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By Jackson Roberts
Contributing Sports Writer
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Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Dustin May is in an awkward spot with the trade deadline rapidly approaching.
Once thought of as a future fixture of the Dodgers' rotation, May has had his healthiest season ever in his walk year – but his performance hasn't been up to snuff. With a 4.73 ERA in 99 innings, May suddenly has to worry his time with the Dodgers could come to an end even sooner than expected.
Scheduled to start on Sunday against the Boston Red Sox, May knows his rotation spot is on the line every time he takes the ball. But is there a scenario in which he gets traded? And if so, what would the Dodgers be targeting?
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Ken Rosenthal of The Athletic shared the most likely answer to that question on Friday.
Rosenthal reported that the Dodgers would likely only trade May if they could get a major league outfielder in return, rather than a relief pitcher. Though the bullpen is an obvious need for LA, the thought is that May could fill that role when the rest of the rotation gets healthy.
"If the Dodgers move right-handed starter Dustin May, it likely would be for an outfielder and not a reliever, according to a source briefed on the club's plans. The team's preference is to trade from its farm system as opposed to its major-league roster," Rosenthal wrote. "Moving May for a reliever would seem pointless when the Dodgers could use him to fill that role himself.
"May, a potential free agent, might not like getting shifted to the bullpen. But with a 4.73 ERA and 18.2 percent strikeout rate, he would not have much of a case to stay in the rotation, particularly with left-hander Blake Snell expected to return next week and righty Roki Sasaki by the end of August."
The 27-year-old May is set to become an unrestricted free agent in November, so this was a big year for him to prove himself as a trustworthy rotation option. But the knock on him this year wasn't ineffectiveness; it was health.
So even if it means leaving the Dodgers, perhaps May has to be rooting for a trade at this point, assuming his next team would offer him a shot to continue starting. Because unfortunately, it's not very feasible for him to earn a big contract pitching out of the 'pen.
And the outfield market isn't all that strong this year, so if that's what May is rooting for, his odds aren't great.
More MLB: Blue Jays Predicted to Cut Ties With Surging Outfielder Due to Roster Crunch
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