Dodgers acquire Jedd Gyorko and Adam Kolarek at the trade deadline

BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 13: Adam Kolarek #56 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles during game two of a doubleheader at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 13, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)
BALTIMORE, MD - JULY 13: Adam Kolarek #56 of the Tampa Bay Rays pitches during the ninth inning against the Baltimore Orioles during game two of a doubleheader at Oriole Park at Camden Yards on July 13, 2019 in Baltimore, Maryland. (Photo by Will Newton/Getty Images)

The trade deadline came and went for the Dodgers and in the minutes after the trade deadline, it was announced that the Dodgers did in fact trade for a reliever.

The Dodgers had an interesting few days leading up to the trade deadline as they traded away as many players as they acquired.  After trading away Rocky Gale today and Zac Rosscup earlier this week, the Dodgers acquired Jedd Gyorko and Rays’ left-handed reliever Adam Kolarek in two separate deals.

For Jedd Gyorko, the Dodgers traded away Tony Cingrani and Jeffry Abreu in return for international cap space, Gyorko, and cash considerations.  Jedd Gyorko is currently on the 60-day IL but he is eligible to be activated in another week.  Given that the non-waiver deadline is history, this is another depth move with Chris Taylor and Kiké Hernandez both on the IL.

Gyorko is able to play second base, shortstop, and third base and has reached double-digit home runs in every season of his career with the exception being 2019.  This season, Jedd has just 56 at-bats and has a .196 average and two home runs to show for it.  He has a club option for next season that is likely going to be declined by LA.

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The second addition the Dodgers made is a more expected move as they acquired southpaw reliever Adam Kolarek from the Tampa Bay Rays.  The Dodgers sent Single-A outfielder Niko Hulsizer who is in the midst of a breakout power season.  He has 20 home runs this season between Great Lakes and Rancho Cucamonga.

In Kolarek the Dodgers get a reliever with many years of control.  Kolarek is not eligible to be a free agent until after the 2024 season.  Adam is 30 years old this season and was an eleventh round draft pick in 2010 by the New York Mets.  He has a 3.95 ERA this season and lefties have hit just .187 against him.

What will Adam Kolarek bring to the Dodger bullpen? He is capable of throwing five pitches which are a sinker, four-seam fastball, changeup, cutter, and slider. He throws his sinker 70.3% of the time and it averages 88.9 MPH.  Outside of his four-seamers which is used 11.2% of his pitches, all of Kolarek’s other pitches are used at a single-digit percentage rate.

It’s safe to say that Kolarek is a side-arming sinkerball pitcher that induces ground balls. His ground ball percentage this season is 64.3%.  He is comparable to Scott Alexander in that he is a lefty ground ball specialist, although Kolarek is much better against left-handed hitters.  Look out tomorrow as we grade the Dodgers’ trade deadline.

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