The Dodgers’ Six Biggest Trade Acquisitions of the Last Six Years

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 23: Adrian Gonzalez #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on May 23, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 23: Adrian Gonzalez #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on May 23, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
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LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 23: Adrian Gonzalez #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on May 23, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – MAY 23: Adrian Gonzalez #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers at bat during the first inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium on May 23, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

The Dodgers have been one of the best teams in baseball over the last six seasons, making two World Series appearances and winning the NL West for six-straight seasons.

This has not been an accident. Shrewd trades both at the deadline and in the off-season have propelled the Dodgers into contention in almost every season since this six-year run began. In this article, I’ll recap the six biggest trades the Dodgers have made over the last six seasons in chronological order, starting in 2013.

Please note that this will not include when the Dodgers have dealt major players away for prospects, like in the recent Yasiel Puig trade or in the 2014 Dee Gordon trade, nor will it deal with free agent signings, like that of Zach Greinke in 2012.

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 03: Hanley Ramirez
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 03: Hanley Ramirez /

1. Hanley Ramirez joins the Blue Crew, July 2012

This trade technically occurred seven seasons ago, but it was important for what would happen in 2013, when the Dodgers began their playoff dominance. In one of the biggest Dodger trades since the deal for Manny Ramirez back in 2008,  the team acquired third basemen/shortstop Hanley Ramirez and lefty reliever Randy Choate in exchange for Nate Eovaldi and minor league pitcher Scott McGough.

The trade came at a time when the Dodgers needed some ‘oomph’ to add to their lineup, and Hanley came at a discount due both to the Marlins’ floundering in the standings and his personality flaws. The Dodgers didn’t seem to have the same problems with Ramirez.

In his first game with the Dodgers, Ramirez immediately demonstrated his prowess at the plate, as reported by ESPN:

Ramirez made his Dodgers’ debut in St. Louis on Wednesday night. Wearing No. 13, he was at third base and batted fifth. Ramirez finished 2 for 4, including a triple, and an RBI in the Dodgers’ 3-2 loss to St. Louis in 12 innings.

In his two and a half seasons with the Dodgers, Ramirez had a tough time staying on the field, only playing in 278 games with the Dodgers from 2012 to 2014. While he was healthy though, Ramirez really did provide value, not only in making the Dodger’s lineup feel more formidable but also in helping young players like Yasiel Puig acclimate to playing on the big stage:

Hanley finished his time in LA with 43 home runs, and 31 steals, but his legend is better recounted when told in terms of his playoff marks, and his single-season dominance in 2013.

The former-Rookie of the Year never got a playoff at-bat in Miami, but this would change right away once he reached the Dodgers. In his two NLDS series with the Dodgers in 2013 and 2014, the slugger hit a whopping .467 with 24 total bases, two steals, and more walks than strikeouts.

In 2013, Hanley was by far the best hitter on the Dodgers. His .345 batting average with 20 home runs in just 86 games helped propel the Dodgers into the playoffs, even though he played just over half of his team’s games, finishing eighth in NL MVP voting.

While Hanley was a key factor in helping the Dodgers regain their prominence in the NL West, the next few trades are what set up the Dodgers to maintain a historic stretch of dominance.

LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 14: Adrian Gonzalez #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits an RBI single in the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on April 14, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CALIFORNIA – APRIL 14: Adrian Gonzalez #23 of the Los Angeles Dodgers hits an RBI single in the seventh inning against the Arizona Diamondbacks at Dodger Stadium on April 14, 2016 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /

2. Adrian Gonzalez and three more expensive Red Sox bring All-Star talent to LA, August 2012

In the most memorable Dodger blockbuster of recent memory the Dodgers dealt for four time Gold Glove first basemen Adrian Gonzalez, four time All-Star Carl Crawford, three time All-Star Josh Beckett, and versatile second basemen Nick Punto.

Once again, this trade was technically completed before the Dodgers went on their 6-straight division title run, but it set the team up depth wise and with some star power in the middle of the order, pushing the team over the hump and into meaningful October baseball.

