Latest news with #DustinMay
Yahoo
a day ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
As Dodgers look to upgrade outfield, Harrison Bader could be a trade deadline fit
The Dodgers have already clinched a losing record in July, entering play Monday with their worst single-month winning percentage since May 2013. Their league-leading offense has remained stuck in a nosedive, ranking bottom-four in the majors entering Monday in runs scored, batting average and OPS this month despite some short-lived signs of life from their lineup last week. For a while now, the team has known it would target a high-leverage reliever ahead of Thursday's trade deadline. But suddenly, amid a protracted slump that even president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged he didn't see coming, the deadline might feel incomplete without the addition of another position player as well. 'Relief pitching is always talked about, certainly with what we're going through,' manager Dave Roberts said this weekend. But, he added, 'a potential bat' is something club officials are 'kicking the tires' on. As deadline week commenced on Monday, it meant the question wasn't so much whether the Dodgers would look to bolster their lineup over the next four days, but rather how they could best supplement their already $400-million roster. Read more: Trade Dustin May? Dodgers pitcher stumbles in loss to Red Sox as deadline rumors swirl One specific priority that has been increasingly emphasized by people around the organization in recent days: Someone who can not only hit, but more profoundly upgrade their outfield defense. The Dodgers, after all, know their long-term offensive success depends primarily on their superstar players. So far in July, Freddie Freeman, Shohei Ohtani and Teoscar Hernández have all batted in the low .200s. Mookie Betts and Tommy Edman are hitting .186 and .150, respectively. And Max Muncy has been out with a knee injury (though he could return during next week's home stand, if not the end of this current trip). No impact hitter on the market can change that reality. No one they add this week can save them if their star-studded core endures similar struggles in October. In a surprise twist, some of their best hitters this month have actually been those who once seemed like obvious candidates to replace at the deadline — none more so than Michael Conforto, who is batting .280 with an .855 OPS since June 22 after belting a home run and two doubles in the team's series finale in Boston on Sunday. 'The first half [of the season] was not me,' said Conforto, the $17-million offseason signing who was hitting a woeful .163 before his recent 24-game surge. 'I left a lot of hits out there. There was a lot of work to be done. And I just had to put my head down and keep grinding.' Now he's finally starting to produce at a level the Dodgers would be happy to get from any potential deadline acquisition. That doesn't mean, however, the Dodgers will be dissuaded from looking for outfield help this week. Because, even as Conforto's bat has heated up, his glove remains a glaring area of weakness in left field. For all he did at the plate Sunday, Conforto also had two costly defensive misplays early in the game, dropping a fly ball in the first inning that stressed Dustin May's pitch count before overpursuing a line drive off the Green Monster that turned into a run-scoring triple in the fourth, aiding a Red Sox rally that keyed their eventual victory. On the whole this season, Conforto ranks 13th out of 16 qualified MLB left fielders in defensive runs saved (negative three) and 14th in outs above average (negative five). It has illustrated a larger conundrum facing the team. Unlike last October, when the Dodgers needed potent offense to compensate for their patchwork pitching staff, their playoff run this year could be keyed more by what they do on the mound. Barring late-season injuries (a big 'if' given their recent history), the club is shaping up to have a potentially dominant rotation featuring Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Blake Snell (who will return from injury this weekend) and Ohtani (who Friedman believes will be capable of pitching 'real innings' come the playoffs). While their bullpen has struggled to this point, the returns of Blake Treinen (who was activated from the injured list Sunday), Michael Kopech (who is due back late next month), Tanner Scott (who avoided a season-ending elbow injury last week) and Brusdar Graterol (expected to return sometime in September) figure to transform the group, along with whoever the front office adds in an expected deadline splash. It all means that preventing runs could be the biggest key to the Dodgers' title defense this fall. And to do that, they could benefit from more trustworthy outfield defense — where Conforto's issues have been compounded by Hernández's regression in right field (he also grades out at one of the worst defenders in the majors at that position this year, while being limited by a groin injury) and repeated misreads from Andy Pages in center (mistakes that have at least been somewhat offset by his lethal throwing arm). That's why it came as no surprise to see the Dodgers' interest in someone like Harrison Bader intensify this week, as a person with knowledge of the situation but not authorized to