Former Dodgers Outfielder Traded to NL West Rival

A former friend and rival rejoins the division.

Mariners outfielder AJ Pollock will now call the Bay Area his new home after the Giants acquired him in a trade. 

The former Dodger will now join his third NL West team after breaking out earlier in his career with the Arizona Diamondbacks. 

Ken Rosenthal reported the deal that brought Pollock to the Giants. 

Source confirms: Giants acquiring outfielder AJ Pollock and utility man Mark Mathias from the Mariners. First: @JeffPassan

— Ken Rosenthal (@Ken_Rosenthal) July 31, 2023

After being part of the Dodgers World Series win in the 2020 season, Pollock had an incredible 2021, hitting .297 with an OPS of .892. 

Pollock was then traded before the 2022 season to the White Sox in a deal that brought back Craig Kimbrel to the Dodgers.

While Pollock didn't fare as well as in Dodger blue, his only season in Southside Chicago saw him play 138 games. In that tenure, he slashed a .245/.292/.389 line with an OPS+ of 93.

This season in the Emerald City hasn't gone any better for Pollock, but the Giants hope to spark his power bat in their race for the final wild-card spot in the tight National League.

Arizona, San Francisco, and the Dodgers have been closely contested all season long in the NL West, and with this deal, the Giants look to keep pace with their divisional foes. 

Pollock has a chance to see some old faces as the Diamondbacks are in San Francisco against the Giants for their current series. 

The Dodgers will next play host to Pollock and the rest of the Giants in late September near the end of the season for a three-game series at Chavez Ravine. 

A return to a familiar division could spark a late-season hot streak for Pollock and the Giants believe that he'll be able to return to form with a move to acquire his services. 

The Dodgers hold just a two-game lead over the Giants and this move certainly indicates that the Dodgers' oldest rival is hot on their trail.