The Dodgers dealt Dustin May in the final minutes before the trade deadline, sending him to a familiar trade partner in the Red Sox for outfield prospects James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard. In doing so, the Dodgers basically looked at their two options for sixth starters — May and Emmet Sheehan — and decided that Sheehan would be a better bet through the rest of the season.
There were a lot of practical reasons to trade May. He’s a free agent at the end of the year, and the Dodgers probably figured that they should get as much future value out of him as possible before his departure.
Still, there were ways that the Dodgers could’ve kept May if they really wanted to. They could’ve easily optioned Sheehan to the minors, or put one of them in the bullpen for long relief. GM Brandon Gomes said that the team had a conversation with May, who made it clear that his priority was to remain a starter, but he didn’t request a trade.
The Dodgers gave him one anyway. May had a 5.00+ ERA as a starter in LA this year; Sheehan had a slightly better one and has never gotten a full shake as starter. May wanted to start, so the Dodgers sent him somewhere he’d be guaranteed a starting job.
It seems like there may still be some lingering hard feelings, though. Per Chris Cotillo of MassLive, May said upon his arrival to Boston, “I was kind of pushed out. We had quite a few guys there in that organization. I couldn’t be more excited. It’s thrill to be here and be a part of it.”
Dustin May says he was “pushed out” by Dodgers with last-minute Red Sox trade
Maybe May expected the Dodgers to exhibit a little more deference to him given his years with the organization, but the numbers don’t really add up to that expectation. He only pitched 295 2/3 in his six seasons with the Dodgers because of constant injuries, and then there’s the matter of his 5.09 ERA as a starter.
Against all odds, the Dodgers just had too many cooks in the kitchen with May, Sheehan, Blake Snell coming back, and Shohei Ohtani pitching longer outings.
There’s no faulting May, really, for being upset about an abrupt trade from a team he’s been with since 2016, but someone had to be pushed out. He wanted to start, so he’ll get to start in Boston. The Dodgers can’t really be blamed either for making a timely trade.
