Dodgers Trade Away Outfielder for Dual-Threat Prospect

The Dodgers sent Luke Raley to Tampa Bay for an interesting prospect in return.

The Dodgers front office might have consumed more caffeine than a class of med school students last week. Team president Andrew Friedman, general manager Brandon Gomes, and their staff made enough transactions to make anyone's head spin. The bulk of work was done in the free agent market, but on Friday, the team executed a trade with the Tampa Bay Rays.

#Dodgers and the Rays have completed a trade. Luke Raley has been traded to Tampa Bay. Dodgers get minor league reliever Tanner Dodson, per source. @JeffPassan on it.

— Juan Toribio (@juanctoribio) March 18, 2022

LA sent 27-year-old outfielder Luke Raley to Friedman's old stomping grounds in return for outfielder and pitcher Tanner Dodson. Last year, Raley slashed .182/.250/.288 in 72 plate appearances with the Dodgers. He might turn out to be a fine player, but he looked overmatched at times at the plate. 

This isn't the first time Raley has been traded away by the Dodgers. After being drafted in the seventh round by the Dodgers in the 2016 draft, Raley was sent to the Twins in the deal that brought Logan Forsythe to LA.

Raley was then traded back to LA in the 2020 deal that sent Kenta Maeda out to Minnesota and Brusdar Graterol into LA.

The Dodgers received an interesting player in return for their most recent jettisoning of Luke Raley. Tanner Dodson was the Rays second-round pick in the 2018 draft. The former Cal Bear has pitched and played the outfield in his time in the Rays system. Dodson has a 3.11 career ERA in the minor leagues. The righty produced a 3.20 ERA last year between stops in High-A and Double-A.

Dodson has also played some outfield over his last 3 years in minor league ball. The Sacramento native has a .654 OPS over 317 plate appearances in professional baseball. 

Like former Rays reliever Adam Kolarek, Dodson could have some two-way potential, but will likely make it the big leagues as a pitcher, not an outfielder, according to most scouts.