The three most memorable moments created by this trade all were huge Dodger moments, though none of these players helped the team make their World Series runs in 2017 or 2018.

For Gonzalez, his moment came in his first at-bat as a Dodger, when he blasted a home run to right field to the delight of plenty of new A-Gon fans who were lucky enough to be at the game.

For Punto, his best moments were after the Dodger’s walk-off wins. Punto was always full of passion for the game, and this quality shined brightest when he would chase down the walk-off hero and shred the jersey off his teammate’s back.

While Crawford really only hurt the team’s bottom line during his tenure, Beckett provided the most historical Dodger moment of any one player in this group. In his final season in the majors in 2014, the former-ace compiled 20 starts of a 2.88 ERA, but more notably Beckett tossed a no-hitter against the Philadelphia Phillies on May 25, 2014, walking three and striking out six.

This trade not only gave the Dodgers a postseason-caliber lineup, but it also put the Dodgers on the map in terms of being the MLB’s west coast financial juggernaut. In a time where the Giants were becoming a legendary dynasty, the Dodgers answered back by flexing their financial muscle under their new ownership group, fronted by Magic Johnson. And the trades that followed this one are what really shaped the team’s 2017 and 2018 future.

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 26: Yasmani Grandal #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers singles during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 26: Yasmani Grandal #9 of the Los Angeles Dodgers singles during the fifth inning against the Boston Red Sox in Game Three of the 2018 World Series at Dodger Stadium on October 26, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ezra Shaw/Getty Images) /

3. Matt Kemp and his contract are shipped south, bringing in Yasmani Grandal, December 2014

In what was a changing of the guard for the Dodgers outfield, at least until 2018, Matt Kemp left the only team he had ever known in order to clear the outfield and the clubhouse for young outfielder Yasiel Puig. Kemp, backup catcher Tim Federowicz, and $32 million were sent to the San Diego Padres to bring in a young switch-hitting catcher in Grandal, along with some young arms who were later shipped off in smaller moves, including Zach Eflin and Joe Wieland.

Grandal became a fixture in the Dodgers lineup for what would become the clear prime of his career. The powerful backstop crushed 89 home runs with Los Angeles over his four seasons and 510 games with the Dodgers.

Even though he experienced plenty of playoff woes and the booing the came with that, (which probably is what drove him to Milwaukee) Grandal solidified a position that is one of the most difficult to fill in all of baseball. Only a few catchers in the game today can provide the power and ability to stay on the field for over 100 games a season. In the four year span he played in LA, Grandal placed in the top-5 in games played, home runs, and WAR among catchers.

While he was a regular season monster, Grandal’s 32 postseason games produced almost no positive value, as he hit just .107 with 35 strikeouts. His presence behind the plate will be missed by the pitching staff, but his exit allowed for the return of fan-favorite Russell Martin to LA.

LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 27: Pitcher Rich Hill #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers follows through on his pitch in the fourth inning during Game Four of the 2018 World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
LOS ANGELES, CA – OCTOBER 27: Pitcher Rich Hill #44 of the Los Angeles Dodgers follows through on his pitch in the fourth inning during Game Four of the 2018 World Series against the Boston Red Sox at Dodger Stadium on October 27, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Harry How/Getty Images) /

4. Dodgers go out and get Rich Hill and Josh Reddick at the deadline, August 2016

In the first of what will be three straight years of deadline deals that make this list, the Rich Hill trade with the Oakland Athletics was the first of the three. In this deal, the Dodgers acquired the blister-riddled lefty and right fielder Josh Reddick for pitching prospects Jharell Cotton, Grant Holmes, and Frankie Montas. While Cotton and Montas have had decent stretches with the As, neither have been able to stick with the major league club.