speak publicly confirmed. A veteran outfielder with the Minnesota Twins, Bader is a premium defender having one of his best career seasons at the plate (.255 average, 12 home runs, .777 OPS). And as a likely free agent this offseason (he has a mutual option for 2026), he could be acquired at a relatively reasonable price — or, perhaps, in a package deal with a top Twins reliever such as Jhoan Durán or Griffin Jax. Other contenders, including the New York Yankees, have also been mentioned as potential landing spots for Bader. But the Dodgers' interest appears to be strong. The Dodgers' other route would be to add an infielder, and move Edman to center field. Utilityman Brendan Donovan of the St. Louis Cardinals is one such option, as The Athletic reported this week. But Edman has been limited by a lingering ankle injury (he was given Monday off to keep managing it). And his most defensive value is on the infield dirt anyway, evidenced lately by his sharp play filling in at third base in Muncy's absence. Bader is a right-handed bat, running counter to the initial belief that the Dodgers preferred to add another left-handed hitter at the deadline. But between Conforto's recent improvements (even if the Dodgers make another addition, the left-handed slugger will likely still have a role on the team), and the fact that backup left-handed- hitting catcher Dalton Rushing is not expected to be dealt this week ('I don't see a world in which he's moved,' Roberts said of Rushing on Monday), the Dodgers could accommodate anything — if it means making a significant improvement to their outfield defense. Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Newsweek
a day ago
- Sport
- Newsweek
Dodgers' Dustin May Offers 1-Word Response on 'Trade Bait' Talk
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. The Los Angeles Dodgers have held onto the lead in the National League West division as well as one of the best records in baseball all season, but some factors could be driving them to trade away a veteran piece at the upcoming deadline. For one thing, the Dodgers have reason to hope their starting rotation will suddenly become an area of strength as Blake Snell returns from the injured list. That might lead to a move for one of the team's other starters to free up some room in the rotation. And, for another, the Dodgers are surprisingly desperate for some bullpen reinforcement or an offensive upgrade as their divisional lead wanes in the wake of the All-Star game. As a result, six-year pitcher Dustin May could be the odd man out. "In the last week, trade rumors have started to swirl around May, the oft-injured right-hander who is finally healthy this season — but also having an up-and-down campaign in his final year before free agency," Jack Harris wrote for the Los Angeles Times. LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 07: Dustin May #85 of the Los Angeles Dodgers sits in the dugout during the second inning of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on August... LOS ANGELES, CA - AUGUST 07: Dustin May #85 of the Los Angeles Dodgers sits in the dugout during the second inning of the game against the St. Louis Cardinals at Dodger Stadium on August 7, 2019 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) More Kamin-Oncea/Getty May missed all of last season with an injury and has returned to post a harsh 4.85 ERA in 18 starts so far this year. It's hard to say just how much trade value he'd really generate in return, but the Dodgers might look to land something if they believe he will move on in free agency this coming winter anyway. And as trade speculation has risen, Harris reported a sarcastic one-word retort from the pitcher. "May hardly seemed surprised to see his name mentioned as possible trade bait in multiple reports this week; having long ago grown accustomed to such speculation during his rise as a top pitching prospect," Harris wrote. "'Shocker,' he quipped earlier this weekend." May indicated that he's used to seeing his name in potential trade reports, and that those aren't doing anything to add pressure to his performances. But he gave up four earned runs in just five innings in his last outing against the Boston Red Sox, hurting his potential trade value and suggesting the rumors could be having some negative impact. In the next few days, fans will find out if that performance was his final one as a Dodger. More MLB: Aaron Judge to First Base? Why Position Change In 2026, Beyond Makes Sense
New York Times
2 days ago
- Sport
- New York Times
Dustin May's uneven season continues for Dodgers in critical start just ahead of deadline
