Well on their way to a seventh consecutive National League West division title, the Los Angeles Dodgers are expected to be one of the more active buyers at the July 31 trade deadline.
With pitching being the main focus, the Dodgers have been linked to some of the most prominent arms available. The club is reportedly interested in adding New York Mets co-ace Noah Syndergaard to their starting rotation and closer Edwin Diaz is another possibility for the backend of the bullpen.
While it remains to be seen how the Dodgers address their pitching staff, the front office has been busy improving other parts of the roster. On Thursday, L.A. acquired first baseman Tyler White from the Houston Astros in exchange for pitching prospect Andre Scrubb.
White, though in the midst of a down year at the plate, provides another intriguing right-handed bat to the Dodgers bench. He enjoyed a breakout campaign last year and opened up the 2019 season as the Astros’ designated hitter.
A combination of his struggles and the emergence of former Dodgers prospect Yordan Alvarez eventually pushed White out of the picture, which led to Houston designating him for assignment last week.
Looking forward to a fresh start, White took to Instagram to express his excitement in joining the Dodgers:
https://www.instagram.com/p/B0W9p40B_T-/
With Kiké Hernandez currently dealing with left hand soreness, White offers a bit of insurance in the event an injured list stint is necessary. Though he is somewhat limited defensively, the 28-year-old can log the bulk of his opportunities at first base, allowing Max Muncy to potentially receive more playing time at second time.
Hernandez aside, the Dodgers’ bench has lost some of its right-handed thump in recent weeks with Chris Taylor being lost to a forearm fracture and David Freese still potentially feeling the effects of separate knee and hamstring injuries during the first half.
In 71 games this season, White is hitting a mere .225/.320/.330 with 14 doubles, three home runs and 21 RBI over 253 plate appearances. However, he is only one year removed from batting a terrific .276/.354/.533 with 27 extra-base hits in 66 games.
In addition to acquiring White, the Dodgers further tinkered with their position player group by optioning Austin Barnes to Triple-A Oklahoma City. Will Smith was recalled to take Barnes’ place on the Dodgers’ active roster.
