Dodgers reportedly nearing trade for former fan favorite and worst starter in MLB
This is a near carbon-copy of Andrew Friedman trading for Kiké Hernandez and Amed Rosario.
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The Los Angeles Dodgers already reunited with one fan favorite. They already traded for one of the most disappointing performers at a specific position in MLB. Welcome to LA, Kiké Hernandez and Amed Rosario!
But Andrew Friedman's dealings are far from over. And on Friday reports surfaced suggesting he was nearing another trade for two players of similar profiles.
According to Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic, the Dodgers are nearing a deal with the Chicago White Sox that would send pitchers Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn to LA. Earlier in the day, Joel Sherman of the New York Post linked those two arms to the Dodgers. FanSided's Robert Murray also mentioned the fit and active talks on Thursday's episode of The Baseball Insiders.
Kelly, a former Dodger and fan favorite, just like Hernandez, has been going through it this year. In 31 games, he's 1-5 with a 4.97 ERA, 3.25 FIP, 1.31 WHIP and 41 strikeouts in 29 innings. He was sidelined not too long ago with an elbow issue.
As for Lynn, he has the worst ERA of all qualified starters. He's 6-9 with a 6.47 ERA, 5.22 FIP and 1.46 WHIP in 21 starts. He's allowed the most hits, earned runs, and home runs in the American League. BUT ... he's struck out 144 batters in 119.2 innings and ranks in the 84th percentile for whiff percentage. Something there?
Dodgers close to agreement to acquire Lance Lynn and Joe Kelly, sources tell @TheAthletic. Possibility mentioned by @JoelSherman1.
— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 28, 2023
Dodgers reportedly nearing trade for Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn
Kelly's had a rough month of July, but sported a 2.86 FIP through June. His velocity and strikeouts are there, so perhaps the Dodgers are confident his addition to the bullpen (and familiarity with the team) will help him get back on track. It'll also help Kelly if he's pitching in meaningful games, something he hasn't been doing in Chicago.
Lynn, on the other hand, seems to be a reclamation project of sorts. Maybe the Dodgers work to keep him in the back end of the rotation. Maybe they convert him to a reliever for the final two months of the season. At the very least, his stuff is more promising than Noah Syndergaard's, which is why the Dodgers got rid of him the moment they had the opportunity to do so.
Full trade, per ESPN sources:
— Jeff Passan (@JeffPassan) July 28, 2023
Los Angeles Dodgers receive: RH starter Lance Lynn and RH reliever Joe Kelly
Chicago White Sox receive: RH starter Nick Nastrini (in Double-A), RH reliever Jordan Leasure (Double-A) and OF Trayce Thompson, who was originally drafted by Chicago.
There are the full details of the trade. The Dodgers give up very little in return for a big-league duo that could help their playoff push.
And guess what? There are still four days left before the deadline. Buckle up.