The Dodgers and Guardians swapped veterans at positions of need. Los Angeles announced they’ve traded starter Noah Syndergaard and cash considerations to Cleveland for infielder/outfielder Amed Rosario. It’s reportedly a cash-neutral transaction, indicating L.A. is sending roughly $1.9MM to cover the difference of what remains on the players’ respective $13MM and $7.8MM salaries.
Essentially, it’s a change of scenery trade between two clubs hoping to balance their rosters for the stretch run. Each of Rosario and Syndergaard will be free agents at season’s end. Neither player was a candidate to receive a qualifying offer — Syndergaard is ineligible for the QO having previously received one in his career, while Rosario simply wasn’t playing well enough.
Rosario’s time in Cleveland wraps up after two and a half seasons. Cleveland acquired the former top prospect from the Mets in the Francisco Lindor blockbuster going into the 2021 campaign. Andrés Giménez has been the best part of that deal for Cleveland, but Rosario has capably held down shortstop for a couple seasons.
The right-handed hitter posted average offensive numbers in each of his first two seasons with the Guardians. He connected on 11 home runs in both years while hitting around .280, though meager walk totals kept his on-base percentage right around league average. Over the two-year stretch, he combined for a .282/.316/.406 line in over 1200 trips to the plate.
Rosario’s third season with the Guardians hasn’t been as productive. In 94 games, he’s hitting .265/.306/.369. That’s largely attributable to a frigid start, as he put up a .233/.280/.327 slash through the end of May. Since the calendar flipped to June, he owns a much more impressive .301/.335/.415 line.
By and large, Rosario’s underlying marks align with his career trajectory. His 5.3% walk rate and 18.7% strikeout percentage are right in line with his career averages. His 42.1% hard contact rate and 88.6 MPH average exit velocity are at the higher end of his overall marks. Middling start aside, Rosario seems mostly the same offensive player he’s been throughout his time in Cleveland — a high-contact hitter with an aggressive approach and fringe power.
That hasn’t been the case on the other side of the ball. Rosario’s defensive ratings have cratered this year. Both Defensive Runs Saved and Statcast have rated him as the worst shortstop in the majors, pegging him somewhere between 12 and 15 runs below average. He has committed the sixth-most errors (11) at the position.
Public defensive metrics have generally pegged Rosario as a below-average defender throughout his career. This year’s marks are a personal-worst, though, and it seems likely the Dodgers will bounce him around the diamond. Rosario has brief experience in the outfield. He’s never played an infield position aside from shortstop, but the majority of shortstop-capable players can kick over to second or third base without issue.
As with Enrique Hernández, whom the Dodgers acquired from the Red Sox last night, Rosario adds a flexible right-handed bat to Dave Roberts’ roster. He has an excellent .304/.346/.475 slash in 463 plate appearances against left-handed pitching dating back to the start of 2021. The Dodgers have been clear about their desire to add some balance to a lineup in which incumbent righty-swinging middle infielders Miguel Rojas and Miguel Vargas have underperformed offensively.
Vargas’ struggles pushed him back to Triple-A. Rojas remains the favorite for shortstop playing time on the strength of his glove. Rosario offers a bat-first alternative at the position who could cut into the playing time for utility types like Chris Taylor and Yonny Hernández. Adding a couple righty-swinging infielders also enables the Dodgers to use Mookie Betts more frequently in the outfield than at second base against lefty pitching, further limiting David Peralta’s and James Outman’s exposure to same-handed arms.
Cleveland figures to turn shortstop over to one of a number of younger players in the upper levels of the organization. Tyler Freeman, Gabriel Arias and Brayan Rocchio are all fairly recent highly-regarded prospects who have reached the big leagues. Freeman, who is currently on the MLB roster, might be the first choice thanks to an excellent .329/.468/.482 showing in Triple-A. He’s a stellar contact hitter who has experience throughout the infield. He’s perhaps better suited for second base, but Giménez could kick across to the left side of the infield.
Arias is also currently on the big league club. He’s viewed as a plus defensive option at shortstop but hasn’t produced much offense in a multi-positional role. In 162 trips to the plate, the right-handed hitter owns a .179/.290/.300 line while striking out more than 32% of the time. Rocchio is in Triple-A, where he has a solid .295/.385/.419 slash over 83 games.
The Guardians are comfortable enough with that group of youngsters to relinquish Rosario in exchange for a buy-low roll of the dice on Syndergaard. The right-hander hasn’t managed to recapture his All-Star form since undergoing Tommy John surgery in advance of the 2020 season. He missed almost all of 2020-21, then returned with a fine but unexceptional 3.94 ERA in 25 appearances between the Angels and Phillies last year.
Los Angeles took a shot on a rebound in free agency. The Dodgers inked Syndergaard to a one-year, $13MM guarantee and installed him into the season-opening rotation. The move didn’t pan out, as he had a rather forgettable 12-start stint in Dodger blue. Through 55 1/3 innings, he posted a 7.16 ERA. A blister on his right index finger sent him to the injured list on June 8 and marked the end of his L.A. tenure.
