One team sold the future and went all-in, and one team failed to properly step on the accelerator. However, the result is the exact opposite.
The Major League Baseball (MLB) Los Angeles Dodgers won 6-2 against the Milwaukee Brewers in the 2023 MLB regular season held at Dodger Stadium in Los Angeles, California, 메이저놀이터 USA on the 16th (Korean time). With this victory, the Dodgers, who recently won 9 games in a row, maintained their first place in the National League West Division with a season winning rate of 0.610 (72-46). The ride with the 2nd place San Francisco Giants reaches 9 games.
Each MLB team was focused on the last power supply ahead of the trade market deadline on the 2nd (Korean time). The Texas Rangers and Houston Astros, which are looking to win, are examples. Texas acquired Max Scherzer from the Mets for top prospect Luis Angel Acuña, while Houston acquired Justin Verlander, also from the Mets, for Drew Gilbert and Ryan Clifford.
The Dodgers, which had a strong chance of advancing to the postseason this year, also attempted to recruit a large pitcher. The Dodgers were also linked with Verlander and were eager to trade Eduardo Rodriguez, the ace of the Detroit Tigers, but Rodriguez used the right to veto the transfer and failed in the final signing. Based on many prospects, they were named as candidates for recruiting several starting pitchers, but in the end, all they recruited was Lance Lin, who had an average ERA of 6 points.
After all, all the Dodgers acquired over the summer were minor resources. They traded troublemaker starter Noah Syndergaard to the Cleveland Guardians for infielder Ahmed Rosario. The Boston Red Sox acquired Kike Hernandez, a former Dodgers-winning member, and gave up two prospects. Both hitters were close to backup resources. Neither spending nor recruiting was small enough that Nick Nastrini, who was given to Lin, was a promising prospect who could be said to be the main expense.
However, after the trade deadline, the Dodgers became the team that laughed the most. The Dodgers recorded 13 wins and 1 loss in 14 games after the deadline with a victory over Milwaukee on the 16th. This is the highest win rate over the Texas Rangers (12-2). It is a striking result even though he has many schedules against weak teams such as the Oakland Athletics and Colorado Rockies.
In particular, all of the resources that have been traded are performing more than expected. In the game against Milwaukee on the 16th, Hernandez became the protagonist of the wedge. At the end of the 6th inning, when the team turned 2-1, Hernandez played a decisive role in helping the team win by adding 2 RBIs with a heavy grounder hit that split the infield. With his performance on this day, his performance after the transfer reached a batting average of 0.321 OPS and 0.861. It has changed 180 degrees from his days in Boston (0.222 batting average, 0.599 OPS).
Besides Hernandez, most of the transfer players are outstanding. Lin is playing an ace-class performance with an average ERA of 2.00 and 22 strikeouts in 3 games, 18 innings, 3 wins and no losses. Joe Kelly, who stayed with an ERA in the second half of the 4-point range, recorded 7 strikeouts in 3 2/3 innings without a run, and was temporarily taken off the injured list. Long relief Ryan Yarbrough also played 10 1/3 innings in 3 games, leaving 1 win and undefeated ERA of 1.74. Rosario also became a platoon resource with a batting average of 0.277 and an OPS of 0.824 while playing second base.
While the Dodgers are running, there are also teams that have sat down in the opposite direction. Unlike the Dodgers, the rival Los Angeles Angels spent all-in on the possibility of fall baseball while spending the best prospect in the team. They acquired starting pitcher Lucas Giolito and reliever Reynaldo Lopez from the Chicago White Sox in exchange for catcher prospect Edgar Quero and left-handed pitcher prospect Kai Bush.
Quero is the best resource on the team next to Logan Ohoff, who the Angels virtually graduated from. Giving up on him is an expression of his firm will to go to fall baseball before Shohei Ohtani’s FA (free agent) approaches.
But the Angels are just 3-11 after the deadline. Giolito, who was recruited ambitiously, is sluggish with an average ERA of 8.14 with 1 win and 3 losses. It is the opposite result from the Dodgers who had fun with lean. After the transfer, Lopez struggled with an average ERA of 1.29 in 6 games, but Giolito failed to play his role, and the existing players were sluggish, leading to a sharp decline.
Los Angeles Dodgers David Peralta celebrates in the dugout after scoring against the Milwaukee Brewers on the 16th (Korean time). AP = Yonhap News
At the time of the all-in, the Angels’ postseason odds were 14.8%, according to fangraphs. It was low, but if you went all-in, there was a little chance. However, after more than 15 days, the possibility is only 0.5%. On the other hand, the Dodgers’ probability of winning the division, which was 76.2% at the time, rose sharply to 98.8%. The postseason odds are 100%. Ohtani was away from the fall this year as well, but the Dodgers prepared for the fall as always this year.