BOSTON — On contact, Dustin May arched his head and back toward the sky in disgust. He knew he'd been had. The Los Angeles Dodgers right-hander's critical Sunday afternoon had come apart in a span of just three pitches in the fifth inning, silenced with an emphatic statement on a ball that Alex Bregman sent over the Green Monster. What looked to be a strong outing instead was just another frustrating one. Advertisement This is how it's gone for May this season. His body has finally cooperated after years in the injury wilderness, as his first inning Sunday against the Boston Red Sox marked the first time in his career he's cleared 100 innings in a major-league season. The effectiveness has been there in tantalizing spurts. Sunday, it was a stretch of five strikeouts in a span of six batters almost immediately before it all fell apart in the fifth. He left a cutter over the plate when he wanted to get it in on Abraham Toro, who singled. Dalton Rushing set up low and away for a first-pitch fastball to Roman Anthony. May left that over the plate, so the Red Sox rookie lofted a fly ball high off the 37-foot wall. Michael Conforto made a mess of it, getting too close to the wall, so the ball bounced over his head and Anthony wound up on third with a triple. Rushing set up away to start Bregman with a breaking ball. May's first pitch broke right onto Bregman's barrel instead. Bregman sent it an estimated 400 feet onto Lansdowne Street. 'It just sort of kind of opened up a little bit on him,' Dodgers manager Dave Roberts said. The Red Sox wouldn't surrender the lead, knocking off the Dodgers 4-3. Los Angeles wasn't without chances to score — the Dodgers left the bases loaded in the third inning, two on in the fourth and stranded a season-high 13 hitters on base. They spoiled the best offensive day of Conforto's season. But May had a lead when the fifth began and a chance to rewrite the story of his season. Instead, it was more of the same. 'Just left too much stuff over the middle,' May said. 'Just not quality strikes. I felt good. Mechanics were in a good spot. Just didn't execute in the fifth.' 'He threw the baseball well,' Roberts said of May, who allowed four runs in five innings. 'The line score doesn't show that.' Dustin May strikes out the side! — Los Angeles Dodgers (@Dodgers) July 27, 2025 He needed this one to be better. Through 19 appearances this season, he has a 4.85 ERA. Among pitchers with at least 100 innings this season, that's 13th-worst in baseball. There's no good time to have a figure that high, but that is especially the case now for May. He's a free agent at year's end. The Dodgers' rotation is getting healthy, with Blake Snell expected to rejoin the group next week in Tampa. Roberts has been candid that May is battling Emmet Sheehan for what is essentially one spot in the starting rotation. May shot down the question when asked if that entered his thinking. Advertisement 'It's up to them to go out there and pitch well and force our hand as far as decisions,' Roberts said Friday night. 'Ultimately, players make the decisions for themselves, right? And that's performance.' Los Angeles has also been open to discussing May in trade discussions before Thursday's trade deadline, league sources said. May's stuff is still intriguing enough, and he could move to a starting pitching-starved contender in exchange for position player depth if a team talks itself into him. Or, he could move into the bullpen in hopes he can find something and bolster a group the team is looking to upgrade. Either way, Sunday could have been an inflection point. The Dodgers still don't quite know what is next. 'I don't know yet,' Roberts said Sunday morning of what's next for May. The Dodgers have until Thursday to decide. 'We'll kind of push it down the line a little bit,' Roberts said. 'But in all honesty, things seem to change a lot in each week. So I think that right now I don't want to put anyone into a corner right now. We'll just kind of read and react after this start.' Sunday did not mark a compelling argument in May's favor. His command wasn't sharp enough, with all three hits in the fifth inning coming on misses on pitches he was aiming to throw to his glove side. Even when he was effective in the middle innings, May's day came with warning signs: It took him 43 pitches to get his swing-and-miss when Jarren Duran half-swung at a sweeper for a strikeout. The spurt of dominance that followed was erased quickly. 'I feel like it's been like that for a lot of my outings,' May said. 'I feel like I get to a good spot, then I can't get through one inning. One inning blowup. It's not a fun feeling, but I know the good stuff is in there. It's just a matter of eliminating the one bad inning.' Perhaps a day like Sunday could have shifted that narrative and some of his responsibilities along the way. Instead, May left Fenway Park with even more uncertainty.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Trade Dustin May? Dodgers pitcher struggles in loss to Red Sox as deadline rumors swirl
On a day the Dodgers were facing one of their former longtime starters, Dustin May faced the prospect of potentially soon having the same distinction. In the last week, trade rumors have started to swirl around May, the oft-injured right-hander who is finally healthy this season — but also having an up-and-down campaign in his final year before free agency. It's an idea that, on several levels, makes sense to explore: The Dodgers will soon have to demote someone from the rotation (likely May or Emmet Sheehan) to make room for Blake Snell's return next weekend. And there are few foreseeable scenarios in which May would pitch big innings in the postseason, given his 4.85 earned-run average and the fact that, in his return from a 2023 elbow surgery this year, he is well past his previous career-high for innings pitched. Read more: Clayton Kershaw can't match Garrett Crochet's consistency in Dodgers' loss to Red Sox May hardly seemed surprised to see his name mentioned as possible trade bait in multiple reports this week; having long ago grown accustomed to such speculation during his rise as a top pitching prospect. 