The Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot in a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays, which came less than a week after the club signed Shohei Ohtani to a record-setting contract.
The trade was finalized on Saturday and checks off two boxes on the Dodgers’ wishlist this offseason. Margot gives the team another right-handed bat and outfielder, while Glasnow immediately slots in at the top of the starting rotation.
The deal was contingent on Glasnow signing a contract extension, who pays him $136.5 million over the next five seasons. That includes the $25 million salary the right-hander will earn in 2024.
As the Dodgers were working through the details of the trade, Ohtani attempted to recruit Glasnow and promised to hit him some home runs if he joined the team, per Fabian Ardaya and Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic:
It turns out that Ohtani had already been pitching the Dodgers’ next move, as sources told The Athletic that the two-way superstar sent Tampa Bay Rays right-hander Tyler Glasnow a video trying to woo him to Los Angeles.
In the video Ohtani expressed that he wished he could share a rotation with Glasnow this season. Ohtani won’t pitch for the Dodgers in 2024 as he recovers from elbow surgery). “But,” the superstar said, “I want to hit some home runs for you.”
Ohtani made it clear during his introductory press conference with the Dodgers that his top priority is winning a World Series, and his recruitment of Glasnow shows his long-term commitment to success.
Ohtani was also said to be involved in the Dodgers’ free agency pitch to Yoshinobu Yamamoto, who visited Dodger Stadium this week. The 25-year-old is the best remaining free agent and could make his decision before Christmas Day.
Along with his recruitment of players, Ohtani agreed to a unique contract structure that includes unprecedented deferrals so the Dodgers can use the savings to build a competitive team each season.
What Tyler Glasnow brings to Dodgers
Glasnow went 10-7 with a 3.53 ERA, 2.91 FIP, 1.08 WHIP and 12.2 strikeouts per nine in 120 innings pitched over 21 starts this year.
He missed nearly the first two months of the season due to a left oblique strain, but managed to stay on the field the rest of the way.
Since joining the Rays in 2018, Glasnow ranks fourth among starting pitchers in strikeouts per nine (12.19) and batting average against (.195), and is tied for seventh in FIP (3.10).
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