Syndergaard began a minor league rehab stint two weeks ago. He’s made a couple Triple-A appearances, reaching 77 pitches in a start last Friday. It stands to reason he’ll be able to make a return to a big league rotation in the near future.
A few months ago, the notion of the Guardians trading for a short-term rotation upgrade would’ve seemed far-fetched. Cleveland has been hit hard by injuries, though, losing each of Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie and Cal Quantrill to extended issues. That leaves Aaron Civale and the rookie trio of Gavin Williams, Logan Allen and Tanner Bibee starting games for now.
The Guardians become the latest team hoping to get Syndergaard back on track. He still boasts excellent control, walking fewer than 4% of opposing hitters. Yet the high-octane arsenal that earned him the ’Thor’ moniker at his peak has dwindled. Syndergaard’s fastball is averaging 92.6 MPH this season, nowhere near the upper-90s of his pre-surgery days. His cutter isn’t missing bats the way his slider once had. Syndergaard has punched out only 15.4% of opposing hitters, a career-low mark that’s more than six percentage points below league average for starters.
The Dodgers hold a 3 1/2 game lead over the Giants in the NL West. Cleveland sits two games behind the Twins in the AL Central. There are presumably more moves on the horizon for both, but they’ll each roll the dice on a veteran having a down year in hopes of getting a spark for the final couple months.
Jeff Passan and Jesse Rogers of ESPN first reported the Dodgers were nearing a deal for Rosario. Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic confirmed a Rosario trade was in place, pending medical reviews. Pat Ragazzo of Sports Illustrated reported the Guardians were receiving Syndergaard in return. Jon Heyman of the New York Post was first to report the Dodgers were including cash, which Zack Meisel of the Athletic specified made the deal a wash financially.
Images courtesy of USA Today Sports.
The Dodgers always get what they want.
True, but if they try sometimes, they just might find, they get what they need…
Ah, yeah. Ohhhhhhh
Dumped Thor at same time, a two-fer
Is that who they traded for Rosario? The article doesn’t say.
Amazing how Cleveland couldn’t have gotten more.
Rosario is rental. FA after the season
Dodgers are kicking in some cash. That’s all
You are off. Cle needs to fill a hole in the rotation due to injuries. Plus Thor is higher priced although LA is kicking in some cash
A statement I thought I would never hear 8 years ago…
But Syndergaard is toast at this point. He’s not even an innings-eater because he gets either destroyed or injured. It’s a patch that I would not feel comfortable counting on.
If anyone can fix him, Cleveland can.
It’s hard to be fixed if he’s injured
An opener at this point to be honest, can only go like 2-2 2/3 innings max
Based on them fixing nobody at all of note any time recently?
Based on their long established pitching development pipeline over the last decade. And their many successful pitching reclamation projects over that same time period actually.
@myaccount2 It’s better than the status quo as Rosario isn’t going to help CLE win the AL Central.
Getting worse shouldn’t be considered better than the status quo. I would rather see them run out Xzavion Curry as a starter at this point.
Cody Morris even
Today is Mick Jagger’s 80th B-Day. How appropriate!
valid
can he make a routine play? Not asking this guy to be the second coming of Ozzie. And if he hits better than Rojas, welcome to the club. He doesn’t have to be great to be better than Rojas.
I have read somewhere that he is one of the worst defensive infielders in all of baseball.
He was never average to start, but I agree the shift made it even worse.
tell me how you save a run as a SS. I’d legit like to know.
describe horrible…please
only people who look for racism in everything find racism in things that aren’t actually there
After a time they may find that having is not so pleasing as wanting. It is not logical, but it is often true.
Only true for Vulcans
You can’t always get what you want, but if you try some time………….
Maybe not dumpster diving, but definitely lifting the lifs
always tired
Everything but a championship…
Cleveland if they’re taking back Snyergaard will have to be getting something else back decent prospect I would think.
Why? Amed Rosario sucks too. It’s a suck-for-suck trade.
Money. I assumed perhaps incorrectly that the guardians were taking on more money than the dodgers which is very unusual.
Imagine picking these out of all the possible words that could be strung together
Imagine not knowing anything about baseball?
The Dodgers are including a payment to make the money neutral.
It’s just a straight trash-for-trash trade. A noodle bat sub-.700 OPS SS (who also has the worst glove in the league at his position) for a washed-up starter who doesn’t miss bats, doesn’t keep the ball in the ballpark, and doesn’t eat innings.
-.8 WAR VS -.4 WAR
The Guardians lead the league in getting Cash. What position does he /they play?
Dodgers have picked up two negative WAR players in Kike and Rosario. Is that really all they want?
Dodgers out of all the teams in baseball might be the best at putting flawed players in positions to succeed. Look how they did with Hernandez the first time. These guys aren’t going to be playing everyday. They just need them to hit lefties looks like.
Better have a lot of lefties for two negative WAR back up infielders to hit.
This is a just a deal for the fringes of the 26 man roster. Ryan Brasier was a dumpster dive signing with a negative WAR who’s turned into a plus for their bullpen. Whether Giménez pans out or not, this was a case of keeping a broken toy outs of the hands of Dave Roberts by jettisoning Thor from the roster in order to prevent further damage.
