What Are the Dodgers Getting in Tyler Glasnow, Manuel Margot?
Mere minutes after the Los Angeles Dodgers held their introductory press conference for Shohei Ohtani, Jeff Passan of ESPN announced a blockbuster trade. The Dodgers and Tampa Bay Rays agreed on a trade that sends RHP Tyler Glasnow and OF Manuel Margot to LA.
Glasnow immediately becomes the Dodgers’ ace while Margot figures to be a platoon option for the team alongside Jason Heyward.
So let’s take a deeper look at these players and how they fit in with the club.
Who is Tyler Glasnow?
Tyler Glanow, 30, grew up in Newhall, CA, and attended high school in Santa Clarita at William S. Hart. He was drafted by the Pirates in the 5th round of the 2011 MLB draft.
He made his major league debut with the Pittsburgh Pirates in 2016. The Pirates eventually traded him to the Tampa Bay Rays in 2018, where he would play through 2023.
A prototype power pitcher, Glasnow commands a four-pitch repertoire. He has a mid to high 90s fastball, a nasty curveball with 52.6 inches of vertical break, a changeup for right-handed batters, and a slider for lefties.
At a towering 6-foot-8, Glasnow is in the 99th percentile for extension, meaning, that his release point is closer to the plate than nearly anyone else’s in baseball. It gives his fastball a perceived velocity of 98.5 mph. He basically releases his fastball right on top of the batter similar to someone like Randy Johnson.
Over his career, he has a 3.89 ERA, 3.58 FIP, and an elite 11.5 SO/9. Striking out 33.4% of batters last year, Glasnow put himself in the 97th percentile of strikeout rate. He also does a good job of limiting walks with his stellar command.
However, when someone does connect with a pitch, they do some serious damage. Glasnow was in the 11th percentile in hard-hit rate and 15th percentile in average exit velocity. All this to say, as long as he misses bats he will do just fine.
Is There a Downside to Tyler Glasnow?
Glasnow has had trouble staying on the field in his MLB career. In his seven-year career, he has only eclipsed the 100-inning mark twice. In 2022, he underwent Tommy John surgery, which kept him off the mound the entire season. After a delayed start to 2023 with an oblique injury, he pitched a career-high 120 innings.
He also has his struggles in the postseason. In 10 starts, he has a 5.72 ERA. Dodgers fans might remember him best from the 2020 World Series run. Glasnow pitched Games 1 and 5 of that series giving up 10 earned runs in 9.1 innings.
Who is Manuel Margot?
Manuel Margot was born in the Dominican Republic. He made his major league debut in 2016 with the San Diego Padres. The Padres then traded him to the Rays in 2020 for a pitcher and a catcher.
A career .255 hitter, Margot shines defensively making highlight plays in the outfield. On top of a good defensive game, he has well above-average speed making him a baserunning threat. Notably in the 2020 World Series, Clayton Kershaw threw out Margot, with the help of Max Muncy, as Margot attempted to steal home.
Over his career, Margot has hit better against left-handed pitching. His career OPS against lefties is a whole 100 points higher at .760.
Interestingly, in 2023, he had significantly better splits away from Tropicana Field. In away games last year he hit .303/.341/.771. It is entirely possible that he just does not see the ball very well at the Trop.
Margot has also struggled recently in the postseason. Dating back to 2021, Margot only has three hits in his last 24 plate appearances with six strikeouts. Two of those three hits did come in away games. Over his career, he has a .753 postseason OPS after an impressive run in the 2020 playoffs.
How Do Glasnow, Margot Fit With the Dodgers?
Both of these players figure to play a significant role for the Dodgers next year.
Tyler Glasnow, as it stands, is the Dodgers’ best pitcher. When healthy, Glasnow is easily one of the best pitchers in baseball. He has electric stuff and elite command. This makes him a force against any lineup in the league.
Unfortunately, his health is a massive question mark. While the Dodgers always take caution when managing their players, getting Glasnow to pitch every fifth day could be a challenge. The ultimate goal, though, is to have him healthy and ready for October.
As mentioned above, Margot becomes the yin to Jason Heyward’s yang. He naturally fills the other side of the right field platoon.
Every year it seems like the Dodgers need a right-handed bat that can hit left-handed pitching. Margot answers that question for the team.
Also, as previously mentioned, he does seem to perform better away from Tropicana Field. This could project well for Margot as he doesn’t have to play there at all next season.
The front office is not done yet. There are still holes in the rotation, and the team needs a left fielder. These two additions are just a continuation of an already exciting offseason for the Los Angeles Dodgers.
Photo Credit: Ken Blaze-USA TODAY Sports
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Two more players that stink up the playoffs. Was there another clause in the Ohtani contract that requires AF to find the worst playoff performers as complimentary pieces?
soooooo a pitcher that is often injured, and gets shelled in the playoffs? Don’t they already have a roster full of those? Brilliant.
I don’t like giving up 5 years of control for Pepiot and 6 years of control for DeLuca. It would have been better to deal more, other prospects to get Glasnow alone. Margot is not a very good hitter, even as a platoon right fielder. Rays did reduce their payroll a lot this way, and for years to come. Maybe Glasnow won’t sign and extension and this deal won’t go through.
Since 2018 Glasnow has a 3.20 earned run average, struck out 34.1% of his opponents with a 7.8% walk rate. In 2023 he had a groundball rate of 52.1%. And a 16.5% swinging-strike rate that ranked second among all pitchers with at least 100 innings. Giving up Pepiot is painful. I like him and DeLuca too. But Glasnow has the potential for a big upside and a pitcher like Glasnow does not come cheaply. Margot doesn’t excite me but swinging righty he hits over .280 and that’s likely all he will be asked to do: hit lefties.