The ever-creative Los Angeles Dodgers front office completed yet another three-team trade on Thursday, assembling a six-player deal with the Chicago White Sox and Kansas City Royals. The Dodgers parted with Luis Avilan, Erick Mejia and Trevor Oaks in the deal.
Avilan was sent to the White Sox, while Mejia and Oaks are now with the Royals. In return, Los Angeles received left-handed relief pitcher Scott Alexander and Minor League infielder Jake Peter.
Oaks, 24, was selected by the Dodgers in the seventh round of the 2014 Draft. He advanced as far as Triple-A Oklahoma City, pitching for the organization’s top affiliate in each of the past two seasons.
Oaks shared his gratitude for the Dodgers and his former teammates, and expressed excitement for his new beginning, via Twitter:
To the @Dodgers front office, staff, and of course my teammates: I am so grateful for the time I spent in Dodger Blue. Thank you for investing in my career and making me a better pitcher, teammate, and man! This is a class organization and I am honored to have been a Dodger!
— Trevor Oaks (@trevoaks) January 5, 2018
To the @Royals organization and its fans: I am so excited and thankful for this opportunity to build new relationships, compete, and win together! I’m looking forward to developing more as a pitcher and to meeting my new teammates, coaches, and staff at Spring Training!
— Trevor Oaks (@trevoaks) January 5, 2018
Oaks figures to be in strong position to make his MLB debut with the Royals this season. The Dodgers added Oaks their to 40-man roster last December to prevent against potentially losing him in the 2017 Rule 5 Draft.
The right-hander expressed a hope he’d receive an opportunity to pitch in the Majors, even if it meant filling a swingman role similar to that of Ross Stripling. Oaks went 31-13 with a 3.27 ERA in 80 games (66 starts) over parts of four Minor League seasons with the Dodgers.
