The Los Angeles Dodgers had somewhat of a quiet trade deadline, bringing in a few new pieces to make another deep October run, but unfortunately, parting ways with right-hander Dustin May was a result of one of their future-focused moves.
May was traded for Boston Red Sox outfield prospects James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard in the closing moments of the deadline.
May has been in the organization since he was drafted by the Dodgers back in 2016 and was nearing a transition to the bullpen amid the troubling year in terms of pitching injuries. General Manager Brandon Gomes spoke on what led up to the decision to eventually send May to Boston.
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“We had a lot of really respectful conversations with D-May, and he’s been a huge part of the organization for a long time,” Gomes said. “Through those conversations, it was apparent that starting was very important to him. And while we felt like he could have been a contributor out of the bullpen and an impact-type piece, trying to understand the mindset and his desire to continue to start, we took that into consideration.”
May had an incredible rookie year with the Dodgers, culminating in a fifth-place Rookie of the Year finish in 2020 and an ERA of just 2.57. May would only pitch 53 innings over the next two seasons as a Tommy John surgery in 2021 would slow him down before getting off to a hot start in 2023.
With a 2.63 ERA across his first 48 innings of work, May was shut down indefinitely to flexor tendon surgery, but a more serious threat loomed.
Towards the end of May’s recovery and rehab program, he suffered a torn esophagus from eating a salad and would require emergency surgery that night.
May has been through so much just to get back onto the mound in 2025, and with a 4.85 ERA across his 19 outings, he still has a ways to go. Perhaps the change of scenery will help May lower his ERA, raise his production, and get back to the pitcher the baseball world is familiar with.