Rosario is a good ballplayer. Wanted to see him in DC, before Abrams came along.
Honestly don’t see the point in this trade. We need to improve at shortstop but this does nothing for us. Would rather throw Taylor or Rojas at short than get another negative war shortstop.
The difference is rosario is younger and has more recently been a legitimately good player.
I don’t know much about the dodgers as a whole, but if they need help against lefties, he’s a solid choice. He mashes them.
But, I’m kind of confused like you.
Second worst batting average in the league against LHP.
@derail well there you go! If they can stomach his defense, he’s a great addition
Really? He’s hitting .303 against lefties this year.
He means the dodgers not Rosario. We are justifying the trade.
Not only lefties but he got off to a slow start and has swung a good bat. Hitting wise he is just as good or better than last year. Stats just don’t reflect this.
Rosario is a sub par defender who always gets hot second half of the year. Rarely walks and he has blazing speed but never steals. You’re going to be frustrated with him.
It gives the Guardians a chance to look at Freeman, Arias, and Rocchio. It’s about time.
He’s a -16 DRS at short this season. Wonder if they’ll make him mostly play second or just a bench bat
Bench bat and give some rest time to Rojas and Taylor
I thought he would play centerfield
Can’t play second. Tried him in center and left field. He is not a good defender anywhere on the diamond.
This is an upgrade to a positional need and he has a hot bat, which is way more than anyone can say about Miguel Rojas and Chris Taylor. The bottom of the order has been horrible. The Top 5 hitters can’t win every ball game. I like the trade and I’m sure Rosario is happy to be going to a strong contender.
What I’m getting at is let’s see how this plays out. Dodgers coaching staff will work with him
Agreed. Although I’m sure Rosario is probably glad to be traded and avoid a QO. Since he’s heating up and the SS class is very thin.
” Dodgers coaching staff will work with him.”
OriginalDodger;
Great point.
Almost all Cleveland hitters are doing worse this year.
Cleveland has the best batting average in AL since June. It sounds stupid, but it’s true… Look at stats before posting
Should allow Betts back to the OF.
That’s already happened thanks for the Hernandez deal the day before,
He hustles on EVERY AB which means more IF hits
When did the Dodgers become the best rich team? I mean really. They draft well, make smart trades, develop winners, and sign no-brainer blockbuster free agents.
Rosario is the type of player you just know will have quietly important performances in the post season. Like solid defense and a diving catch that makes a highlight reel. Or a hustle infield single. I love this move.
Jeesh. The rich get richer.
Don’t say it. Then it could happen.
When they gave Friedman a job
He plays horrible defense though
This trade made more sense 72 Hours ago. Rojas and Rosario, Kiki and Taylor… Seems like a bit too much redundancy. Neither of the two recent acquisitions move the needle much. Adding one of the two as a bench role player would have been fine. Can’t complain too much if Syndergaard is the only player going back, even if it is with some cash…
Could use them for other trades
Friedman thinks a player is good just because they can play multiple positions.
Laughing at your name because I remember him. When I was a kid I went to one of those meet and greets after batting practice and he was one of the players to sign my ball.
You should take it to Pawn Stars. It’s gotta be worth at least a 100k by now but the best Rick can do for you is 200 and he’s taking a big risk.
I think he’s more intrigued by his slash line versus LHP. His defense may be an issue though, versatility or not.
Just want to note that the reason Rosario has been at SS instead of 2B (Gimenez is a superior defender), is that Rosario’s specific weakness is his range to his left. Which is devastating for a 2B, which is why he doesn’t play there. His bat isn’t good enough for 3B or OF, but the arm is fine and he might be okay defensively.
I guess for the Dodgers he can platoon and be subbed defensively?
I made the comment before it was announced Thor was part of the deal. I like the trade now
It’s not a bad trade. Definitely improves the bench/team. It’s not sexy but it didn’t cost you much. Sometimes platooning less desirable players equates to the production of one more desirable player. As long as you have flexible players that recipe can work.
Wow, I know a lot of tribe fans would be happy to see him go…hard nosed player, wish his glove was better
I think the shift ban exposed him a bit. Statcast has always suggested he basically has no range to his left (why he can’t play 2B). When they were shifting more they could play him on the other side of the bag and Gimenez covered that deficiency entirely. Now that they can’t do that, he’s been exposed.
Col – that never occurred to me that shift killed his defense. Makes sense.
He was never average, but I would agree the shift didn’t help him.
Look at the splits, there is a reason for his strikeouts. Tito has him in the lineup against lefities, where is has not been successful in his career. He is the fourth best hit tier against rightines but never gets a chance to play.
Look at the splits, there is a reason for his strikeouts. Tito has him in the lineup against lefities, where is has not been successful in his career. He is the fourth best hitter against righties but never gets a chance to play.
Is LAD up against a lux tax threshold? acquiring a couple of mediocre INF between him and Kiké
They were close. Thought was reset the tax.
