The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired right-handed pitcher Jaime Schultz in a trade that sent Minor League right-handed pitcher Caleb Sampen to the Tampa Bay Rays.
Schultz was a 14th rough pick of the Rays in 2013 out of High Point University in North Carolina and made his Major League debut for the club in 2018. He was drafted by the club while Andrew Friedman was general manager of the Rays.
In 22 overall appearances (one starts) with Tampa Bay, Schultz pitched to a 5.64 ERA, 5.40 FIP and 1.15 WHIP with 35 strikeouts and 17 walks in 30.1 innings.
He also appeared in 32 games for Triple-A Durham this past season but didn’t fare much better. Schultz posted a 5.75 ERA and 1.86 WHIP, but did strike out 58 while walking 23 in 36 innings.
Schultz has a history both starting and relieving in the Minor Leagues, so he should provide the Dodgers some depth that they have come to value so much. Because of the Dodgers’ recent trade with the Cincinnati Reds, they do not need to clear a 40-man roster spot to add Schultz, which now stands at 38 players.
Sampen was just drafted by the Dodgers in the 20th round in 2018 out of Wright State University in Ohio. The 22-year-old made a handful of appearances with the team’s rookie-level affiliate in Ogden in 2018 and yielded a 5.04 ERA and 1.32 WHIP with 43 strikeouts and nine walks in 30.1 innings.
The offseason has been a rather quiet one for the Dodgers to this point, although they have made a variety of Minor League signings in recent weeks that serve the same purpose as this trade: adding depth.
