The Los Angeles Dodgers appear to have found at least one answer in their search for starting pitching, agreeing to acquire right-hander Mat Latos from the Miami Marlins. Los Angeles will also receive first baseman and outfielder Michael Morse in the deal, along with Miami’s competitive balance pick in next year’s draft.
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The Marlins will obtain three prospects in the exchange, though they are not known at this time. Miami is also not responsible for paying any of the remaining salary on the contracts of Latos and Morse.
Latos, who we earlier identified as a second-tier starter poised to help a contender down the stretch, hopes to continue his recent strong form on the West Coast. In his last seven starts since returning from a DL stint, he has posted a 2.96 ERA, allowing 33 hits and striking out 43 in 45.2 innings.
His overall 4.48 ERA on the season might not be very impressive, but a 3.34 FIP among other peripheral statistics suggests he has performed better than it might otherwise seem. Playing in front of the Dodgers’ strong defense should allow him to experience better results than he did in Miami. He will become a free agent at season’s end.
Morse, on the other hand, does not appear to have a clear-cut niche on the Dodgers roster. After helping the Giants to a World Series victory last season, he has struggled mightily (.592 OPS) in 2015. Agreeing to take on Morse’s salary (he inked a two-year, $16 million contract with the Marlins over the winter) likely provided L.A. a serious boost in closing this deal. The Dodgers could certainly attempt to flip him to another team before the deadline if they choose.
The Dodgers needed a mid-rotation arm to slot behind Clayton Kershaw and Zack Greinke, and Latos looks like a solid option for that role. But does his arrival affect their pursuit of frontline starters like Cole Hamels and David Price? According to Bob Nightengale of USA Today, L.A. always intended to add two starters and will still attempt to land one of the big pitching prizes on the market.
Both the Dodgers and Marlins figure to remain active over the next couple of days, as buyers and sellers respectively. The action should only continue to heat up as we approach Friday’s trade deadline.