As the Los Angeles Dodgers looked to acquire another right-handed hitting position player at the 2023 MLB trade deadline, they addressed the area by completing a deal with the Cleveland Guardians for Amed Rosario.
He was acquired in exchange for Noah Syndergaard, who continued to struggle with the Guardians prior to getting released.
Rosario received most of his starts with the Dodgers at second base against left-handed pitching, which was a first for him in the big leagues. The 28-year-old was moved off his usual shortstop position but still provided an excellent glove up the middle at second base.
At the time of being traded to the Dodgers, Rosario was hitting .265/.306/.369 with three home runs, 40 RBI and 51 runs scored in 94 games for the Guardians. That included an excellent .303/.345/.477 batting line against southpaws.
With the Dodgers, Rosario hit an overall .256/.301/.408 with six doubles, two triples, three home runs and 18 RBI in 48 games. However, his production against left-handers declined after the trade as he batted just .250/.299/.389 across 77 plate appearances.
Although Rosario put up similar numbers from his time with the Guardians, he was left off the Dodgers postseason roster for the National League Division Series in favor of Kolten Wong.
“It was a tough one,” manager Dave Roberts said of selecting Wong instead of Rosario. “It was more driven by the fact that we have Kiké (Hernández) and C.T. (Chris Taylor) that are versatile players from the right side and having Amed, without a left-handed starter going for them, little redundant.
“And so to have a left-handed bat in Kolten, who you could have come out for some hitting situations, to come out of it with him on the bench we felt was a lot of value.”
Amed Rosario 2023 highlight
Rosario went 5-for-5 against the Arizona Diamondbacks on June 17 and also had a pair of four-hit games with the Guardians during the 2023 season. His best performance with the Dodgers came on September 17, when he went 3-for-4 with a double, triple and two runs scored against the Seattle Mariners.
2024 outlook
Rosario reached free agency at the end of the 2023 season, and despite having somewhat of a down year, should be able to receive a Major League contract.
The Toronto Blue Jays reportedly expressed interest in Rosario earlier this offseason, but they signed Isiah Kiner-Falefa to fill a utility role and presumably are no longer pursuing him.
A return to the Dodgers also is out of the question.
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