Hill on the other hand, after being extended by the Dodgers, has become a mainstay and fan-favorite in LA.  Besides his solid regular season numbers, Hill nearly gave the Dodgers a win in the 2018 World Series against the Red Sox, which I recounted two months ago when grading Hill’s 2018 season, in his gutsy six shutout inning performance in Game 4 at Dodger Stadium.

Immediately after being acquired by the Dodgers, Hill began to produce. Or at least once he came off the DL. Hill’s blister battle kept him off the field until August 24, when Hill got the win after spinning six shutout innings against the rival Giants. He went on to pitch three straight shutouts in his first three appearances with LA, including this gem against the Giants, helping lead the pitching staff into October.

Of course, the trade was not a complete success, as at first Reddick produced almost nothing for the Dodgers. In his first month with the club, the two-time AL Wilson Player of the Year hit just .161. But he turned it on in September, hitting .400 with a pair of homers and steals, and actually put up good postseason numbers, even though he was not highly thought of by Dodger fans by season’s end. Reddick hit .308 with 3 steals in the playoffs, but he had no extra-base hits, something that may have ingratiated him to Dodger fans.

While Reddick left LA the following season to win a ring with the Houston Astros, against the same Dodgers, Hill’s place as a Dodger stalwart in the rotation makes this deadline deal for a pair of rentals one of the most notable Dodger trades of the last half-decade.

HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: Yu Darvish #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch during the first inning against the Houston Astros in game three of the 2017 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images)
HOUSTON, TX – OCTOBER 27: Yu Darvish #21 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws a pitch during the first inning against the Houston Astros in game three of the 2017 World Series at Minute Maid Park on October 27, 2017 in Houston, Texas. (Photo by Jamie Squire/Getty Images) /

5. Dodgers make a play for the biggest available pitcher, trade for Yu Darvish, August 2017

This was the trade every Dodger fan wanted but was too afraid to imagine because they felt that Friedman would not want to part with cost-controlled prospects. But the Dodgers got it done, and the baseball world took notice. Here’s MLB.com’s Ken Gurnick’s report on the Darvish deal:

The bold upgrade of the pitching staff reaffirms management’s commitment to ending a World Series drought since 1988. The club didn’t trade any of its top three prospects as ranked by MLBPipeline.com — Walker Buehler, Alex Verdugo and Yadier Alvarez. “I think it will definitely be an emotional boost for the team, although it’s hard to say they need it,” said general manager Farhan Zaidi

Arguably most exciting of any of the three rental deals of 2016, 2017, 2018, deadline deals because of how well the Dodgers were playing at the time of the trade, much of the baseball world said that this trade guaranteed the Dodgers a spot in the big dance in October.

Even though Darvish struggled mightily in the World Series, (memories that are too painful to dredge up again even in writing) he was very important in helping the Dodgers secure the best record in the National League and breeze through the NL playoffs.

In his nine regular season starts after the trade, Darvish struck out less than five batters only once, and nine or more three times, going 4-3 overall, though two of the losses were one-run games.

Darvish shined in the NLDS and NLCS in his starts against the Dbacks and the Cubs, respectively. At Arizona, Darvish hurled 5 two-hit innings of one-run ball with seven strikeouts in the 3-1 win. His Chicago start was even better, as Darvish lasted 6.1 innings in this outing, allowing just one run off of a solo shot and again striking out seven.

Things changed once he reached the World Series though. In his two World Series appearances, Darvish lasted just 1.2 innings each time, ceding 4 earned runs in each of the heart-breaking losses that knocked the Dodgers off of their pedestal.

After his shortcomings in the World Series, Dodger fans did not want to see him back for 2018, even though he loved his time in the city and with the team. Here’s what the LA Times reported about resigning Darvish all the way back in January 2018:

The question isn’t whether they could do it. The question is why would they do it? Why would they want to do this to Dodgers fans? Why would they want to do this to Darvish? No reminder is necessary to anyone living within 1,000 miles of Chavez Ravine, but we’ll put it out there anyway. Many people believe Darvish cost the Dodgers last season’s World Series championship. If there’s one shoulder carrying the blame, it’s his. If there was an October villain, it’s him.

