Red Boston baseball team strengthens its pitching lineup by exchanging Dustin May from the Los Angeles Dodgers in a trade deal.
Boston Red Sox Acquire Dustin May from Los Angeles Dodgers
The Boston Red Sox have made a significant move in the MLB trade market, acquiring right-handed pitcher Dustin May from the Los Angeles Dodgers. May, who is 27 years old, was originally a top pitching prospect for the Dodgers and is now ranked as Boston's No. 27 prospect, according to MLB Pipeline.
May made his MLB debut in 2019 and has since pitched in 65 games (52 starts) over five seasons, with a solid career ERA of 3.71. This season, May has pitched a career-high 104 innings, marking a significant increase from his previous high of 56 innings in 2020. Despite facing some challenges, May has demonstrated improved durability and workload capacity in 2025.
Before being traded to the Red Sox, May underwent several significant medical challenges. In 2021, he underwent Tommy John surgery, which is a common procedure for reconstructing the ulnar collateral ligament in the elbow. He also had surgery to repair a torn flexor tendon in his right arm in July 2023 and an emergency procedure to repair a tear in his esophagus in July 2024, after getting a piece of lettuce stuck in his throat. These procedures limited his playing time, causing him to miss the entire 2024 season.
Despite these setbacks, May became one of the Dodgers' more durable starters in 2025, regularly pitching at least 5 innings in 16 of his 18 starts, including eight quality starts. For his career, May has an ERA+ (adjusted ERA) of 113, indicating above-average performance overall.
The Red Sox acquired May using top prospect, James Tibbs III, from the Devers trade. Tibbs, who is Boston's No. 5 prospect, came to the Red Sox as the headliner in the blockbuster trade that sent Rafael Devers to the Dodgers.
Meanwhile, the Red Sox have seen a positive impact since the trade. The team has gone 22-15 since trading Devers, and Ehrhard, a fourth-round pick by the Red Sox in 2024, has reached Double-A this season. In Double-A, Ehrhard has hit .227 with a .717 OPS.
Tibbs has also made a solid start to his professional career. He was selected with the 13th overall pick in 2024 by the Giants and has hit .232 with a .760 OPS across 87 games in High-A and Double-A in 2025.
With the addition of May, the Red Sox are looking to strengthen their pitching rotation and compete for a playoff spot in the coming seasons.
In the aftermath of the trade that sent Rafael Devers to the Los Angeles Dodgers, the Boston Red Sox have bolstered their pitching rotation by acquiring right-handed pitcher Dustin May, who was previously a top Dodgers prospect. This season, May has shown durability and workload capacity, pitching a career-high 104 innings.
