The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired left-handed relief pitcher Garrett Cleavinger as part of a three-team trade involving the Philadelphia Phillies and Tampa Bay Rays. Cleavinger was added to the Dodgers’ 40-man roster, which now sits at 38 players.
The Dodgers traded Minor League infielder Dillon Paulson and a player to be named later or cash considerations to the Rays as part of the deal. Tampa Bay sent José Alvarado to Philadelphia as the final piece of the three-team trade.
Cleavinger was selected by the Baltimore Orioles in the third round of the 2015 MLB Draft. In July 2017, he was traded along with Hyun Soo Kim and cash considerations to the Phillies in exchange for Jeremy Hellickson.
Cleavinger went on to make his MLB debut with the Phillies this year, striking out one and retiring two of four batters faced against the New York Mets. He surrendered a solo home run to Robinson Cano, who was suspended for the entire 2021 season after a second positive PED test.
In five Minor League seasons with the Phillies, Cleavinger went 19-12 record with a 4.08 ERA and 294 strikeouts in 140 games. He spent all of 2019 with Double-A Reading, going 3-2 with 83 strikeouts but 5.9 walks per nine innings across 34 games. Cleavinger dealt with a knee injury in 2018.
Paulson, who attended the University of Southern California, was selected by the Dodgers in the 13th round of the 2018 Draft. He spent 2019 with Low-A Great Lakes and High-A Rancho Cucamonga, batting a combined .243 with 16 home runs and 64 RBI.
Why did the Dodgers trade for Cleavinger?
The three-team transaction was facilitated in part by the Rays needing to clear a spot on their 40-man roster in order to finalize the Blake Snell trade with the San Diego Padres.
For the Dodgers, they add a young left-hander to the organization who has fared well against same side batters and could provide some upside.
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