After months of talks with Minnesota regarding the possibility of acquiring Brian Dozier to fill a vacancy at second base, the Dodgers opted to go a different route with announcement on Monday that the team traded for veteran infielder Logan Forsythe.
The Dodgers sent pitching prospect Jose De Leon to the Tampa Bay Rays in return for Forsythe, a former first-round draft pick of the San Diego Padres in the 2008 MLB Draft.
A career .255 hitter with 55 home runs and 203 RBI in 2280 at bats, Forsythe will not be an impact bat for the Dodgers, but he is a solid fielder and does a decent job hitting against left handed pitching.
“I just think you do as much digging as you can on a guy you are looking to acquire,” Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman said in a quote to ESPN.com.
“But it never replaces actually being around a guy just in terms of how he prepares, what type of competitor he is, how he will fit in with the context of your group. And so, a number of us having experience with him gives us that much more comfort in terms of that fit.”
Friedman acquired Forsythe from the Padres when he was the general manager of the Rays. and Los Angeles manager Dave Roberts from his time with San Diego prior to joining the Dodgers.