The Los Angeles Dodgers have acquired a pair of rentals from the Oakland Athletics. It's outfielder Josh Reddick and starting pitcher Rich Hill. The teams announced the deal on Monday.
Going to the A's are Frankie Montas, Grant Holmes and Jharel Cotton.
Hill is a 36-year-old lefty who hadn't made a start at the big-league level since 2009 until the Red Sox gave him four starts last September. He was outstanding and that has continued into this season. Through 14 starts, he's 9-3 with a 2.25 ERA (181 ERA+), 1.09 WHIP and 90 strikeouts in 76 innings. He's been troubled by blisters the past several weeks, but it's always possible the A's were being overly cautious with him so it didn't get worse and ruin his trade value.
Hill is a free agent after the season, but the Dodgers only needed a rental here with their injuries in the rotation. Clayton Kershaw is out indefinitely while fellow lefties Brett Anderson, Hyun-jin Ryu and Alex Wood are also on the DL.
Reddick is also a rental, as he'll hit free agency following the season. He's a great all-around player, too. Heading into Monday, Reddick is hitting .296/.368/.449 (124 OPS+) with 11 doubles and eight home runs. He has a 32-homer season in his past and plays exceptional defense in right field.
As for how Reddick fits, one can't help but wonder if this is the end of the road for Yasiel Puig (he's been connected to the White Sox in rumors). It's possible. Joc Pederson has center field nailed down and Reddick will surely play right everyday. That leaves left field and the Dodgers can get by with Howie Kendrick and Scott Van Slyke there -- plus, Trayce Thompson will be back at some point.
On the A's side, minor-league pitcher Jharel Cotton is 24-year-old right-hander. In 22 outings (16 starts) for Triple-A Oklahoma City this season, Cotton is 8-5 with a 4.90 ERA, 1.15 WHIP and 119 strikeouts in 97 1/3 innings.
Grant Holmes is a left-handed pitcher who was ranked as the 72nd best prospect in baseball by Baseball America heading into the season. In 20 outings (18 starts) for Class A-Advanced Rancho Cucamonga, he is 8-4 with a 4.02 ERA, 1.39 WHIP and 100 strikeouts in 105 1/3 innings. The 43 walks are a concern, but he's only 20 years old.
Montas is a right-handed pitcher who checked in at 95 in the aforementioned Baseball America rankings this spring. In only 16 innings between Double-A and Triple-A this season, he has a 2.25 ERA with 22 strikeouts and only three walks. He's missed a large chunk of time due to a rib injury, but the good news is that isn't the arm.