'Shocker,' he deadpanned earlier this weekend. 'It's there every year. It's not anything new.' And, while it's doubtful he alone would net much of an impactful return as a rental player who has posted below-league-average production, potential Dodgers trade partners have dedicated scouting attention to him recently, according to a person with knowledge of the situation not authorized to speak publicly. It all made Sunday's start, against former Dodgers rotation-mate and current Boston Red Sox right-hander Walker Buehler, a pivotal one for the 27-year-old May — providing him one last chance to try and stay in the rotation, and the Dodgers' front office one more data point to evaluate ahead of the deadline. The result: A disappointing five-inning, four-run start in the Dodgers' 4-3 loss against the Red Sox, with May largely cruising through the first four innings before getting ambushed in a three-run fifth. What comes next remains wholly unclear. 'We'll kind of push it down the line a little bit,' manager Dave Roberts said before the game when asked about the team's plans for May. 'In all honesty, things seem to change a lot each week. So I think that right now I don't want to put anyone into a corner. We'll just kind of read and react after this start." For a while on a gloomy Sunday afternoon that started with a 40-minute rain delay, May out-pitched Buehler in the latter's first start against his old team. Buehler issued three walks in the third, including one to Freddie Freeman with the bases loaded to score a run. He gave up a home run to Michael Conforto (who also had two doubles, but two misplays in left field) to lead off the fourth, before later walking Miguel Rojas (who reached base all four times he came up) and giving up an RBI single to Mookie Betts (making his first start of the weekend at his old home stadium). Read more: Facing Dodgers for first time gives Walker Buehler chance to reflect on his time in L.A. May, meanwhile, settled down after giving up a quick run in the first, retiring nine in a row — including five on strikeouts — between the second and fifth innings. But with one out in the fifth, Abraham Toro singled, Roman Anthony hit an RBI triple on a shallow fly ball that richoceted off the Green Monster, and Alex Bregman flipped the game with a two-run homer, turning the Red Sox's once 3-1 deficit to the Dodgers into a sudden 4-3 lead. From there, the Dodgers (61-45) squandered every chance they had to answer back against Boston (57-50). Rojas and Confort (twice) were stranded after doubles in the fifth, sixth and seventh innings. They saw a two-on, one-out threat in the eighth extinguish when Teoscar Hernández lined into an inning-ending double-play at second base, where Ceddanne Rafaela stretched to make the catch before beating pinch-runner Hyeseong Kim to the bag with a dive. They again had a runner at second in the ninth, only for Tommy Edman to ground out and end the game. The missed opportunities — the Dodgers went one for 11 with runners in scoring position and left 13 men on base — left May on the hook for the loss, dropping him to 6-7. Whether or not it will be his last start, or outing of any kind, in a Dodgers uniform will remain in question until the trade deadline at 3 p.m. PDT Thursday. Read more: Shaikin: Home again? Why Kenley Jansen could be a good trade match for Dodgers Sign up for more Dodgers news with Dodgers Dugout. Delivered at the start of each series. This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
Yahoo
2 days ago
- Sport
- Yahoo
Dodgers trade idea swaps Dustin May for All-Star outfielder on struggling team
The Los Angeles Dodgers' starting rotation is getting healthy, and Dustin May could become a trade chip. The Dodgers could use him to land an outfielder. May has a 4.73 ERA this year and will be a free agent after the season. However, with Tyler Glasnow back, Blake Snell returning soon and Shohei Ohtani building up, the Dodgers may not need May any longer. However, they need an outfielder to replace Michael Conforto, and May could help them land one. The Baltimore Orioles are set up to be sellers, and FanSided's Scott Rogust suggested the Dodgers trade May to land Cedric Mullins. Mullins is also a free agent after the season and is having a down year. "The Orioles are a team that has massively underperformed this season after making it to the postseason in each of the last two years," wrote Rogust. "Considering that they are far outside of a playoff spot, it would make sense for them to sell some of their players for a return. Mullins makes sense, especially for a team in need of a hitting outfielder like the Dodgers." Mullins was an All-Star in 2021, but this year he is slashing .214/.294/.398. Even with those numbers, he would be better than Conforto in the outfield. He does have 13 home runs on the season. However, the Dodgers would have to give up more than just May. Swapping rentals would not make sense for the Orioles."For the Orioles, it would make sense for them to ask for more in return for Mullins, even though he's set to be a free agent this winter," wrote Rogust. "That's because May is also set to be a free agent after this season. So, getting some controllable assets would make sense." More MLB:
