Michael Busch was a top Los Angeles Dodgers prospect but found himself on the outside looking in and wound up being traded to the Chicago Cubs during the offseason.
Along with Busch, the Dodgers traded Yency Almonte to the Cubs in exchange for Jackson Ferris and Zyhir Hope.
Ferris, a 2022 second-round pick out of IMG Academy, was the No. 8 ranked Cubs prospect by MLB Pipeline and Hope was the team’s 11th-round selection last year. Ferris was the centerpiece of the deal at the time of the trade but Hope has been very impressive during his time with Single-A Rancho Cucamonga.
Meanwhile, Busch was a first-round pick by the Dodgers in the 2019 MLB Draft and had an excellent Minor League career. By 2023 he had shown a spot on the Major League roster was warranted, evident by batting .323 with a 1.049 on-base plus slugging percentage, 27 home runs and 90 RBI.
Despite that, Busch only played in 27 games for the Dodgers last season in small bursts. With no clear path to get the playing time he deserved, the Dodgers decided to move forward with the trade.
So far this season Busch has made the most of his new opportunity with the Cubs and understands at the end of the day baseball is a business but does draw some motivation from the Dodgers trade, according to Bob Nightengale of USA Today:
“I’ve got no hard feelings, there’s no bad blood, nothing like that,” Busch tells USA TODAY Sports. “Everybody gets in a sense. But I’ve got pride too. You want to beat them now. It’s that competitive spirit, almost like a brotherly competitive spirit. …
“It was bittersweet getting traded, but things usually take care of themselves.”
Despite the amicable split, Busch seemingly carried a chip on his shoulder going into his first series against the Dodgers. He backed it up with his play 3-for-10 with four RBI, including his first homer of the year, and helped the Cubs earn a series win when the Dodgers visited Wrigley Field earlier in the month.
With more consistent playing time in 2024, Busch has shown that he can be a quality Major League bat and has helped the Cubs to a good start to the season.
Dodgers could use Michael Busch’s hitting
The bottom of the Dodgers lineup has been struggling at the plate to begin the season and that’s been a factor during quiet nights when the heavy hitters are kept in check.
Busch’s success certainly would have been a boon for the group, but by that same token, there still wasn’t a natural fit on the Dodgers roster. It nevertheless is easy to wonder what could have been as Busch hit a home run five games in a row.
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