Dodgers: Top 5 Non-Waiver Deadline Trades in the Past 5 Years

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LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 24: Dodgers’ Dave Roberts /

The non-waiver trade deadline is fast approaching, and it appears the Dodgers may be willing to sit this one out. It will be something Dodgers fans won’t be used to as the franchise has always been active around the end of July. Let’s take a look at the top five transactions that occurred around the deadline in the last five years.

From big splashes to little maneuvers, the month of July has always been active for the Dodgers. It’s seen two general managers work with over ten teams in bringing and sending pieces to complete a bigger picture. In July 2017, it may be surprising that some of the best moves were unmentioned when they occurred. However, the players acquired now play instrumental parts in the Dodgers’ historic run.

For this list, I’ll analyze the top five non-waiver trades that occurred in the month of July until the deadline. That means trades like Adrian Gonzalez and Chris Taylor don’t qualify. The analysis will include how players on all parties have impacted their respective teams in the majors from the time of the trade until now. In addition to how some players acquired paved the way for bigger lop-sided in the future.

DENVER, CO – MAY 11: Pitcher Josh Fields /

5. Yordan Alvarez for Josh Fields

Although Shane Victorino and Ricky Nolasco had more immediate impacts on the Dodgers after their acquisitions, that was about it. They would have made the list if Josh Fields hadn’t been as effective for the Dodgers since his acquisition. Fields only made a handful of appearances since the trade in 2016, but he was solid in those. Perhaps what adds more value to this trade is his 2017 form, as a reliable arm in the best bullpen in the league.

In his full year with the Dodgers, he is 6-0 with a 2.77 ERA in 52 innings pitched. Yordan Alvarez, on the other hand, is still in Single A for the Houston Astros. This trade currently is working in favor of the Dodgers, but may turn for the Astros in the future. He’s quickly moving up in their system as he’s hit .321 with ten home runs and 44 RBI in 2017 for two teams. Since this analysis can only account for major league totals, Fields beats out some other close deals.

LOS ANGELES, CA – JUNE 21: Grant Dayton /

4. Chris Reed for Grant Dayton

This trade was a bit more lopsided in favor of the Dodgers. Grant Dayton’s been a powerful presence in the back end of the Dodgers’ bullpen since his acquisition in 2016. He proved himself immediately last season, throwing 26.1 innings and holding a 2.05 ERA. His postseason had a hiccup when he gave up three runs against the Nationals, but other than that he was solid.

He’s continued to be reliable in 2017, but injuries have held him out. Injuries may also have affected his command which resulted in a doubling of his BB/9 from two to four. With his health perhaps his command and dominance will return. This will be vital for deciding what the Dodgers do this non-waiver deadline since their only target seems to be a left-handed reliever. Still, even if Dayton doesn’t return in his top form, the trade was essentially for free because Chris Reed retired in February.

3. Grant Holmes, Jharel Cotton, Frankie Montas for Rich Hill and Josh Reddick

Here’s when things get more interesting. The blockbuster deal that brought the Dodgers its much-needed number two starter and a replacement for a struggling Yasiel Puig is only third on the list. There are reasons why there are two better trades, but first a look at the players. Grant Holmes is not even in the majors but is struggling in the minors with an ERA close to 5. Jharel Cotton is in the majors but isn’t doing much to help his team. He’s 5-8 with a 5.17 ERA and only 67 strikeouts in 76 innings. Frankie Montas is doing much worse. In 28 big league innings, he has a 6.91 ERA and a 1.77 WHIP.

Rich Hill was the centerpiece of the trade, and he proved himself worthy of it. In his six regular season games with the Dodgers, he had a 1.83 ERA. Though those were stellar numbers, he was brought in for the postseason. After a rocky couple of starts, he shutout the Cubs in six innings allowing only two hits. This season, again after a rocky start, he’s found his dominant 2016 form. After surrendering seven runs to the Indians, he’s only allowed six runs in his last five outings. He’s also gone seven innings in three of his last four starts, striking out at least nine in his last three with only one walk.

Josh Reddick didn’t hit well while in the National League, but he provided some great defense. He had a flash of excellence in the NLCS, but only generated two runs in the postseason. Reddick is a reason why this trade wasn’t ranked higher, as he’s been more valuable for the Astros this year than he was in his brief stint with the Dodgers.

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 03: Hanley Ramirez /

2. Nathan Eovaldi and Scott McGough for Hanley Ramirez and Randy Choate

In 2008, Ned Coletti acquired an unwanted Manny Ramirez from the Red Sox, which propelled the Dodgers to an unexpected postseason trip to the NLCS. Four years later, he acquired another Ramirez (Hanley) from a Marlins team that wanted no part of him anymore. That move ended up in the Dodgers coming up one game short of a Wild Card game appearance in 2012 and another NLCS appearance in 2013. Hanley was by far the best hitter on that 2013 Dodgers team, despite missing significant time due to injuries. He slashed .345/.402/.638 with 20 homers and 57 RBI.

Although he was a major reason why the Dodgers were even in the playoffs that year, that was the extent of his impact. That’s not to say he didn’t produce in 2012 and 2014, but results reveal he wasn’t as much of an impact player. His WAR in 2013 was 5.4 and dropped to 3.5 in 2014. Two games on average don’t seem like too big of a drop-off, but the Dodgers failed to make it past the NLDS by two games. His injuries and defensive issues cost the Dodgers playing time and Clayton Kershaw a perfect game. The deal also didn’t set up future deals like the number one trade in the last five years at the deadline did.

1. Hector Olivera, Paco Rodriguez and Zachary Bird for Alex Wood, Bronson Arroyo, Luis Avilan, Jim Johnson and Jose Peraza.

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This was the best trade made at the deadline in the last five years. Wood’s 11-0 start in 2017 definitely pushed this deal beyond the others, but other aspects make it a solid deal.

First off, it seems a bit lopsided just by the number of prospects the Dodgers gave away to the Braves and Marlins. Zachary Bird, Hector Olivera, and a scuffling Paco Rodriguez went to Atlanta. Victor Araujo, Kevin Guzman, and Jeff Brigham went to Miami. In return, the Dodgers got Bronson Arroyo, Luis Avilan, Jim Johnson, Jose Peraza, oh and Alex Wood from the Braves. The Marlins sent over Mike Morse and Mat Latos over.

From this deal, only Avilan and Wood remain with the team. With Jim Johnson and Mat Latos, the results scream failure but keep in mind the Dodgers were desperate for pitching help that season. Bronson Arroyo and Mike Morse never even put on Dodger uniforms. So by the end of 2016, this deal looked mediocre at best. As I mentioned before, Wood’s 2017 so far pays this deal off and so does Avilan’s arm in the bullpen.

However, there’s another key part of this deal is Jose Peraza. Jose Peraza was the centerpiece of another trade that brought Trayce Thompson, Micah Johnson, and Frankie Montas over to the Dodgers. And as we already know, Frankie Montas brought Rich Hill to the Dodgers.

Next: Dodgers Should Stay Away From Verlander

The Dodgers have had a fair share of good deals at the non-waiver deadline. As the 2017 edition of the deadline approaches, the Dodgers appear to be content with making no transactions. Still, they are on the lookout for left-handed relievers, and if the deal presents itself on a silver platter why not take it? The Friedman-Zaidi administration have made some moves that left Dodger fans scratching their heads. But those moves were just brush strokes of the masterpiece that is the 2017 Dodgers.

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