The Los Angeles Dodgers traded Matt Beaty to the San Diego Padres in exchange for Minor League infielder River Ryan. Beaty was designated for assignment on March 23 as a corresponding move to add Hanser Alberto to the 40-man roster.
It was a somewhat surprising decision as Beaty had found success with the Dodgers off the bench and still had one Minor League option year remaining. However, manager Dave Roberts had previously made it clear the team views Beaty as a pinch-hitter rather than lineup regular.
“I like Matt Beaty on the bench,” Roberts said last September. “I don’t see him as a defender. I see him taking a great at-bat against a right-hander.”
With a universal designated hitter now in place, the number of at-bats Beaty figured to receive moving forward was likely going to diminish. When a DH was in place for the 2020 season, Beaty appeared in just 20 games.
Of those, 10 entailed playing first base, five were as a DH, three were pinch-hit appearances, and Beaty played two games in left field.
Beaty did appear in 120 games last season, but also was demoted to Triple-A Oklahoma City and regularly passed over when it came to setting the lineup despite the likes of DJ Peters, Luke Raley and Billy McKinney struggling at the plate.
The Dodgers selected Beaty in the 12th round of the 2015 MLB Draft.
Ryan played in 12 games for the Arizona Complex League Padres last year, hitting .308 (12-for-39) with one home run and two RBI. He was selected by the Padres in the 11th round of the 2021 MLB Draft.
Ryan was a two-way player at the University of North Carolina at Pembroke, and may continue pitching with the Dodgers.
Dodgers renewed Beaty’s contract
The Dodgers went into the offseason with five players eligible for salary arbitration, and if Beaty had accrued one more day of Major League service time last year, he would have qualified as well via Super Two status.
The cutoff for the 2021 season was set at two years and 116 days. A stint with Oklahoma City in September resulted in Beaty not being eligible for arbitration until after the 2022 season.
Nevertheless, the Dodgers renewed Beaty’s contract prior to his roster move, and also did the same for Andrew Toles.
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