by Cary Osborne
The Dodgers have added a potential high-leverage bullpen piece and a past Gold Glove Award winner ahead of the trade deadline.
They acquired right-handed pitcher Michael Kopech from Chicago and infielder Tommy Edman and Minor League right-handed pitcher Oliver Gonzalez from St. Louis in a three-team deal with the White Sox and Cardinals. The Dodgers traded infielder/outfielder Miguel Vargas and Minor Leaguers Jeral Perez and Alexander Albertus to Chicago, while Chicago’s right-handed pitcher Erick Fedde and outfielder Tommy Pham go to St. Louis.
Kopech pitched exclusively out of the bullpen for the White Sox this season, and in 43 games had a 4.74 ERA, 4.82 FIP, 1.35 WHIP with 59 strikeouts in 43 2/3 innings. He was Chicago’s saves leader with nine in 14 opportunities. Kopech’s 12.2 strikeouts-per-nine-innings ranks 17th in the Majors among qualified relievers. He became the second White Sox pitcher to throw an immaculate inning when he struck out three batters on nine pitches on July 10.
The 28-year-old and five-year MLB veteran ranks in the 99th percentile in average fastball velocity (98.6 mph) and 89th percentile in expected batting average (.204) this season.
The White Sox have the lowest Statcast fielding run value and least amount of defensive runs saved in the Majors this season.
Edman potentially adds to Kopech’s new team’s defense when he returns. The 2021 Gold Glove Award winner at second base has not appeared in a Major League game this season after offseason right wrist surgery. He batted .248/.307/.399/.705 with 13 home runs and 27 stolen bases in 2023 and is a career .265/.319/.408/.726 hitter with the Cardinals in five Major League seasons. The 29-year-old was on a rehab assignment with the Cardinals’ Double-A club at the time of the trade.
Edman has been a multi-positional player, having played all outfield positions and second base, shortstop and third base.
Gonzalez, 17, was 2–0 with a 4.22 ERA in seven games for the Dominican Summer League Cardinals. He has 26 strikeouts in 21 1/3 innings in his first season of professional baseball. He was signed on February 1, 2024 from Panama City, Panama.
Vargas, 24, appeared in 30 games for Los Angeles, hitting .239/.313/.423/.735 with three homers and nine RBI this season. He hit .195 with 15 doubles, four triples, seven homers and 32 RBI in 81 games last year. The Cuba native has spent three seasons with the Dodgers, hitting .201/.294/.364/.658 with 11 homers and 49 RBI in 434 plate appearances.
Perez, 19, represented the Dodgers in the 2024 Sirius FM Futures Game in Arlington, Texas this summer. He played in 75 games for the Quakes, hitting .264 with an .800 OPS and 10 homers and 42 RBI. He was ranked №17 on MLB.com’s Dodger Top 30 Prospects list.
Albertus, 19, hit .298/.420/.409/.829 with three homers and 42 RBI in 51 games between the Arizona Complex Dodgers and Rancho Cucamonga Quakes. He was ranked №23 on the Dodgers’ Top 30 list.
Dodgers get reliever Kopech and Gold Glove winner Edman in three-team trade was originally published in Dodger Insider on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.