They’re over it right now. Some of these moves are interesting but they’re not giving up much either
The Dodgers started the season just a tad over the tax, somewhere like 5 million over. I Don’t know where there at now, with the few additional players added. But yeah, they’ve always been over it this year.
I think that ship has sailed. First it was the Bauer suspension lifted. Then they played the wait and see how competitive this team was going to be and now they have to spend to have a legitimate shot at the WS. Waiting to see how many arms, quality arms they acquire as that is clearly the bigger issue.
Yep. Turns out they want to pursue some player from their crosstown competitors this off-season and their goal in getting completely under the cap was ruined by having to pay for a previous signing who’s currently pitching in Japan.
Go get Anderson in a deal with Lynn & Gioleto.
Looks doubtful that Tim would be in any trade to LA.
And Dodgers fans breath a sigh of relief.
Dodgers need to go the 2021 Braves route and acquire 4-5 players. They need depth, not star level talent.
They are off to a good start.
Even got a Rosario from Cleveland. It’s a copycat league.
Shouldn’t cost much.
Neither should have Kiki.
Just wondering: Why does MLBTR always refer Hernandez as Enrique when everyone knows him as Keki?
No one knows him as Keki
Because his name on MLB.com is Enrique which he has control over so that is what he wants to be called. His teammates may call him Kike but he doesn’t prefer that for random strangers.
Not to mention that the shortened first name can also be seen as an anti-Semitic slur.
Especially when someone doesn’t know how to type in accents on top of letters when using 5heir keyboard.
Would’ve loved to have seen the Marlins grab Rosario if the price wasn’t too high.
Good move by Dodgers.
DeJong is available.
For Avi Garcia, that will be a nice trade.
But Cardinals don’t need another OF. Anderson’s to Marlins. Braves if give back Grissom and so on.
And the Marlins don’t need to waste much trade assets on deJong.
You can have DeJong for a Mike Stanton bobblehead. But we sure as heck won’t be taking Garcia.
A box of popcorn, and it’s a deal.
Done let’s write up the paperwork
Well alright!
Today I get deJong for popcorn after a few days ago I got Starling Marte straight up for Avi Garcia from a Mets fan.
I’m building a winner! Kim Ng needs to take note. And I don’t even need to make public appearances to do this stuff.
DeJong is actually a decent player but I want the salary relief. He has a 12.5 million dollar option or a 2 million buyout and we have Winn ready to play. I think he’s probably worth the money but not much more.
I will take butter with my popcorn thank you and good luck. Skip is my boy I miss him and his old walk up music which is Take a Picture by Birdman and Lil Wayne
OK, butter it is!
Yeah, Skip has been a nice fit so far. I love the change in our culture. It was a good follow up to what Jeter tried with the culture along with Michael Jordan in the background. The team has played a little over their heads at times this year. That’s good coaching and culture.
Jeter is all about Jeter. Skip is a great team guy high class all the way.
Smart move! Shore up the middle infield, and move Mookie back to RF! Giolito coming next to da Dodgers, and they will leave SF & the Snakes in the dust!
Unless Giolito goes to the DBacks or Reds.
Too late. Gone to Halos.
Improves the bottom end of the roster at least. At minimum, it will let them bump Yonny Hernandez back down to the minors.
Tim Anderson is not good
Cleveland middle infield????
what about it? They are loaded there
sacrifice;
Andres Gimenez moves to SS.
Tyler Freeman gets 2B along with Brayan Rocchio.
At least they are trying to improve instead of sitting on their hands.
Curtains for Rojas
Worthless trade for the Dodgers….
Not worth the downgrade defensively for a marginal upgrade offensively over Rojas. Especially considering Chris Taylor’s defense is similar and he is better offensively than Rosario. Dodgers could use a power RH bat, these marginal bats do no belong in championship lineups
Dodgers score plenty of runs already and prioritizing defense at SS is more prudent.
The Dodgers starting rotation is terrible and instead of piling up redundant players with Rojas and Rosario and Taylor and Kiki Hernandez, they should be trading for two or three starting pitchers. Much prefer a mediocre Lance Lynn over Rosario…
Do you seriously think trading for a middle infielder means they aren’t picking up the phone for starting pitchers? Come on.
“Sorry, can’t talk about Cease right now – I’ve got Rosario on the hook. Talk soon”.
Hopefully no one can talk about Cease right now.
@avenger65 Right up top in the big bold title of the article.
Some people don’t think before posting. I’m pretty sure Andrew Friedman and Brandon Gomes aren’t sitting around like “well we got Kike and Rosario, so no need for pitching. Let’s hit the Bahamas until the deadline is over”.
Dodgers traded Syndergaard for Rosario. That’s a good thing. Still more trades to be had.
I don’t like the Kike trade given his performance this year BUT it’s a risk the FO is willing to take because of his comfort in the clubhouse and the organization
(1) Ex-Met for Ex-Met. LOL!
(2) The Guardians needed a starter with Shane Bieber now on the 60-day IL.
@ChuckyNJ: I might argue that the Guardians still need a starter, lol.
But Syndergaard is bouncing around like a rubber ball.
