ANOTHER Trade: Brock Stewart Goes to Los Angeles Dodgers

[Matthew Trueblood]

Image courtesy of © Jesse Johnson-Imagn Images

Brock Stewart was drafted by the Los Angeles Dodgers and made his big-league debut for them. Now, he returns whence he came, with plenty of team control for his new, old team to play with.

Stewart, 33, has a 2.38 ERA in 39 appearances and 34 innings pitched this season, his third with the Twins. Injuries have marred his professional career and long delayed his emergence as a successful reliever, but he’s tapped into some nasty stuff since coming to the Twins and dedicating himself to the bullpen. This year, enjoying the longest stretch of good health he's had in years, he's striking out 29.5% of opposing batters and walking just 7.9%. Opponents have a meager ,612 OPS against the man Twins fans came to know, affectionately, as Beef Stew.

Though out of options (and therefore always in some danger of hitting the waiver wire, should his performance wobble), Stewart is under team control through 2027 via arbitration. He's making just $870,000 in 2025, scarcely over the league-minimum salary. Between the control years and the low financial cost, the trade value on Stewart should be significant. He was one bellwether, coming into this week, of how far the Twins would go in reshaping and restocking their system.

Under Derek Falvey, the Minnesota front office has (correctly, for the most part) treated even highly effective relievers as essentially replaceable. Though Stewart has been great, the team suffers from a dearth of leads for him to help protect, rather than from an inability to protect the leads they do get. Trading him to a bullpen-needy team highly adept at creating leads, like the Dodgers, is the club's way of trying to find more durable and scarce assets.

For Los Angeles, though, a sturdy middle reliever is a godsend—and so much the better that he's a familiar and friendly face. Ravaged by their annual spate of injuries, the Dodgers have spent much of this week stalking the relief market. They were in on Jhoan Duran before the Twins found a match with the Philadelphia Phillies on him; Stewart figures to help stabilize a pen that will be without erstwhile relief ace Evan Phillips all year (elbow surgery) and that has had to make do without big-money offseason signing Tanner Scott for a chunk of this summer.

In return for Stewart, the Twins acquired outfielder James Outman, as first reported by ESPN's Alden Gonzalez. Outman, 28, still has (theoretically) four years of team control remaining after this one—but he's spent the majority of this season in Triple A, and has a .487 OPS in the majors. Outman is a lefty batter with a great glove, even in center field, and he had 23 home runs in a very impressive rookie season in 2023. He has plus speed and plus power. He's been such a wreck at the plate, though, that it's a bit odd to hear that this is a 1-for-1 deal.

 

Outman was a late bloomer, so the career setback he's gone through over the last year and a half has him rushing toward 30 without having proved he can consistently handle the best pitching in the world. His tools—especially the power, if he can get to it the way he did two seasons ago—sets him apart from DaShawn Keirsey Jr., but broadly, he offers a similar profile. The Twins are rolling the dice on their own player development and betting that they can turn around the struggling ex-slugger.

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[Danchat]

I'm on board with moving Stewart while his value is at its (likely) highest, given I didn't expect him to be healthy for this long. Dodgers get a lot of control of him, but it wouldn't be shocking if the injuries return and he starts to lose his stuff in his mid 30s.

Of course, we need to see what the return is...

[Patzky]

Strikeouts and fair umpires, Beefsteak. 

[LastOnePicked]

Exactly the kind of trade that should happen. Give established vets a chance on a contender while building a younger, more athletic club. Looking forward to the bigger changes (ownership, FO, manager) in the offseason. Bring on 2029.

[Giles Ferrell]

Justin Topa szn out of the Twins bullpen (whats left of it)

[mikelink45]

Can't wait to see what the BP will be for the rest of the year. 

[KirbyDome89]

The guy has already matched his meager career high for IPs. Highly doubt he'll stay healthy in his mid 30s with LA. Good luck but yeah I approve of the sale. 

[SD happy]

It will be really interesting to see what the bullpen looks like Friday night. Unfortunately, there really aren’t any relievers at StP that are having a great season.

[CRF]

In general...I think we can expect to see a few more 13-1 drubbings in our future. 

[Patzky]

6 minutes ago, mikelink45 said:

Can't wait to see what the BP will be for the rest of the year. 

I have a feeling SWR will be answering the phone a few times.

[purplesoldier4u]

Getting a mid-level speedster, like Kendall George, would be okay.

[Twodogs]

5 minutes ago, SD happy said:

It will be really interesting to see what the bullpen looks like Friday night. Unfortunately, there really aren’t any relievers at StP that are having a great season.

