Dodgers manager Dave Roberts strongly downplayed the idea that the team would move rookie catcher Dalton Rushing before Thursday’s deadline. MassLive’s Sean McAdam reported last week that the Red Sox were showing interest in the 24-year-old catcher, who’d certainly have been a target of multiple clubs if the Dodgers were willing to trade him.
“I haven’t talked to Dalton (about the trade speculation),” Roberts said on Monday (link via Bill Plunkett of The Orange County Register). “I just don’t see a world in which he’s moved anyway, and I think he’s smart enough to realize that.” That aligns with reporting from Fabian Ardaya of The Athletic, who wrote last week that the Dodgers aren’t inclined to trade either Rushing or infield prospect Alex Freeland — who is expected to come up for his MLB debut tomorrow.
Rushing entered the season as L.A.’s best minor league talent and a top 20 overall prospect at Baseball America. Teams are loath to part with prospects of that caliber. To the extent that there was chatter about the Dodgers potentially dealing Rushing, it came from a question of playing time. Will Smith is locked in as L.A.’s primary catcher for a decade. That didn’t stop the Dodgers from calling Rushing up in the middle of May. They haven’t given him starts anywhere other than catcher in the big leagues, seemingly preferring not to overload him with defensive responsibility as he adjusts to facing pitching at the highest level.
The lefty-hitting Rushing has started slowly, batting .200/.270/.275 while striking out 36 times in his first 89 MLB plate appearances. That’s a tiny sample in only semi-regular playing time that seemingly hasn’t given the Dodgers any pause about his offensive upside. The former second-round pick has a .289/.409/.512 slash in 301 career Triple-A plate appearances. Rushing has a full slate of minor league options, so the Dodgers have the ability to send him back to Triple-A if they decide to turn to a more experienced backup at some point.