With the Los Angeles Dodgers’ need for starting pitching seemingly growing by the day, the club addressed their need on Thursday by completing a five-player trade with the Atlanta Braves that netted them, among others, Bud Norris.
Norris starts Friday night in place of Clayton Kershaw, who is going on the disabled list for just the second time in his career. While the Dodgers have a proverbial fifth starter to slot into their rotation, the general expectation holds they will continue to scour the pitching market.
It was previously reported Los Angeles had interest in Sonny Gray of the Oakland Athletics and Julio Teheran of the Braves. Both would of course require a larger haul than the two Minor League relievers sent to Atlanta in Thursday’s trade.
In addition to Gray and Teheran, it was reported Wednesday that the Dodgers have interest in Tampa Bay Rays reliever Erasmo Ramirez. Despite starting just one game this season, Los Angeles was said to view the right-hander as a stopgap option in the rotation.
According to Ken Rosenthal of FOX Sports, the trade for Norris doesn’t completely eliminate the possibility of the Dodgers also acquiring Ramirez:
Source: #Rays’ Erasmo Ramirez still in play for #Dodgers, but need is not as acute with LAD getting Norris.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) June 30, 2016
The 26-year-old Ramirez is 7-6 this season with a 4.35 ERA, 4.69 FIP and 1.36 WHIP in 33 games (one start). He was hit hard on Thursday night, allowing four runs and managing to record just one out.
In time with the Seattle Mariners (2012-14) and Rays (2015-16), Ramirez has started 63 of 112 games. He owns a career 4.11 ERA, 1.25 WHIP and averages 7.2 strikeouts-per-nine innings as a starter.
Conversely, Ramirez sports a 4.86 ERA, 1.33 WHIP and 6.4 strikeouts-per-nine innings as a relief pitcher.
