For as much as Los Angeles Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has worked to craft a roster capable of competing for a World Series, he’s also placed an emphasis on establishing a strong culture in the clubhouse.
Some of that was disrupted last August when the Dodgers traded beloved backup catcher A.J. Ellis to the Philadelphia Phillies, though Friedman noted Carlos Ruiz arrived with the same reputation and similar traits as Ellis. Without that, Friedman explained, Los Angeles would not have moved forward with the trade.
When the Dodgers traded for Logan Forsythe, there lauded not only for acquiring a talented second baseman, but a respected player and leader. That sentiment was echoed by Tampa Bay Rays third baseman Evan Longoria, who was critical of the team’s decision to deal Forsythe in exchange for pitching prospect Jose De Leon.
While more time has passed since the Jan. 23 trade, it still stings Longoria, according to ESPN’s Jayson Stark
“I don’t know that I’ll ever get over losing Logan, because we got real close and he became one of the clubhouse leaders. So when you take that away, it feels like there’s a much bigger void.”
Forsythe was first acquired by Andrew Friedman in a January 2014 trade with the San Diego Padres, while Friedman was the Rays general manager. Forsythe then spent the past three seasons playing alongside Longoria.
A franchise cornerstone with the Rays, Longoria is no stranger to trade speculation, and has been connected to the Dodgers. However, Tampa Bay hasn’t shown much interest in moving the 31-year-old, and certainly not without receiving a substantial haul in return.