Perfect reply
I don’t know why anyone keeps thinking Rojas ISN’T the starting shortstop. They literally signed him to a two-year extension before the season even started and they clearly value his Gold Glove level defense at short. Hell, without him there, their collective ERA would probably be in the 5.00s
True enough. They might use Rosario in the outfield.
These are serious comments, and I certainly agree that it is their pitching that is their Achilles heel. But Rojas and Taylor have not been hitting. I think Rosario will help them, whereas the Kike trade was baffling. They need to find a starter or two.
Meh. Dodgers need pitching.
More to come man… more to come
Syndergaard certainly wasn’t providing that.
Looks like that means Tim Anderson won’t be a Dodger.
Yep!
Thank God!
It will be interesting to see who comes back to CLE. I’m hoping for a consistently productive relief pitcher. Rosario was an excellent warm-weather hitter, but his erratic fielding put the pitchers in challenging situations.
They sent syndergard
Where in the article did it say that?
It gets updated when new info gets added. So when someone says that and you didnt see it, hit the refresh button before asking where it is.
Biggest reason why LA wanted him: his splits vs LHPs
Absolutely – .303/.345/.477 v LHP this year, and the Dodgers need help against lefties.
Second biggest reason, Thor really, really sucks this year. Even having him on the roster is scary because it forces Dave a Roberts hand to have him pitch.
I imagine Arias gets first crack at SS due to superior defense. Let’s see if regular playing time unlocks the bat. Personally I’d like to see Gimenez at SS and Freeman at 2B.
I really like Arias on defense, I think it will be a true split between him and freeman and team hopes one of them runs with it.
Freeman’s hitting has been coming around.
Also, with David Fry taking OF, Arias has to stick to INF.
No ARIAS strikes out 32% of the time
Freeman gets first chance then Rocchio
I did not notice until today Giménez had 25 HBP last year. He’s at 15 so far this year. That is a massive boon to OBP for a player that doesn’t walk much.
Interesting stuff.
Now he needs to stop getting out on his front foot all the time. I’ve noticed pitchers are pitching him the same each at bat. And then he always grounds out to 2nd on an off speed pitch on the outside corner. Once he comes around, the offense will start producing more runs consistently.
Won’t miss his D, his mental defensive errors or him not starting to hit until June. Will miss his hot streaks, though.
Guess Arias gets his shot first. He had better hit. But Freeman, Rocchio and about 5 others are waiting.
It’s heating up!
very nice trade, Im shocked to hear Rosario is bout to be a FA, he still feels so young
Anyone see anything about who Cleveland is getting in return?
Just seen Thor… Interesting
LMAO is Syndergaard really going back to Cleveland? Addition by subtraction. Friedman’s cookin’
Cleveland resurrects pitchers. I like it. Rosario was expendable for Cleveland. We need SP right now
So do the Dodgers. Good luck with Thor.
Really intriguing trade for both teams. If Cleveland can teach Thor to be a control pitcher…
Dodgers have resurrected quite a few veteran pitchers careers the past few years. Thor clearly is beyond the point of saving.
I see a lot of takes saying this but there isn’t any evidence he’s on the rebound. I don’t think any pitching staff can correct what’s going on with him honestly and he is injury plagued
Ok
His FIP suggests some regression towards the means and Cle can see if some combination of Arias/Freeman/Rocchio proves they’re MLB regulars. It’s not a great trade, but it could work out well for both teams.
Another do nothing trade. Dodgers must be planning on trading CT3, Rojas or Vargas.
For starting pitching? Hell yeah
Or a bench bat that mashes lefties was better than a starting pitcher that is so bad that he should wear the other jersey… geez… use your head man.
:confused:
If they are planning on trading one of those guys it wasn’t a “do nothing trade”, was it?
I mean, and it’s not a do nothing trade anyway.
Something else is coming. No doubt.
Vargas is in OKC, is very young and has multiple option years left. Why trade him? CT3, Giménez, both of the Hernandezes and Rojas will be gone at the end of this year or at worse next.
Incredible deal to get anything for Syndergaard let alone a serviceable major leaguer.
Cleveland is cheap. Could be some financial motivation behind this move.
Syndergarrd makes a lot more than Rosario! Maybe they think they can turn Noah around! Both free agents next year so Guardians actually spending money. The Dodgers are probably throwing in cash!
Dodgers throwing cash to make it a neutral financial trade.
Where in the field does Cash play? I’ve yet to see it!
Exactly. Some are disappointed in this trade. Yeah it’s not moving the needle but there’s definite pluses
poor Guardian fans
Hey Syndergaard. That’s a name…..
Salary dump for the Dodgers to clear the decks for another more significant acquisition. This saves them about $3.25 MM over the rest of the season. I wouldn’t be surprised to see Rosario turned around to another team quickly.
Strange to see two ex-Mets traded for each other…
Friedman has a way of pulling the right trigger and forcing the other teams to try to keep pace. Bringing back Hernandez and now adding Rosario without giving up top prospects were bold moves. He’s probably by far the smartest and aggressive President of Baseball Operations.
Sports writers and talk show hosts often brag about how intelligent Zaidi is, but he’s not in the same league with Friedman. The pressure is now on Zaidi to produce instead of “all talk and no action … or dumpster diving.”
