With a 5-0 loss to the Giants on Thursday, the Los Angeles Dodgers are guaranteed to end the month of July in the same place they finished the months of May and June: In second place in the National League West behind their rival.
How did Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers front office respond to another series loss to the dreaded Giants? By trading a pair of top prospects to the Washington Nationals to acquire perennial All-Stars, Trea Turner and Max Scherzer.
According to ESPN’s Jeff Passan, the Dodgers are sending pitcher Josiah Gray and catcher Keibert Ruiz to the Nationals.
Scherzer, a 36-year old three-time Cy Young winner, is 7-4 on the season with a 2.83 ERA.
Turner is just 28 years old and is one of the best five-tool players in the league, with a .322 batting average and 21 stolen bases. He can play at shortstop, second base, or in the outfield, giving manager Dave Roberts another flexible tool like Chris Taylor and Max Muncy.
Both Turner and Scherzer are free agents after this season, with the former looking to cash in on his first lucrative multi-year free agent deal. Scherzer will also look to cash in, but he is not likely to get a long-term deal in his age-37 season.
