Dodgers acquire shortstop Amed Rosario from the Guardians - Los Angeles Times
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Dodgers acquire shortstop Amed Rosario from Guardians for Noah Syndergaard

Cleveland Guardians' shortstop Amed Rosario runs to first base
Cleveland Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario runs to first base against the Pittsburgh Pirates on July 19.
(Gene J. Puskar / Associated Press)
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Even after trading for Kiké Hernández on Tuesday, the Dodgers said they weren’t necessarily done trying to add a bat.

As it turns out, they waited barely 24 hours to go get another.

The Dodgers on Wednesday acquired Cleveland Guardians shortstop Amed Rosario in exchange for struggling pitcher Noah Syndergaard and cash considerations.

It’s a low-cost, potential-upside trade for the Dodgers, giving them another platoon option on the right side of the plate.

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A seven-year veteran who will be a free agent after this season, Rosario batted .265 for Cleveland this year with three home runs, 40 RBIs and a below-league-average .675 on-base-plus-slugging percentage.

The 27-year-old, however, has been better against left-handed pitching, with a .303 average and .822 OPS.

He had also heated up of late, batting .291 with a .749 OPS in 20 games this month.

Where Rosario will play defensively is a question mark. After being one of the worst-graded shortstops in the majors this year — a position the Dodgers already have filled with Miguel Rojas — it’s likely Rosario will play elsewhere, possessing past professional experience at third base and in the outfield.

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Nonetheless, manager Dave Roberts was optimistic after the Dodgers’ 8-1 loss to the Toronto Blue Jays on Wednesday.

“I know he’s a heck of a ballplayer,” Roberts said before the trade was finalized.

And with Syndergaard going out the door, it’s also a trade with virtually no cost.

Los Angeles Dodgers pitcher Noah Syndergaard throws during the first inning.
Noah Syndergaard had a 1-4 record and a 7.16 ERA in 12 starts with the Dodgers this season.
(Ashley Landis / Associated Press)

Syndergaard had been one of the Dodgers’ bigger signings this offseason, a $13-million addition expected to round out the rotation. However, the once hard-throwing phenom never found success with the club, posting a 7.16 ERA in 12 starts before going on the injured list in late June.

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Officially, Syndergaard’s IL stint was for a finger blister that had bothered him off and on throughout the year. Really, though, the Dodgers were trying to find an escape hatch for the right-hander, sending him out on a rehabilitation assignment while evaluating his prospects on the trade market.

While it initially seemed like a long shot, the Dodgers found a willing partner in a second-place Guardians squad, swapping an underperforming arm who was unlikely to pitch for them again for an underwhelming bat that could benefit from a fresh start.

Acquired from the Boston Red Sox, Kiké Hernández knows he’s “not in any position to be asking for playing time” because of his struggles this season but looks forward to helping the team with whom he won a title.

July 26, 2023

Like Hernández, Rosario has been mired in one of his worst career seasons. Neither is likely to move the needle much for a Dodgers team that already possessed one of MLB’s better offenses.

But between both of them, the team is hoping to get potentially valuable late-season platoon production, wasting little time to check off one of their many trade deadline boxes.

“For the most part, teams are less apt to trade before that 11th hour,” Roberts said. “So it’s unique, and I think it’s great. Because all these games matter. So if there’s a player we identify that can help us win now, I applaud that.”

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