitchers. Beyond organizational depth in Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May, they signed Jimmy Nelson and Alex Wood to respective one-year contracts.
Walker Buehler, Clayton Kershaw and Price are locks for the rotation. Leaving Gonsolin, May, Nelson, Julio Urias and Wood to compete for the final two spots. Stripling was once part of that picture as well, though his value was in being a swingman.
The 30-year-old pitched in relief during each of past four seasons with the Dodgers, including 47 of 49 games being out of the bullpen in 2017. Stripling was an All-Star the following year and finished 20-24 with a 3.51 ERA in 136 games (52 starts) during his career with the Dodgers.
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