Someone is excited about Alex Wood

He wasn’t Cole Hamels, David Price, or Sonny Gray, The Dodgers got pitching at the trade deadline. Mat Latos was a fine low risk, high possible reward pick-up, but I’m really pumped about Alex Wood.

Zachary Bird was a promising young starting pitcher for the Dodgers, but they got proven commodities in return. By Owen Main

First, who did they give up for Wood? As MLB Trade Rumors reports, they gave up just three players — Hector Olivera, Paco Rodriguez, and Zachary Bird. I saw Bird pitch this summer in San Jose for Rancho Cucamonga against the Giants. Bird only pitched two innings that day, walking four batters and tallying 50 pitches in those innings.

In return, they got a Braves’ top prospect, Mat Latos, and the aforementioned Wood.

Alex Wood will make his first start for the Dodgers tomorrow. By Kaotate, via Wikimedia Commons

I’ve followed Wood kind of closely this season because, to be honest, he was on my fantasy team for much of the year. Wood’s funky delivery makes his small step back this season a little more worrisome, but if he can be a fourth or fifth starter for the next four seasons, turn in ERA’s under 4, and decent peripherals, the Dodgers feel like they can win with other big-name, top-of-the-rotation guys.

If he can be a poor man’s Chris Sale — a lefty with a funky delivery who stays healthy — then this move will look amazing in two years or so. That’s when the Dodgers will be rolling out Clayton Kershaw, Zack Greinke (or David Price) and Julio Urias as their top three pitchers. At that point, having Wood as a low-cost alternative to eat up innings and offset the high salaries of Kershaw and the number-two will be a fantastic value.

Think about it. Two years from now, Wood will be that young lefty starter who is fun to watch, super effective, and cost-controlled. Did I meantion that Corey Seager will be playing third base, Joc Pederson will still be roaming the outfield, and Wood might be competing for a starting role with guys like Jose DeLeon.

Many of the above would be but a memory if the Dodgers had traded for Hamels or Price or even Cueto.

The Dodgers will also be coming off a recent championship. I’m talking best-case scenarios here for the Dodgers, so why not?