On Thursday, Shohei Ohtani lauded the Los Angeles Dodgers for their winning vision. President of baseball operations Andrew Friedman is quickly validating that faith by agreeing to a big trade with the Tampa Bay Rays for starting pitcher Tyler Glasnow, according to ESPN's Jeff Passan.
The Dodgers will also receive outfielder Manuel Margot and send back right-hander Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny DeLuca. This deal does, however, reportedly hinge on Glasnow signing a contract extension with LA.
Based on the deferred financial commitment the organization just made to Ohtani, that shouldn't be a problem. A questionable pitching rotation will be injected with a potent dose of credibility, as the veteran righty posted a 3.53 ERA and 162 strikeouts in 21 starts for the Rays last season.
Tyler Glasnow's days in St. Petersburg have been numbered for a while. A two-year contract extension in 2022 that is set to pay him $25 million for the 2024 season meant that a trade was essentially inevitable for the small-market franchise. Tampa Bay has a slew of pitchers to plug in for its former ace, but few are currently healthy.
The addition of Manuel Margot also cannot go overlooked. He will give LA some more defensive versatility and a serviceable bat (.255 career hitter). Having another veteran in the clubhouse shouldn't hurt, either.
Friedman is enjoying the kind of week most executives can only dream of having. And he may not even be done yet. Other notable pitching moves could be on the horizon for the Dodgers. Regardless, the pressure for this perpetually-scrutinized club to win the World Series somehow just got even bigger.
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