Maybe Roger can work with Kody a little bit and he can move into the bullpen?? Ha ha

[Parfigliano]

10 minutes ago, CRF said:

In general...I think we can expect to see a few more 13-1 drubbings in our future. 

Oh come on now.  There will be games where they score 2 maybe 3+ runs. Occasionally even a win.

[twinstalker]

I can't find return.  Will maybe edit this when I see it.  Can't imagine I'll know the name, but this also might be a ptbnl based on Stewarts innings or, say, WAR for the rest of the season.

[exeoud]

This return will be interesting. 34 years old, frequently injured, but he's been elite 2 out of the past 3 years when he can pitch and has 2 more years of control.

[Wedman13]

12 minutes ago, purplesoldier4u said:

Getting a mid-level speedster, like Kendall George, would be okay.

I would love for you to be right but I doubt we get the Dodgers 11th ranked prospect who was a 1st rounder 2 yrs ago.  But here's hoping!

[Doctor Gast]

I targeted moving RP (Jax or Duran) & an OFer (Wallner- Bader) to PHI, but the return we got was much less & less relevant. I also targeted moving RPs Stewart & or Coloumbe to LAD, I'd be happy if we at least got #3 catcher Hunter Feducci & a promising  MLB-ready LHP. Then, I'd upgrade this deadline from failing to D+. I was really banking to have my sox blown off with a nice relevant return from Duran instead of losing that trade.

[FlyingFinn]

There is one other advantage I haven't seen talked about - we are locking in a top 10 pick in the next draft.

[bunsen82]

2 minutes ago, FlyingFinn said:

There is one other advantage I haven't seen talked about - we are locking in a top 10 pick in the next draft.

Ive mentioned it twice.  I really think we will end up with a top 5 pick.  Will offset a bit not getting a 1st round competitive balance pick this year. 

[Wedman13]

10 minutes ago, Doctor Gast said:

I targeted moving RP (Jax or Duran) & an OFer (Wallner- Bader) to PHI, but the return we got was much less & less relevant. I also targeted moving RPs Stewart & or Coloumbe to LAD, I'd be happy if we at least got #3 catcher Hunter Feducci & a promising  MLB-ready LHP. Then, I'd upgrade this deadline from failing to D+. I was really banking to have my sox blown off with a nice relevant return from Duran instead of losing that trade.

Everyone is entitled to their opinion.  Your grades on the trades are 2 letters below the national media.  Guess we'll see who is right.

[Patzky]

40 minutes ago, Irishman said:

Another dumb trade.   Falvey are dumber than the 5th graders.   Until Pohlad family sells the team. I'm done with the Twins.

What did you think SELL OFF was going to look like?

[tony&rodney]

7 minutes ago, Patzky said:

What did you think SELL OFF was going to look like?

Are people expecting Ryan to be traded?

[TNtwins85]

3 minutes ago, tony&rodney said:

Are people expecting Ryan to be traded?

No, Falvey may not be the best but he’s not stupid. Ryan is your Ace. Unless you’re getting a Juan Soto haul for him he ain’t going anywhere.

[whosafraidofluigirussolo]

Very interested to see the return on this one. The other trades so far have tilted toward players farther from the majors—which is good for bringing back upside, assuming it's rare to add high upside and proximity in trades—but it seems like it would be smart to balance the overall return by getting some players (whether in this trade or another one to come) who could be in the majors in the next two months.

The Dodgers aren't going to give up anyone they think is crucial to a playoff run, but they have depth, if nothing else.

[shimrod]

4 minutes ago, whosafraidofluigirussolo said:

Very interested to see the return on this one.

I'm guessing cash. 

[TNtwins85]

I like how the sub heading to the article paints all this selling. These prospects we’re getting can be looked at as insurance. If this core continues to fail you simply bring the next guy up. Quality backups or upside at every position. If the first line can’t get it done then the next man up. You’re avoiding a rebuild by building up your minor league system. Right now it’s Buxton, Correa, Pablo and Ryan. Next is Jenkins, Keaschall, Culpepper, Abel and whoever steps up. 

[twinstalker]

7 minutes ago, TNtwins85 said:

No, Falvey may not be the best but he’s not stupid. Ryan is your Ace. Unless you’re getting a Juan Soto haul for him he ain’t going anywhere.

Or, wait for it,.......Juan Soto!

[bunsen82]

Rafeal Flores to the Pirates.   

[bunsen82]

Ryan has about 3 times the value of Duran.  If they trade him its going to be a massive trade.  

[whosafraidofluigirussolo]

3 minutes ago, shimrod said:

I'm guessing cash. 

Age and injury history limit Stewart's value (with variation in different teams' valuations of course), but performance, low salary, and contractual control boost his value. I'd be very surprised if this was a trade for cash.