On Wednesday night, the Cleveland Guardians completed a major trade. The purpose of this trade was to provide more playing time for Tyler Freeman and Gabriel Arias at shortstop, while also strengthening the team’s pitching depth at the Major League level. Following the trade’s official announcement, President of Baseball Operations Chris Antonetti explained the reasoning behind it.
Why did Dodgers trade for Amed Rosario?
Amed Rosario was not considered a permanent solution for Cleveland’s shortstop position, but rather a short-term fix. However, on Wednesday, he was traded to the Los Angeles Dodgers in exchange for pitcher Noah Syndergaard and nearly $1.9 million. The Guardians made this move in order to provide more playing time for their younger infielders, Tyler Freeman and Gabriel Arias. This trade addresses major needs for both contending teams.
A few years ago, Rosario joined the Cleveland team from the New York Mets as part of a major trade involving Francisco Lindor. Despite being a dependable player and a great leader for the AL Central champions, the Guardians decided it was time to focus on their future.
Despite a slow start at the plate this season, Rosario has improved his batting average to .265 and has hit six triples, three homers, and 40 RBIs. However, his defensive performance as a shortstop has been lacking, ranking among the worst in several categories. As a result, the Guardians have decided to give Gabby and Tyler more opportunities on the field.
According to Chris Antonetti, Cleveland’s president of baseball operations, this decision was made with respect to Amed, who has been an important part of the team as a veteran leader. The team wanted to be mindful of his expectations and the potential impact of transitioning him to a lesser role. Therefore, they felt that now was the right time to make this change.
Yesterday, during Cleveland’s 8-3 win over Kansas City, Rosario was absent from the game. He is eligible for free agency this winter and has been the subject of trade rumours for several months now. Arias, who had two hits, started in his place at shortstop. As part of the trade, the Dodgers are sending Cleveland $1,873,118 to balance out the salaries.
The Dodgers have taken steps to address their shortstop shortage by making a move. Mookie Betts, an All-Star, has been playing the position but is primarily a right fielder.
On Tuesday, the Dodgers acquired utilityman Kiké Hernández from the Boston Red Sox. Dodgers manager Dave Roberts expressed his admiration for Hernández as a player.
Meanwhile, Cleveland is currently two games behind first-place Minnesota and had to add a pitcher
due to injuries to their starters, Shane Bieber, Triston McKenzie, and Cal Quantrill.
As the season approaches its end, the Guardians have been relying on newcomers Tanner Bibee, Gavin Williams, and Logan Allen. However, the team needs to be cautious of their workload. In an effort to bolster the team, they are looking to add Syndergaard to the mix.
In light of Rosario’s departure, the team plans to fill his spot on the roster with outfielder Oscar Gonzalez.
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