Dodgers GM's comments about trade deadline seem to be an indirect shot at Dustin May

Last year, the Dodgers made perhaps the biggest move of their trade deadline right at the buzzer, when they made a deal with the Tigers to get Jack Flaherty to LA. Although Tommy Edman has become the biggest long-term win, at the time, the Dodgers were in desperate need of another starter and Edman was still rehabbing from an injury.

This year, their biggest move also involved a pitcher and also came at the last second, but this time they sent someone away. Dustin May went to the Red Sox in return for top outfield prospects James Tibbs III and Zach Ehrhard. Blake Snell returned from the IL on Saturday against the Rays, and the Dodgers got to go to a six-man rotation for the first time this year.

In the aftermath of their (rather uneventful) deadline, Dodgers GM Brandon Gomes said, "Obviously there was a lot of action today throughout the game, and a lot of teams improved. But we feel really good about this group. [...] So as we continue to get some of our starters back, and then adding these pieces, and our guys just kind of playing up to their potential, we feel like it's a really, really strong team."

Brandon Gomes' comments on Dodgers' trade deadline kind of threw shade at Dustin May

The Dodgers dealt two more major league players, Hunter Feduccia and James Outman, but their presences were far less needful for the team. Feduccia was a No. 3 catcher who's only gotten two appearances in the majors this year, and Outman was a fourth outfielder who the Dodgers easily upgraded with Alex Call. May is a little different — even if the Dodgers were about to get Snell back, they almost always need arms.

May didn't necessarily have to be traded. They could've optioned Emmet Sheehan to the minors and kept May as their sixth starter, or added either/both to the bullpen for long relief. In effect, they ended up choosing Sheehan over May and decided they'd be a stronger team without the latter.

Gomes added that the team had conversations with May ahead of the trade, and he made it clear that starting was "very important to him" but didn't ask for a trade. May's 5.04 ERA as a Dodgers starter basically made the team's decision for him.

May made three of the best starts of his career to start the season, and maybe the Red Sox will be able to recover that side of him. The Dodgers clearly didn't feel very confident that they would before May hits free agency at the end of the season.