The latest non-waiver trade deadline has just expired in Major League Baseball, with both the Angels and Dodgers coming through with blockbuster deals to help bolster their squads.
The Dodgers got things started with their acquisition of third baseman/shortstop Hanley Ramirez and left-handed reliever Randy Choate from the Miami Marlins for up-and-coming starter Nathan Eovaldi and Advanced-A reliever Scott McGough. While Eovaldi wasn't putting up stellar numbers in his time with the big league squad, part of that was his lack of run support in his starts. With the team failing to bring in a big-time starting pitcher, it would have been nice to keep Eovaldi around, at least until Ted Lilly comes back from the DL, but he was a fairly small price to pay to bring in a potentially lethal bat in the prime of his career, along with an exceptional lefty option out of the bullpen.
Not to be outdone, the Angels made a big splash of their own over the weekend, plucking ace starting pitcher Zack Greinke from the Milwaukee Brewers for top prospect Jean Segura and Double-A hurlers Johnny Hellweg and Ariel Pena. While Greinke was the best available starting pitcher, he is only under contract for the remainder of this season and may wind up walking away from Anaheim at season's end. Should Angels GM Jerry Dipoto manage to sign Greinke long-term, this trade will look even better, but with Erick Aybar and Maicer Izturis both on the team, there wasn't any room for Segura at the Major League level anyway.
Over the last 24 hours, the Dodgers jumped back into the trade market with a pair of corresponding trades. The team started last night, moving Advanced-A outfielder Leon Landry and Double-A reliever Logan Bawcom to the Seattle Mariners for former closer Brandon League. By bringing League into the fold, it allowed Dodgers GM Ned Colletti to swap reliever Josh Lindblom, Double-A pitcher Ethan Martin and a player to be named later to the Philadelphia Phillies for outfielder Shane Victorino. Victorino returns to the team that drafted him in the sixth-round of the 1999 draft, filling a massive void in left field and the leadoff spot, while League comfortably slots into the late inning setup role that Lindblom had been serving.
With these moves, the Angels have arguably the best starting rotation in baseball to go along with a very strong offense, while the Dodgers have dramatically upgraded their offense without taking much of a hit to their pitching staff, nor giving up top-level minor league talent. I would have liked to see the Dodgers bring in another top of the rotation starting pitcher, but I wouldn't be surprised if Colletti managed to pull off some kind of under-the-radar waiver-wire trade to add starting pitching depth as we move deep into August.
Another factor to consider for the Dodgers is that pitching phenom Rubby De La Rosa, who last year went 4-5 with a 3.71 ERA in 13 appearances (10 starts), is finally on his way back after having Tommy John surgery at the end of last season. While, he's no Ryan Dempster (who was traded to the Texas Rangers after weeks of speculation that he would be a Dodger), De La Rosa has the potential to be a top-notch power-pitcher and may be ready to contribute, whether it be in the rotation or the bullpen, by the end of the year.
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