Dodgers acquire Tommy Edman, Michael Kopech in three-team deal with Cardinals, White Sox
After waiting until the eve of this year’s MLB trade deadline to make their first big move, the Dodgers executed a complex maneuver Monday — landing utility man Tommy Edman and relief pitcher Michael Kopech in a three-team trade with the St. Louis Cardinals and the Chicago White Sox, according to multiple people with knowledge of the situation who weren’t authorized to speak publicly.
It was far from a blockbuster deal for the first-place but injury-plagued Dodgers. Edman is a career .265 hitter who has yet to play this season because of an offseason wrist surgery and an ankle sprain. Kopech is a hard-throwing, yet walk-prone, right-hander with a 4.74 ERA and nine saves this season.
But, both players come with upside — Edman as a switch-hitter and versatile defensive option in both the infield and outfield; Kopech as a talented former first-round pick who moved to the bullpen this year after being a starter in 2022 and 2023.
Both will fill holes on the Dodgers’ roster — providing added depth in the bullpen and at the bottom of the lineup.
The Dodgers are seen as capable of swinging an unexpected, last-minute blockbuster — or potentially content to make more marginal upgrades to their roster.
Both are under team control through the end of next season.
In return, the Dodgers sent outfielder Miguel Vargas and two minor league prospects, Jeral Perez and Alexander Albertus, to the White Sox. In addition, the Dodgers are sending a player to be named later or cash to the Cardinals and the White Sox.
In the other portion of the deal, the Cardinals acquired starting pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham from Chicago.
The Dodgers also acquired minor league right-handed pitcher Oliver Gonzalez from St. Louis in the deal.
Edman is the bigger get for the Dodgers, who’ve long had the 29-year-old utility man on their radar, according to a person with knowledge of the situation but not authorized to speak publicly. The five-year veteran has experience at second base, shortstop, third base and all three outfield positions in his MLB career, winning a Gold Glove at second in 2021. He has a career OPS of .726 — just about league average — and slightly better numbers as a left-handed hitter.
For the Dodgers, he could fill myriad roles.
The team’s third base plan is unclear, as Max Muncy remains sidelined by an oblique strain. The Dodgers are currently without either of their primary shortstops, Miguel Rojas and Mookie Betts, who are both on the injured list. Their outfield needed reinforcements, as well, with Vargas, rookie center fielder Andy Pages and veteran Jason Heyward all slumping in recent weeks.
The question with Edman is health. After being dogged by wrist issues in 2023, when he batted a career-low .248, Edman underwent surgery last October that forced him to sit out the start of this season. His return was further delayed by a sprained ankle he suffered in late June while fielding ground balls.
Edman has spent much of this month on a rehabiliation assignment with the Cardinals’ double-A affiliate, batting .207 in eight games. But he has not appeared in the field in that stretch, serving as a designated hitter in each game.
Kopech will offer more immediate assistance to an overworked Dodgers bullpen.
The right-hander hasn’t been lights out this season, mostly because of his 12.6% walk rate (seventh highest among MLB relievers with at least 40 innings pitched). Of his 14 save opportunities for the last-place White Sox, he has blown five.
The 28-year-old does throw a 98 to 99-mph fastball. He has a stellar 30.9% strikeout rate (15th best among MLB relievers). And he will give the Dodgers another late-inning option, a welcome addition to a relief unit that has combined for 93 ⅔ innings this month, third most in the majors.
Vargas was the centerpiece of the Dodgers’ three-player package to the White Sox.
A former top prospect who had struggled to find a place in the lineup the last two years, Vargas’ career .201 batting average in the big leagues belies the natural talent many evaluators see in his bat.
Dodgers manager Dave Roberts says the club is not sure of what moves it will make, but he says there are plenty of paths and options to improve.
At 24 years old, his relative youth also increased his value. And despite a recent slump, this season had still been his best at the plate in the majors, with a .239 batting average and .735 OPS.
Perez and Albertus were mid-tier prospects in the Dodgers organization, ranked 17th and 23rd in their farm system, respectively, by MLB Pipeline. The two infielders were both with Class-A Rancho Cucamonga.
As news of the trade leaked Monday, there were conflicting reports that another Dodgers prospect, infielder Noah Miller, would be going to the White Sox in the deal as well. Miller is the club’s 26th-ranked prospect, and was acquired this spring in a trade that sent Manuel Margot to Minnesota.
But Miller’s name was not included in the final package — one that industry observers saw as good value for the Dodgers, even if they’ve yet to land a true impact player ahead of Tuesday’s deadline.
Short hop
Earlier Monday, the Dodgers traded right-hander Ricky Vanasco to the Detroit Tigers for cash considerations. Vanasco had been designated for assignment last week.
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