Dodgers division rival wastes no time swiping World Series-winning outfielder from LA

Less than a week after being crowned a World Series champion as a member of the Los Angeles Dodgers, Justin Dean has already landed with a new team – and it happens to be one of the Dodgers' most hated division rivals.

Los Angeles outrighted Dean on Thursday to clear room on the 40-man roster for Ryan Ward and Robinson Ortiz. The Dodgers' other 40-man casualties included Michael Grove, who was outrighted along with Dean, and Tony Gonsolin, who was designated for assignment.

But seemingly as quickly as the Dodgers dropped Dean, the San Francisco Giants picked him up off waivers, shifting him to the other side of the National League West rivalry.

Dodgers' unsung World Series hero Justin Dean lands with NL West rival Giants

Dodgers fans may remember Dean as the outfielder whose heads-up play in the ninth inning of World Series Game 6 allowed Los Angeles to invoke the dead ball rule when Addison Barger's line drive got wedged under the outfield padding. Dean threw up his hands to alert the umpires, and the result was a ground rule double. The Blue Jays failed to plate a run in the inning, and the Dodgers hung on to win Game 6 and force the winner-take-all Game 7 (and the rest, as they say, is history).

Though he didn't get a plate appearance during the Dodgers' postseason run in 2025, Dean entered 13 games as a defensive replacement. He also made 18 appearances for the Dodgers during the regular season (again, mostly on defense). In a limited sample size at the plate, he went 0-for-2 with a stolen base – though he did post a .378 on-base percentage at Triple-A, and he is a .252 minor league hitter for his career.

Dean is the consummate fourth outfielder, a strong defender who can play all three positions. He provides valuable depth, and he may even have a path to an everyday role in a Giants outfield that figures to see several offseason departures with players out of minor league options.

He may not have gotten much playing time with the Dodgers, but Dean will always be a hero in Los Angeles thanks to his feats in Game 6 of the World Series. He'll be sure to receive a warm welcome when he returns to Dodger Stadium, even as a member of the opposing team.