Considering how much the Dodgers needs serviceable starters, trading away Thor is a sure sign that they don’t think they can fix him. Wow.
Does this make an everyday player out of Tyler Freeman?
Cleared a spot on the 40 man for Charlie Freeman
Doesn’t make an everyday player out of anyone at 2B and SS for the remainder of the season.
Why would Cleveland want Syndergard?
With beiber and McKenzie on DL 4 rookies in rotation.
Sounds similar to the Dodgers with three rookies in their rotation, Gonsolin leaking oil, and Julio Urias not looking like he has in recent years…
Well they said pitching would be in demand this deadline. Guess they weren’t kidding.
Good question. Bullpen maybe? For sure no Dodger fans will miss him.
Disappointing that Thor couldn’t mesh with the Dodgers.
BlueSkies_LA;
Cleveland pitched McKenzie 190 inning last year in his rookie season. He’d never thrown near that many innings in a season.
He’s been out almost all year with injury problems.
This year they’ve bought up 3 excellent young pitchers with
great futures – Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Logan Allen.
The last thing they want to do is have them throw too many
innings their rookie years.
Thor is there to eat innings. He can have an 8,00 ERA and that’s fine. Meanwhile they have 4-5 young middle infielders and they
may as well give them playing time.
Even if Cleveland somehow wins the AL Central, they’re toast in
the first playoff series. Heck, all 5 teams in the AL East are better than anyone in the AL Central, as well as at least 3 and probably
4 teams in the AL West.
lol Syndegaard doesn’t eat innings, even when he was good, he wasn’t an innings eater because he can’t stay healthy
fred-3;
“Thor is there to eat innings. He can have an 8,00 ERA and that’s fine. “
@Samuel
It’s baseball. No one is “toast” in a three-game series, especially when all three games are in your home park. Cleveland will gladly take its chances against anyone in the first round. Anyone.
Dodgers probably providing lots of cash in deal
That’s certainly a move. I just wish MLB front offices wouldn’t treat the deadline like a group project. The last 48-72 hours are hectic, and adding 2 or 3 more buyers from now until then doesn’t change too much.
Why deal with the Dodgers, they keep their best prospects and players and give back in trade much hyped talent that rarely comes to being worth a plug nickel.
Alex Verdugo, Josiah Gray and Keibert Ruiz say mediocre right now but could improve
Jose DeLeon, Grant Holmes, Jeter Downs, Willie Calhoun, etc have not panned out at all
Yordan Alvarez
O’Neil Cruz
Nate Eovaldi
It’s almost like some guys the trade are awesome. Some are ok. And some not very good.
Eovaldi played a few years for LAD, he was not a straight prospect as his rookie status was used up before any trade
He was drafted and developed by the Dodgers and pitched 91 innings for them.
Technically a prospect? I guess. It
Was the ink dry on him? No
:shrug:
Eovaldi was as much as prospect as Alex Verdugo.
Shows Amed Rosario doesn’t have much current value and Cleveland’s desperation for a 5th starter. So a pitcher loses a roster spot to Syndergaard. A second loses a spot to karinchak when he is recalled, , and a position player gets recalled. Gonzales? Or another trade?
Cards have got DeJong available! Come take him
Thor wasn’t worth a hammock at walmart.
Hammock’s are great though
I don’t get this for the Dodgers… Rosario isn’t even a spectacular player and they just picked up Hernandez.
Not all productive players are spectacular
At -.3 WAR, I wouldn’t consider that productive.
Maybe he hits lefties well, but together the Dodgers have amassed two shortstops with negative WAR.
I could easily be missing something…
One thing that you’re missing is that Kiké was playing a lot 9f SS. He’s not a SS.
Also both players hit left-handed pitchers better. So, if the Dodgers limit their PA’s vs right-handed pitchers they should have increased production.
I do know Kike probably won’t play SS, but where are they going to play him? I keep hearing shortstop.
If Rosario plays primarily versus lefties at SS that WAR probably turns positive for the SS group even with his bad defense.
When used properly, he’s OK. And he’s a helluva teammate. Just don’t try and play him anywhere except SS. He’s not good there, but he truly cannot play any other position on the diamond. I’m serious. He has zero versatility.
He can play all positions except for pitcher and catcher. I’m sure he’ll get plenty of OF playing time against lefties too.
He’s not an OF … worse than Awful
Hits lefties well. Makes absolute sense for the Dodgers.
Great to know he only hits half of pitching. When he starts hitting righties, please let me know as it would finally be a good trade.
My point is that if you get a guy to just hit lefties, what worth is that? You can only play so much with match ups.
You can start him against lefties and bring him in middle to late part of game versus lefties. More valuable than you think. Dodgers are built on giving manager options.
I won’t let you know because I won’t remember you. Or this.
But anyway, platoons are a thing.
Rosario has faced LHP in 28% of his plate appearances. So he only hits less than 1/3 of pitching.
Useful 25-30% of the time as a hitter. Never useful on defense. Cost them $1.9 million.
