Tyler Glasnow doesn’t expect to be traded

Dodgers right-handed Tyler Glasnow‘s name reportedly came up in trade talks with other teams in recent days, but Glasnow appeared on MLB Network Radio’s Sunday Sliders program with Dani Wexelman of SiriusXM and made it clear he doesn’t expect to be traded. According to Wexelman, Glasnow further noted that president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman spoke to him directly and told him he is not being traded.

That more or less puts an end to trade speculation regarding Glasnow this offseason. Glasnow, a California native, was traded from the Dodgers to the Rays two seasons ago and promptly signed an extension with his new team that runs through the 2028 season. Glasnow is owed $30 million annually for each of the next two seasons, and in 2028 the Dodgers have a $30 million club option on his services, which converts to a $21,562,500 player option. For a player entering his age-32 campaign having posted a 3.37 ERA, 3.24 FIP and a 30.9% strikeout rate over 40 starts as a Dodger (not to mention a 1.69 ERA and 2.95 FIP in six playoffs), that contract is a steal.

Given the relatively short-term commitment to Glasnow, the Dodgers’ surplus of elite pitching talent and a market for free agent arms that some teams don’t seem particularly enthusiastic about tapping into, it’s easy to see why some clubs have sought out Glasnow in trade talks. At the same time, however, the Dodgers’ deep group of rotation options comes with an equally long injury history. The amount of weapons Los Angeles has in its stable is more important to them than the average team, considering the number of frequently injured players the team has on the roster. Given this reality, it’s not exactly a surprise that the Dodgers appear to have no plans to trade Glasnow this winter.

Glasnow isn’t the only Dodgers player whose name has entered the rumor mill this winter. Outfielder Teoscar Hernández similarly, he had been brought up in trade talks, and while Dodgers brass suggested a deal for Hernandez was unlikely, that hasn’t stopped the Royals from showing interest in him. That interest was obviously before yesterday’s trade with the Brewers that sent Angel Zerpa to Milwaukee while bringing outfielder Isaac Collins and right-handed Nick Mears back to Kansas City. With Collins and Avenue Thomas in the crease, it is possible that the Royals are done with outside additions on the grass and will rely on players like Kyle Isbel And Jac Caglianon to fill out the rest of the outfield mix.

While deals involving Glasnow and Hernandez don’t seem likely at this point, the fact that several veteran players from the Dodgers’ roster have emerged in trade talks could indicate an openness to creativity on the part of the World Series champions this season. Friedman previously suggested that the club’s aging core of talent and finding ways to give younger players opportunities to contribute is something the club has begun to take into account this winter, and it’s not hard to see how a deal involving a veteran or two could allow MLB’s oldest team to get younger and pave the way for the next wave of young talent in LA’s vaunted farm system.