2 former top Dodgers prospects resurface with Rays in unfortunate roster shuffle

The Dodgers very rarely lose a trade.

Some recent examples: the Mookie Betts deal (obviously) has become a legendary travesty for the Red Sox; trading for Jack Flaherty helped the Dodgers win the 2024 World Series and the two prospects they sent to the Tigers haven't exactly been lighting it up; the Michael Busch trade worked out pretty well for both the Cubs and Dodgers; and the Dustin May trade is the gift that just keeps on giving.

And then there's the Tyler Glasnow deal with the Rays, which sent pitcher Ryan Pepiot and outfielder Jonny DeLuca to Tampa. Pepiot has been solid but started the 2026 season on the IL, and DeLuca ended the 2025 season on the IL (though he has been very good so far this year).

The Dodgers were pretty much the clear winners basically no matter what, but Pepiot being moved to the Rays' 60-day IL with hip inflammation doesn't help Tampa's case.

The corresponding move involved another former Dodger who's been homeless since the Dodgers outrighted him in November 2025 and he elected free agency. Per Marc Topkin of the Tampa Bay Times, Michael Grove signed a major league deal with them ... and went straight onto the 15-day IL.

Former top Dodgers prospect Michael Grove signs MLB deal with Rays as another former top Dodgers prospect Ryan Pepiot goes to 60-day IL

The Dodgers really tried with Grove. He made his debut in 2022 and went on and off the 26-man roster through 2024, sometimes as a starter but almost entirely in relief by the end of his tenure. LA has some of the best pitching coaches in the game, but even they couldn't figure him out, and occasional flashes of dominance could never stick.

He didn't appear in a major league game in 2025 after undergoing labrum surgery in spring training, which he's still recovering from. No doubt he'll need as long a rehab stint as guidelines allow, so there's almost no way he'll appear for the Rays as soon as his 15 days are up.

But the Rays may be an even better landing spot for an ostensibly broken pitcher than the Dodgers. When they're successful, that's how they win — to the chagrin of every other AL East fan. They pick up guys you've never heard of and they take them through a mechanical tweak here, an adjustment there, and somehow turn them into players who can help them contend.

Make no mistake, the Dodgers are still the winners here. Glasnow has still struggled with injury since coming over to LA, but he's still been a member of both of their back-to-back championship teams and was fantastic in the postseason last year. Even if the Rays can figure Grove out, if Pepiot looks great when he comes back, if DeLuca continues to impress — the Dodgers still win.

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