@Doom & Bloom, Lux and Vargas were the plan for the MI with Rojas as veteran bench depth. Lux got hurt, Vargas needed more time to develop, Rosario and Hernandez fill the void. Rojas back to bench depth. Betts back to the OF. Taylor back to being a super sub. Blue Crew just resetting the dial with these two moves. Next up an SP or two to fill the Dustin May hole and as an extra arm for the stretch run.
They got rid of Syndergaard, who has negative value and a decent sized contract, and got back Amed Rosario, who is a serviceable MLB player. This move makes no sense from the Guardians perspective and plenty of sense for the Dodgers.
Umm Rosario also has negative WAR… that’s my point.
And they have 2 lefty platoon guys (Hernandez, Rosario?).
The trade itself isn’t bad because they shed Syndergaard who is worse, but what do they really gain in the span of two days? Two infielders who can only hit lefties?
There has to be more to this trade right? Syndergaard is atrocious, this trade makes zero sense as a 1 for 1.
Makes great sense for LAD.
Explain how it makes sense. Rosario is a negative WAR player who can only hit LHP (27% of pitchers) and can’t field any position well. So explain it.
While Syndergard has been obviously terrible, he was still a depth piece for the Dodgers when healthy. They’re already vulnerable with the rest of their injuries, so who are they picking up for the rotation? Another move is imminent.
I love every site and person is still referring to it as Twitter and not “X”. Like everyone refuses to accept the modern equivalent of the 5th grade “S” as a legitimate website.
+
Meta owns the trademark for X and Zuckerberg will undoubtedly go after Elmo in court over it. Will cost Elmo billions more before the site formerly known as Twitter goes bankrupt and is closed.
are Dodgers going bring up the Knack next?
A plus for LA. They need better than Thor to achieve their goals. Excellent salary dump. They got paid and got Rosario. No mention of any salary being paid. If they are paying Thor still it’s still a win but not as good. But Thor has no value when your goal is to win WS.
D for Cleveland. They need a starter but couldn’t find someone cheaper and better? But not for Rosario. D is still a passing grade. And could be a C. Doubt Cleveland fans will love this one or that Dodgers fans loved Thor so wanted to play to the crowd. Cleveland probably thinks they can get him to his 2022 form. An expensive bet but quite possible.
Expendable assets for something you would rather have. Win win trade.
Salary neutral. Still a win win.
Looks like the trade moves and talks are heating up this is my favorite time of the Year.
This nothing more than rearranging the deck chairs
Rosario is a pretty big upgrade over Yonny Hernandez
Kiké is a better fit, and upgrade, over DeLuca.
It’s getting better deck chairs
Meh
If it was any other team, I’d say the Guardians were throwing in the towel, but based on their history, they will probably turn Rhor into one of the best starters in baseball down the stretch.
Perhaps they see something they can improve but they really just need a veteran arm they can throw out there every 5th day and ride a bit.
As for Rosario, it was time to part ways so they can get a better look at Tyler Freeman and/or Gabriel Arias.
I actually like the deal from both sides. Amed’s defense has been atrocious this year but his bat has warmed up – plus he is all hustle. His playing style seems like it would be good for any playoff team that has a spot for him.
Wth is cash neutral and what does gender have to do with baseball trades
Cash neutral – neither team is raising or lowering payroll with the move. It’s, you know, neutral
Gender – :not sure if serious:
Thor as a Guardian seems oddly fitting
Best comment of the thread by far.
Allow me a moment of rosterbation to help me clarify my thoughts
Vs L
C Smith
1B Feeman
2B Rosario
3B Muncy
SS Rojas
LF Taylor
CF Kiké
RF Betts
DH Martinez
C Barnes
OF Heyward
OF Outman
OF Peralta
Yeah, that’s my guess.
If the Guardians somehow turn Thor into a decent SP again, I’ll eat a rosin bag.
A lackluster deal but I like it from both sides.
I’m certainly not excited about getting Syndergaard… but he is probably an improvement over Gaddis or Daniel Norris. Cleveland just needs a veteran rotation arm.
The deal allows Cleveland to get a good look at Freeman and Arias, to see if/how they might fit into 2024. Either should be an immediate defensive upgrade over Amed.
Amed is a guy that plays the game hard. That attitude is a good fit for a playoff team. Certainly not a huge bat but he puts the ball in play and can get one some good streaks.
This is an opportunity for Syndergaard. The. LAD had lost complete faith in him, and he was not going to get any more meaningful innings in Los Angeles. Hopefully, he found something while on the IL and is able to restore some of his market for the off-season.
Wow, the Guardians got HOSED. This is such a bad trade for them. Yikes.
The sad reality is that if they couldn’t find a taker before the deadline for Rosario, he would have been benched or DFA’d. He is ranked as one of the worst defensive players in all of baseball. And Cleveland has three players on the active roster (Gimenez, Arias, and Freeman) that can play plus-defense at short. Tito already started replacing him defensively late in games.
I’m not saying Syndergaard is better.. it’s a trash-for-trash deal. Cleveland just has a glut of middle infielders and a huge need for starting pitching.
