What’s the opposite of a huge wave?
That roughly describes how the Dodgers initiated their trade deadline maneuvers late Wednesday.
Just before MLB’s annual trade deadline (which happens Thursday at 3 p.m. PDT), the Dodgers acted as a secondary participant in a three-way trade involving the Cincinnati Reds and Tampa Bay Rays.
While the most prominent figure in the transaction — starting pitcher Zack Littell — moved from Tampa Bay to Cincinnati, the Dodgers took part in an exchange of some lesser-known players.
Minor league catcher Hunter Feduccia, a longtime Dodgers prospect having a solid season with triple-A Oklahoma City, was dispatched to Tampa Bay.
In exchange, the Dodgers acquired pitching prospect Adam Serwinowski from the Reds, as well as reliever Paul Gervase and catcher Ben Rortvedt from the Rays, according to sources familiar with the situation who were not authorized to discuss it publicly.
Serwinowski is the most captivating name the Dodgers obtained. A 21-year-old left-hander ranked as the No. 10 prospect in the Reds’ system by MLB Pipeline, the former 15th-round draft pick has long been admired by Dodgers’ scouts, according to a source familiar with the team’s considerations.
Although Serwinowski has a 4.84 ERA in high-A this season, the Dodgers are enthusiastic about his potential and add him to a system that lacks the depth of high-impact pitching prospects it typically boasts.
Gervase is a 25-year-old reliever who made his major league debut this year with the Rays, recording a 4.26 ERA in five appearances.
Rortvedt is a 27-year-old veteran catcher who will help bolster organizational depth in Feduccia’s absence, alongside current triple-A catchers Chris Okey and Chuckie Robinson.
For a team that has been associated with some of the biggest names on this year’s trade market, it was far from the significant deal many fans have anticipated.
However, the Dodgers are still expected to be active on Thursday.
Their need for a reliever persists, even though they remained inactive on Wednesday while other top options, from Jhoan Durán to Ryan Helsley to Tyler Rogers, were traded elsewhere.
The team is still hoping to add another hitter to their lineup as well, with an improvement in the outfield (particularly defensively) viewed as a priority, according to a source familiar with the team’s plans.
Whether the Dodgers can secure the impactful additions they desire, in what has been a seller’s market characterized by high acquisition costs thus far, remains to be seen.
But at least they won’t enter deadline day without having made any deals, with Wednesday night’s late-night transaction expected to be the first of several moves they make before Thursday’s trade deadline.
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This story originally appeared in Los Angeles Times.
