Dodgers increasingly likely to trade surprise member of rotation at deadline

Dustin May is the Dodgers' probable starting pitcher against the Red Sox on Sunday despite a brief demotion to the bullpen. He pitched 4 2/3 scoreless innings on Monday against the Twins, behind Shohei Ohtani's three-inning start, and was credited with the win. Maybe it was enough for him to earn his spot in the rotation again, or maybe the Dodgers are hoping he'll prove his trade value at the last second.

Ken Rosenthal of the Athletic wrote on Thursday that May could be used in the Dodgers' expected deadline pursuit of star relievers. Someone will have to be bumped when Blake Snell comes off of the IL, and it'd probably be better for the Dodgers long-term to trade May when he still has a little bit of value rather than keep him and let him leave in free agency just a few months from now.

Fabian Ardaya noted that the Dodgers traded away a starting pitcher at both the 2023 and 2024 deadlines — Noah Syndergaard and James Paxton. Both Syndergaard and Paxton were on one-year deals, and those trades worked out extraordinarily well for LA as Syndergaard continued to pitch badly with the Guardians and Paxton almost immediately got hurt with the Red Sox.

May has produced mixed results this season, but if he can log a decent start against Boston in what could be his last hurrah as a Dodger, it would help LA's trade deadline pursuits.

Dustin May's name entering trade conversations as Dodgers gear up for active deadline

May had a great start to the season, pitching in three starts to a 1.06 ERA, and has miraculously managed to stay healthy despite years of injuries, but he was quick to take a turn for the worse as early as April 22. He's managed to give the Dodgers a few quality starts in the meantime, but he was thrown into the bullpen after a 4 2/3-inning, seven-run start against the Giants on July 11.

When Blake Snell comes off of the IL, the Dodgers could use a six-man rotation, or they could cut loose one of May or Emmet Sheehan. Sheehan could be a stronger trade piece, given his years of team control, but the Dodgers would probably rather send him back to the minors and deal May and/or prospects.

Rosenthal notes that May's actual value in a trade would be dicey, given his 4.73 ERA and extensive history of injury. Still, it would make sense for the Dodgers to try to get at least a little something back for him while they can, as it seems unlikely that he'll stay a Dodger after the season is over.