Darvish had no chance of returning to LA once the Cubs made him a generous pitch of 6 years and $126 million, and the Dodgers are fine with that now, but the team lost a fairly highly-ranked prospect in the trade, as they sent Willie Calhoun to Texas to complete the transaction.

Calhoun will be 24 next season, and to this point his best MLB season was last year, when the defensively-challenged slugger got 99 at-bats with the Rangers, hitting just 2 home runs with a .220 batting average. His hit-tool has been highly-touted for years now, and if the Rangers expect to contend in the future, they’ll need Calhoun to act on some of his lofty potential.

Even though Darvish would have come at a discount in 2018, the Dodgers seemed to have made the right move, saving their payroll for younger players and hopefully for a more fruitful 2019-20 winter off-season.

BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 24: Manny Machado #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws out J.D. Martinez (not pictured) #28 of the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning in Game Two of the 2018 World Series at Fenway Park on October 24, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images)
BOSTON, MA – OCTOBER 24: Manny Machado #8 of the Los Angeles Dodgers throws out J.D. Martinez (not pictured) #28 of the Boston Red Sox during the fourth inning in Game Two of the 2018 World Series at Fenway Park on October 24, 2018 in Boston, Massachusetts. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

6. The biggest fish available in Machado is reeled into LA for no major prospects, July 2018

The trade that should be the most fresh within the conscious of every Dodger fan is the most recent deadline mega-deal completed by the Friedman front office, the Manny Machado deal provided another example that Friedman prefers to build his team through rentals rather than through offseason moves.

The trade saw Manny Machado wrenched from Baltimore for a large prospect haul that included Yusniel Diaz, Rylan Bannon, Dean Kremer, Zach Pop, and Breyvic Valera. While Diaz, Pop and Bannon all have put up solid numbers in the minor leagues, especially last season, none seem to have the potential to provide even half of a season of Machado’s caliber.

The Machado deal was even more of a guaranteed rental than the last two deadline deals, as Machado was brought in to play shortstop in place of the injured Corey Seager, who is set to return this season from Tommy John surgery.

While Machado may be best remembered for his lack of hustle in the playoffs, and his honesty when admitting that he isn’t a hustling type of player, he did plug a gaping hole in the Dodgers lineup. The lanky shortstop slashed .273/.338/.487 after arriving in LA, popping 13 homers in just 66 games.

In his first 12 games after the trade, Machado hit .323 with 6 homers and 4 steals, a blazing pace that he would not be able to sustain during the rest of his Dodgers tenure.

Machado hit .266 with 7 homers in August and .276 with 4 homers in September. The Dodgers went 39-28 over his time on the team, a good enough record to take the NL West after winning game 163 against the Rockies, a game in which Machado went 1-4 with a strikeout. He was able to stay on the field as well, only missing one game after the trade.

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In the playoffs, Machado disappointed. He hit just .227 with 18 strikeouts and 4 walks in 66 ABs. His best stretch during the playoffs came between the Atlanta and Milwaukee series, where he went on a five-game hitting streak that saw three multi-hit games and two homers and two doubles. The Dodgers went 3-2 during this stretch, and he helped the team scratch and claw their way into the NLCS game 7, where he went 2-4 and scored a run in the 5-1 win.

His World Series went steeply downhill. Though he recorded a hit in each of the first four World Series games, Machado went 0-4 with 3 strikeouts in game 5, when the Dodgers needed the former-AL East standout to lead the way.

While the move undoubtedly pushed the Dodgers over the Rockies and gave them another shot to win the title, his lackluster performance in the World Series has left Dodgers fan with a sour taste in their mouths. Machado probably won’t be headed back to LA, even if the Dodgers have been rumored to be testing the waters with him.

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Hopefully, the next Friedman deadline deal provides a better, longer-lasting fit than the last two rentals, and maybe even a player who can deliver the oft-desired World Series ring to Chavez Ravine.

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