On more than one occasion during his soon-to-be ninth season as the Dodgers President of Baseball Operations, Andrew Friedman has re-acquired a number of former Dodgers players or farmhands, and with surprisingly good success.
One of Friedman’s more notable re-acquisitions was that of (now) 31-year-old right-hander Andrew Heaney, whom he initially acquired on December 11, 2014 from the Miami Marlins, along with Austin Barnes, Chris Hatcher and Kiké Hernández.
Oh sure, you can certainly argue that Heaney’s first stint with the Dodgers lasted only a few minutes, as he was immediately sent to the Angels of Anaheim in exchange for popular utility infielder/outfielder Howie Kendrick. But nevertheless, his first stint with the Dodgers appears on his Baseball Reference page, so it definitely counts.
The Oklahoma City native and Marlins first-round draft pick in 2012 out of Oklahoma State University was re-acquired by Friedman on November 10, 2021, posting a 4-4 record with a respectable 3.10 ERA in his 16 games (14 starts) for Friedman’s Dodgers during their 111-win 2022 season.
Fast-forward to Wednesday, January 4, 2023, when it was reported that the Texas Rangers has designated 24-year-old right-hander A.J. Alexy for assignment following his mediocre 4-2 / 6.30 two seasons in Arlington.
For those who may recall (and let’s face it, why would you), Alexy was originally drafted by the Dodgers in the 11th round in 2016 out of Twin Valley High School in Elverson, PA. In his two seasons down on the Dodgers farm, the 6′-4″ / 195-pound right-hander posted a combined 3-7 record with a combined 3.53 ERA in his combined 24 games (all starts) in his combined 94.1 innings pitched between the Arizona Rookie League Dodgers and (then) Low Single-A Great Lakes Loons. He was subsequently traded to the Texas Rangers on July 31, 2017 in the deal that brought right-hander Yu Darvish to the Dodgers, albeit for only the second half of the 2017 season.
It is certainly safe to say that Alexy would not be the headliner in any future deal, if and when one were to occur. However, it is also safe to say that Andrew Friedman – MLB’s Executive of the Year in 2020 – is very well aware that his former first-rounder is out there and available.
…and could probably be re-acquired by Friedman and the Dodgers for a song.
Play Ball!
* * * * * *
Alexy would be a terrific pickup, especially if the Dodgers can sign him to a minor league contract and avoid putting him on the 40-man roster.