After their pursuit of Minnesota Twins second baseman Brian Dozier didn't pan out, the Los Angeles Dodgers remained patient and continued to hunt for an upgrade at second base. Now they've found it in a player President of Baseball Operations Andrew Freidman is very familiar with. On Monday, the Dodgers acquired Tampa Bay Rays second baseman Logan Forsythe in exchange for pitching prospect Jose De Leon.
This marks the second time Freidman has traded for Forsythe's services. For Los Angeles, the deal fills an immediate hole at second base and also fits with its team mold very well.
The 30-year-old second baseman was productive last season for the Rays. In 567 plate appearances, Forsythe registered a 113 wRC+ and .336 wOBA with 20 home runs and 76 runs scored. While his batting average sat at just .264, Forsythe drew walks consistently with 46 drawn on the year. His season was a slight drop from the career year he had in 2015 when he had a 125 wRC+, .350 wOBA and stole seven bases in addition to his 19 home runs.
Last season, Forsythe finished with a 2.8 Wins Above Replacement (WAR) and was excellent in 2015 with a 4.0 WAR. He offers the Dodgers an immediate upgrade at second base and can also play the outfield if needed in emergency situations.
Forsythe's contract runs for the next two seasons at $14.5M total, which includes an $8.5 million club option for the 2018 season. Given his numbers and versatility, it could be a solid value with the increasing salaries around the league.
The deal adds to a long line of moves by the Rays where they continue to shuffle in more young pitching, even with the surplus they already have at the position.
After trading away Drew Smyly and with reports of Jake Odorizzi as a potential trade candidate before spring training, Tampa Bay adds more insurance and long-term upside with the addition of De Leon.
Entering 2017, De Leon came in as a consensus top-five prospect in the Dodgers' farm system by MLB.com, FanGraphs and Baseball America. He is widely viewed as one of the top-60 prospects in baseball as well.
After he registered a 12.33 K/9, 3.24 FIP and 3.62 K/BB ratio across 76 2/3 innings in Double-A during the 2015 season, De Leon's name was on the rise and he shot up prospect rankings. Last season he was still fairly sharp with an 11.57 K/9, 3.24 FIP and 5.55 K/BB ratio across 86 1/3 innings in Triple-A.
He later got called up to Los Angeles, but struggled in his first taste of the big leagues with 19 hits, 12 runs and five home runs allowed in 17 innings. The 24-year-old may not have ace upside, but he could develop into an excellent No.2 starter who consistently shows great command.
The Rays gain a top, young pitching prospect who could be more prepared for the major leagues by mid-season, clearing the door for another trade. Meanwhile, Los Angeles addresses a major hole in the lineup and hangs onto the young pitchers who the organization was higher on.