Cody Snavely
While the 2023-24 MLB offseason has slowed, the Dodgers have been busy on the free agent/trade market for the last two weeks. Since the signing of Shohei Ohtani, the direction the team is taking for 2024 is taking shape, and their dire need for starting pitching is an issue that needs to be addressed.
Enter Tampa Bay Rays pitcher Tyler Glasnow, whom the Dodgers acquired via trade this past week and extended for another 5-year, $136.5 million. However, for many Dodgers fans, the trade is a considerable risk, and replacing the high upside and years of control with Ryan Pepiot is no easy thing to replace.
Why the Dodgers needed Glasnow
The Dodgers entered the 2023-24 MLB offseason after an embarrassing three-game sweep to the eventual National League Champion Arizona Diamondbacks. While the offense went cold, the bigger story was the starting pitching or the lack thereof. With Clayton Kershaw, a free agent, Lance Lynn signing with the Cardinals, Walker Buehler returning from his second Tommy John, and Rookie pitchers rounding out the rotation, the Dodgers’ most significant need was well-documented.
Tyler Glasnow’s name has been thrown around all offseason, and the Dodgers and Rays have had conversations going back to the Winter Meetings. Glasnow is a name that the Dodgers had on their radar due to his stuff and high upside. However, his health has been a considerable concern at this point in his career. Add in the Ryan Pepiot part of the deal; for many, it is a head-scratcher. Although, the deal should be considered a win-now move for a proven pitcher in the league.
The Dodgers will have to replace Pepiot, who was slated to be a big piece of their rotation, but the move symbolizes that the Dodgers need “proven” arms for October, and Pepiot is more of a luxury. The Dodgers add the cherry on top by signing Glasnow to an extension for the same years of control Pepiot had.
Why the Glasnow extension makes sense
The trade for Tyler Glasnow has been discussed for over a week, but no signs of an extension were rumored. Once the trade package was finalized and Glasnow inked an extension to stay with LA beyond the 2024 season, it leveled out the trade for both sides. However, the extension is not just crucial for the 2023-24 offseason but also next year’s offseason.
The Dodgers’ shortage of arms in the rotation has as much to do with injury as anything else, but one arm approaching free agency next year is Walker Buehler. Any front office will look at the current season and the years ahead and see that this extension is a “contingency plan” if Buehler decides to walk in free agency.
Buehler, who is entering his final year of arbitration, is also coming off his second career Tommy John Surgery, and the type of pitcher we are getting is unknown. However, if he performs well, there is no doubt he will likely test the market. The Dodgers’ current state of the rotation in 2025 is also banking on Ohtani going back to the two-way player he is and having Tony Gonsolin and Dustin May back in the fold, too. Theoretically, the starting five could look like this with the Glasnow extension.
- Shohei Ohtani
- Tyler Glasnow
- Tony Gonsolin
- Dustin May
- Emmet Sheehan/Gavin Stone/any other minor-league pitcher
While Walker Buehler would make that rotation better, the Dodgers have covered their tracks well if he decides to leave LA next offseason.
What about Glasnow’s health?
The idea of what Glasnow is in terms of pitching is exciting. The Dodgers are getting one of the best “pure” stuff guys in the league with high velocity and wicked offspeed stuff. However, the injury problem is an issue with Glasnow.
However, Glasnow debunked this as he explained that his arm/elbow injuries have been just one lingering injury. Glasnow explained that he experienced elbow pain in the 2019 season, and while multiple MRIs with the team showed no damage or tear, he still felt the pain. Enter the 2021 season where, Glasnow could no longer take the pain and decided to undergo surgery where, to the doctor’s and his surprise, they saw that the UCL was not torn but not attached.
Glasnow recovered from the surgery in the 2022 season, debuting toward the end of the regular year. However, 2023 was his first true season recovered, arguably his best year yet. Glasnow pitched a career-high in innings, tossing 120 IP along with 21 starts, 162 strikeouts, and a 3.53 ERA. 2024 will be a huge season to make another step in his progression. If not for an oblique injury, Glasnow could have made nearly 30 starts for the first time in his career, which the Dodgers need.
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