Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Following their acquisition of Enrique Hernandez yesterday, the Dodgers have now traded for another infielder in Amed Rosario from the Guardians. In a bit of a shocker, it’ll be Noah Syndergaard and cash going the other way.
Source confirms: Dodgers in agreement with Guardians on a trade for Amed Rosario, pending review of medicals. First: @JeffPassan and @JesseRogersESPN
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 26, 2023
Source: Los Angeles Dodgers are sending Noah Syndergaard to the Cleveland Guardians in exchange for Amed Rosario
— Pat Ragazzo (@ragazzoreport) July 26, 2023
The Dodgers acquired IF/OF Amed Rosario from the Guardians in exchange for RHP Noah Syndergaard and cash considerations.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 27, 2023
If anyone was wondering (it's just me), that number works out to $1,873,118 https://t.co/9PEgg2yiR3
— Jon Becker (@jonbecker_) July 27, 2023
Rosario is a 27-year-old former Mets top prospect who is making $7.8 million and will be a free agent in the off-season. He’s putting up a .265/.306/.369/.675 line in 2023, which is only slightly worse than his .273/.308/.400/.708 career line. But he is right-handed and has been significantly better against lefties, with a .303/.345/.477/.833 line this year and a .302/.343/.474/.816 line for his career. It’s likely the only reason he’s being acquired by the Dodgers.
Rosario is also coming off back-to-back 2+ WAR seasons, primarily as a shortstop while dabbling a bit in left and center field. One concern with Rosario is that 2022 was the only year he graded out well defensively at short, and he has -38 DRS and -44 RAA for his career. That’s led to him being a negative WAR player this year (much like Enrique), one of the worst in baseball.
His fit is likely as competition for Miguel Rojas at short, who is still struggling to get his bat going, and as general right-handed infield depth, with the bar being better than Yonny Hernandez for a roster spot. I’m pretty sure he meets that requirement at least since the Dodgers will use him in matchups.
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Going the other way, and I have no idea why, but the Guaradians will be getting Noah Syndergaard. You know the story by now, in 12 starts and 55.1 innings, Syndergaard has been atrocious, putting up a 7.16 ERA, 5.63 xERA, and 5.72 DRA. Despite hopes of regaining velocity, it has fell over a tick this year, so it wasn’t really an unforeseen issue that he would struggle.
I assume the Guardians see something they can fix, which they do have a reputation of doing, that can get him back to at least his 2022 form. Regardless, he wasn’t doing it in Los Angeles, so parting with his $13 million deal is a no-brainer.
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This is another move at the margins for the Dodgers that shouldn’t impact much in the big picture, but gives them a better shot against lefty pitching, upgrades their organizational depth, and perhaps even gives them their starting shortstop in the playoffs if Rosario rebounds. Overall, it’s hard to get excited about it (aside from being free of Syndergaard), but it’s also basically impossible to complain.
