Dodgers Rumors: Dodgers Considering a Dustin May Trade; Reluctant to Include Rushing & Freeland in Offers, Per Rosenthal
LOS ANGELES, CA—The 2025 Major League Baseball trade deadline is exactly one week away, and the Los Angeles Dodgers, a team with World Series aspirations, have plenty of holes to fill on their current roster.
Whether it’s the bullpen, a corner outfield bat, or starting rotation, Andrew Friedman and Co. are due for a busy seven days as they look to put the final touches on this year’s roster.
However, how they get those players and who the team is willing to let go of is another question entirely.
In Friedman’s tenure as the Dodgers’ President of Baseball Operations, he has been reluctant to overpay for any deal, opting to keep former top prospects such as Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler, Julio Urías, and countless other players who made a significant impact on the team from 2017 to 2024.
That may also be the case for this year’s trade deadline, with MLB insider Ken Rosenthal reporting that the Dodgers may be reluctant to include catcher Dalton Rushing and top prospects Alex Freeland, Josue De Paula, and Zyhir Hope, all of whom possess considerable upside.
Still, the Dodgers’ pipeline is filled with talent and has five prospects in the latest Top 60 prospect rankings by Keith Law of The Athletic.
- Josue De Paula (17th)
- Eduardo Quinero (19th)
- Zyhir Hope (49th)
- Ching-Hsien Ko (53rd)
- Mike Sirota (59th)
However, another possible trade chip for the Dodgers could be right-handed pitcher Dustin May, and the team is considering this option, according to Rosenthal.
May, 27, is in the final year of control with Los Angeles and is set to be a free agent after the conclusion of this season.
The former Dodgers top pitching prospect has battled multiple lengthy injuries throughout his career, with this season being his first back after undergoing revised UCL surgery in his right elbow and a life-threatening esophagus injury last summer.
After undergoing two Tommy John surgeries, May does not have the same flashiness in his arsenal with his fastball, which is a few ticks down from his 2019 debut season. However, the right-hander has shown himself to be healthy this season, making seventeen starts in eighteen appearances and setting a new career-high in innings pitched at ninety-nine.
However, May’s role with Los Angeles moving forward is cloudy with multiple arms rejoining the rotation, such as Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, Shohei Ohtani, and soon lefty Blake Snell.
A move to the bullpen could be in the cards if Los Angeles decides to keep the right-hander, an idea that was showcased on Monday with May piggybacking off Ohtani against the Twins.
Still, May’s value as a rental is low and won’t thread the needle as it would have in seasons past, as the righty has posted a 4.73 ERA this season. Add in the fact that the Dodgers are having issues keeping arms healthy on their pitching staff, and the team may be more inclined to keep him as insurance.
It is the second time we’ve heard May’s name mentioned as a trade rumor. Dodgers insider David Vassegh stated something similar on Dodgers Talk a few days ago.
Regardless, the team must make moves, especially to their bullpen, which ranks 25th in ERA and has pitched the most innings in baseball this season.
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