The Dodgers, White Sox, and Cardinals are making a three-team trade that will send Erick Fedde and Tommy Pham to St. Louis, Miguel Vargas, Jeral Perez, and Alexander Albertus to Chicago, and Tommy Edman, Michael Kopech and Oliver Gonzalez to Los Angeles.
This trade shows the Dodgers acquiring talent to rehabilitate, proves the Cardinals to be buyers, and marks the first domino in the White Sox being sellers.
The White Sox acquired infielder/outfielder Miguel Vargas and three Dodgers minor-league prospects. Chicago has the worst record in the MLB and has made it known that it will be a seller.
This is the first domino of their firesale, and they acquire three young players to rejuvenate their farm system. Vargas, a 24-year-old from La Habana, Cuba, is in his third MLB season for the Dodgers. He is enjoying his best year so far with a 108 OPS+ in 30 games but has not been able to find regular playing time due to log jams at his positions. The other two prospects are Perez, a third baseman from La Romana, Dominican Republic, and Albertus, a shortstop from Oranjestad, Aruba. Both have played this season primarily for the Rancho Cucamonga Quakes, the Dodgers’ Single-A affiliate. This season, Perez has a .800 OPS for the Dodgers’ Single A affiliate.
The Cardinals make their first big trade by the deadline, acquiring former KBO MVP Erick Feddeas, as they need some quality starting pitching. Fedde is 7-4 with a 3.11 ERA and on a favorable contract after signing a two-year deal worth 15 million with the White Sox this past offseason. Fedde will slot in near the top of the rotation for the Cardinals, who also get veteran outfielder Tommy Pham. Pham was a key contributor for a Diamondbacks team that went to the World Series last season and has a 102 WRC+.
The Dodgers, consistent buyers and contenders for the last decade, add a high-leverage bullpen arm in Kopech and a utility player in Edman. Edman has taken a step back this season from last year’s form, but the former gold glove winner provides defensive versatility for the Dodgers. The Dodgers are also known for acquiring slumping talents and improving them, as they did with Jason Heyward and Amed Rosario last season. The more important addition is Kopech, however, as he brings incredible velocity to the back end of their bullpen. Kopech has been the de-facto closer for Chicago in the first half after being a starter for them in the past.
The White Sox make their first sale of the deadline and still have big trade chips like Luis Robert and Garrett Crochet to deal if they get the value they are looking for. On the other hand, the Dodgers and Cardinals are currently in playoff spots, so it will be interesting to see how active they will continue to be.
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WBN MLB: https://worldbaseball.com/league/mlb/
Photo Credit: Miguel Vargas #27 of the Los Angeles Dodgers in the second inning at Dodger Stadium on July 22, 2024 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Ronald Martinez/Getty Images)
