The Los Angeles Dodgers reportedly made a trade a couple weeks ago with the Kansas City Royals.
As reported by Baseball Aruba on Instagram and later by Baseball America, the Dodgers acquired right-handed pitcher Shawndrick Oduber from the Kansas City Royals in exchange for cash considerations.
Oduber was born in De Bruynewijk, Aruba and signed with the Royals as a minor league free agent in 2022.
Oduber hasn’t played above Rookie Ball at the professional level, but is still just 20 years old.
In 2023, Oduber was a full-time starter, making 11 starts and going 0-2 with a 3.06 ERA. He had 45 strikeouts to just eight walks across 32.1 innings pitched.
In 2024, Oduber was moved to a reliever. He struggled across 14 appearances, sporting a 5.18 ERA with 21 strikeouts and 11 walks over 24.1 innings pitched.
The Dodgers clearly saw something in Oduber they wanted to try to develop. The right-handed pitcher is listed at 6-foot-0 and 170 pounds.
It will likely be a few years until Oduber potentially makes a name for himself in the upper minor league levels. But for now, the Dodgers will work with the young pitcher and turn him into the player they hope he can become.
This is also an ideal year to be searching for center field help at the deadline, because there’s a former All-Star available as a rental.
On Thursday, Noah Camras of Dodgers on SI named Chicago White Sox center fielder Luis Robert Jr. as a potential trade target, as the 2023 All-Star is currently in the final year of a six-year, $50 million extension.
“While Robert may not be the Gold Glove defender he was in his rookie year, he would undoubtedly shore up what could be seen as the biggest question mark for L.A. right now,” Camras wrote.
“With the White Sox in a non-contending spot this season, they’d likely be happy to get a couple of prospects for Robert, who would instantly be the everyday center fielder on a contending team.”
Robert, 27, has been struggling offensively since the start of the 2024 season, but he’s been playing for the worst team in baseball history. He’s batting .218 with a .636 OPS in his last 111 games dating back to March of 2024.
If he suddenly got dropped on a contender, Robert could rebound to his All-Star form, which would be a huge jolt to the Dodgers lineup. But LA would likely want to at least see some flashes of that form before making the commitment.