With the Angels apparently deciding to buy, there are a bunch of teams looking for starting pitching now. If some don’t have the resources to join a bidding war, a lottery ticket may be the best they can do. Perhaps that’s Cleveland’s thinking. I find it hard to believe they saw something in Syndergaard’s game film that says, “Maybe this can be fixed.”
Well darn, I was hoping the Dodgers would trade for St. Louis Paul DeJong. Very good defense and a decent power bat. Oh well.
I feel like Cardinals fans are going to be very disappointed after the trade deadline is over
Key to this trade is Rosario’s productivity versus LHP. My guess is that the Dodgers will try to minimize at bats versus RHP and vice versa. His defense is going to be an issue and not even sure how viable he is in the OF. I can see him also pinch hitting in middle or end of game. Rojas may also come in late with a lead. It’s a good option to have similar to K Hernandez but he’s not going to move needle much. Let’s see how many arms they get.
He’s a fun offensive player to watch. Good speed, plays the game hard and hits the ball hard. Good player to have but he is having an awful year defensively. He was actually pretty good last year… not sure what happened this year but he took a huge step back.
Cleveland tried him the OF and it was a disaster.
So you are saying Rosario will play in 2-3 games out of every 10 when there is a LH starter?
Wut?
Seems like an odd move for Cleveland. It looks like Thor’s magic is gone.
If Amed doesn’t get traded by the deadline, he likely gets benched or DFA’d. Cleveland is in desperate need for rotation depth.
Granted, trading for Syndergaard might not end up being a better option than DFA’ing Rosario.. but even if he can just soak up some innings until Quantrill (hopefully) returns – that’s good enough.
Where are the NY Mets Beat Writers? They would be perfect for this trade report. Based on their past hype of these two players, we can put the following headline:
Superstar Ahmed Rosario Traded For !st Ballot Hall of Famer Syndergaard!
Your obsession with the Mets continues unabated.
How so? This was a trade that involved two former Mets players that were made out to be All-Time greats by the Mets media back when both were there.
I’m…… Not sure why Cleveland made this trade? Seems a bit too lopsided for my thinking.
Then you simply don’t understand Cleveland’s circumstances. The trade makes perfect sense from every possible perspective. I’m just stunned CLE finally saw the logic of off-loading Rosario. Just HAD to take him away from Francona. It was time. And CLE needs warm bodies to start games, doesn’t matter who it is as long as they can fill frames until (hopefully) Quantrill or McKenzie or Bieber somehow find their way back.
“The trade makes perfect sense from every possible perspective.”
Except from this perspective: they traded a serviceable player for a batting practice pitcher. Neither player is worth much but Syndergaard is worth far less.
OMG, you don’t get it, CLE has players on its bench who are better hitters AND defenders than Amed Rosario. Rosario has ZERO utility aside from PR and PH against LHP.. He can ONLY play shortstop, badly. He can’t play another position. You may call that “serviceable,” but it’s not what Cleveland needs. Whether or not Syndergaard can fill frames or not is anyone’s guess—not holding my breath—but the fact that he’s the ONLY player CLE could get for Rosario should tell you how “serviceable” Amed is. It’s a classic case of addition by subtraction.
Bingo @rct! That’s exactly what I thought when I read this.
Rosario was Cleveland’s 4th best shortstop on the 26-man roster. Freeman or Arias will get more playing time as a result of the trade. Both are much better defensively than Rosario and have better upside offensively than what we’ve seen recently from Amed.
OMG, “serviceable” player? I suppose if a guy can ONLY play shortstop (and badly at that), can only hit LHP, and can run (but not steal bases), then he’s “serviceable”? CLE gets better automatically had they simply DFA’d Rosario to clear the way for more talented players, both offensively AND defensively. Who cares if Syndergaard never amounts to anything. Throw Thor up against the wall and hope he sticks–no one is holding their breath to see if he’s a player “worthy” of an exchange. This is a classic case of addition by subtraction, and if you’re simply putting the two players under a microscope, you’re completely missing the point.. CLE couldn’t get anything but a corpse for Rosario; THAT should tell you how “serviceable” Amed is.
Anything the Dodgers got for Syndergaard is a bonus, really. Even if the Dodgers use Rosario only as a pitch hitter they did well. Syndergaard looked like a total loss even when he was pitching, and was traded off the IL. Good luck with him in Cleveland, is all I can say.
Cleveland never knows how to handle the deadline. They should be doing what Baltimore did las year. Sell high, soft reset, improve for 2024. A nice move for the Dodgers.
They are the youngest team in baseball. If that isn’t already a reset I don’t know what is?
Having only watched 3 or 4 Guardians games this year and being a Red Sox Fan, I can say with full confidence that Kike is (was) the worst defensive SS in baseball this year. It’s funny that the Dodgers now employ the two worst, but the notion that Rosario is somehow worse is preposterous
I’ve seen most of the Guardians games. Rosario was terrible. He never made the great play. He blew his share of the routine plays. And the mental errors are too many to recall. His -14 runs saved cost Cleveland a few games this year.
Great teammate. Hustles constantly. He’s a DH.