Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
The Dodgers made a move to bolster their outfield depth on deadline day, acquiring outfielder Alex Call from the Nationals. The return package is comprised of minor-league right-handers Eriq Swan and Sean Paul Liñan.
The Dodgers acquired OF Alex Call from the Washinton Nationals for minor league pitchers Sean Paul Liñan and Eriq Swan.
— Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 31, 2025
Call, 30, was a late-blooming big leaguer but has been solid across parts of four seasons in the majors. He owns a .712 OPS in 277 MLB games. This year, Call is slashing .274/.371/.386 and has been a bright spot in Washington’s outfield.
The biggest things that Call brings to table are his defense, speed and ability to hit left-handed pitching. The Ball State product has an above-average glove and experience at all three outfield spots as well as 62nd percentile sprint speed. He has slashed .314/.359/.443 for an .802 OPS against left-handers this season, making him a potential fit for a platoon with Michael Conforto in left field.
Call doesn’t hit the ball particularly hard but excels with plate discipline and limiting whiffs. He owns an 18.5% chase rate that is in the 97th percentile as well as a 16.8% whiff rate that lands in the 86th percentile. These contribute to a relatively higher-floor batting profile, although he should be viewed more like depth than as an everyday-caliber bat.
Call answered!
— MLB (@MLB) April 7, 2025
Watch a catch by Alex Call ? pic.twitter.com/tBzmCZ9Ay8
Perhaps the most valuable thing about Call, and what brought back two good pitching prospects for Washington, is that the outfielder is under team control through 2029. That controllability could have made Call a more attractive fourth-outfielder target for the Dodgers than a rental like Harrison Bader, who ended up going to Philadelphia.
Call will likely step into a platoon role, offering value in the starting lineup against left-handers and putting his glove and legs to work off the bench. While he has been best against southpaws, he has held his own with a 115 wRC+ against right-handed pitchers this year as well, so he wouldn’t be impossible to rotate into lineups outside of a platoon.
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As for the trade return, the Dodgers lost a couple of solid pitching prospects. Swan put himself on the radar with nutty pitch data during last year’s Arizona Fall League. The 23-year-old was taken in the fourth round out of Middle Tennessee in 2023 based mostly upon projection. His stuff is excellent, but he’s struggled to stay on the field and produce consistent results.
Liñan has been one of the biggest standouts in the system this year. He’s got a truly great changeup that tore through the California League and will continue to play as he moves up through the minors. The 20-year-old has produced a 2.78 ERA, 33% strikeout rate and 10% walk rate through 18 games this year.
Both Swan and Liñan would have ranked in the mid-teens to early 20s range on my midseason Dodgers prospects list, with Liñan being slightly ahead between the two.
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This deal wasn’t a blockbuster, but it was a solid move to improve the depth of the team. Call fits the bench well as a right-handed bat and should get a good chunk of starts thrown his way as well.
