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What appeared to be a simple deal that would send Mat Latos and Mike Morse to the Dodgers for prospects has become so much more. After word of a deal possibly falling through on Wednesday afternoon, the Latos trade blew up into a three-team, thirteen-player blockbuster. According to club announcements, the deal is structured as follows:
- Dodgers receive: RHP Mat Latos, OF Mike Morse, INF Jose Peraza, LHP Alex Wood, RHP Jim Johnson, LHP Luis Alivan, RHP Bronson Arroyo
- Braves receive: INF Hector Olivera, LHP Paco Rodriguez, RHP Zack Bird, competitive balance draft pick
- Marlins receive: RHP Kevin Guzman, RHP Jeff Brigham, RHP Victor Araujo
The trade is obviously a complicated and multi-faceted one in which many talented young players are switching teams. Latos, Olivera, Peraza and Wood are the most significant names involved in what appears to be a huge haul for the Dodgers.
For Los Angeles, this trade seems to be mostly about pitching depth. Latos, a proven starter, gives them a mid- to back-end option behind aces Zack Greinke and Clayton Kershaw, and is expected to be joined by a top pitcher (David Price, possibly) before Friday's trade deadline. Wood, just 24, is a surprising piece who will also be in the rotation mix for Los Angeles, unless he is flipped for a more significant piece over the next two days. Johnson and Avilan give the team some bullpen depth, while Peraza is widely regarded as a top-100 prospect in all of baseball and was ranked as the Braves' top prospect before the season. Peraza is also a candidate to be flipped, along with Morse, who doesn't seem to fit on the Dodgers' current roster. Some reports indicated that Morse could actually head to the Braves in the deal.
The main piece of the deal for Atlanta is Olivera, who they bid big for over the winter before losing out to the Dodgers. The third baseman never appeared in a game for the Dodgers after signing a $62.5 million with the club over the winter, but will become a top prospect for the Braves after hitting .348/.392/.493 in nineteen minor-league games. Rodriguez is a bullpen arm to replace Avilan, and Bird is a prospect who was ranked as the fifteenth-best in the Dodgers' system before the trade.
Miami's motivation was to dump salary, and the Marlins will receive significant salary relief (more than $14 million) as a result of the deal. The three prospects they are receiving are low-level pitchers, with Brigham the only one who ranks among the Dodgers' top 30 prospects at the time of the deal.