Dodgers swap players with Padres; Ship Matt Beaty for minor league two-way player River Ryan
The Los Angeles Dodgers have traded corner infielder/outfielder Matt Beaty to the San Diego Padres in exchange for two-way player River Ryan.
Beaty was designated for assignment by the Dodgers on March 23 despite performing well at the big league level. The move came in light of the Freddie Freeman acquisition, and the signing of utility man Hanser Alberto, limiting an already small amount of playing time for Beaty.
Now, Beaty will take his career .262 batting average a little farther south to the Padres, where he figures to battle for a utility spot of his own. With both the newly-acquired Luke Voit and Eric Hosmer already set to helm first base, Beaty will likely fight a spot in left field, a position the Padres had been looking to address over the course of the offseason.
With centerfield claimed by Trent Grisham, and Wil Myers likely to man right, Beaty and fellow-utility player Jurickson Profar have just about 10 days to prove their worth to new manager Bob Melvin to make the Opening Day roster.
Beaty's contract has him under team control in 2026, not to mention he has an additional minor league option should the Padres opt to send him back down to AAA for additional work.
In 2021, Beaty hit .270/.363/.402 in 120 games played. He had seven homers and 40 runs driven in in 234 plate appearances.
In exchange, the Dodgers have acquired a very intriguing two-way player in River Ryan.
Just 23, Ryan was selected in the 12th round of the 2021 MLB Draft out of UNC Pembroke. In an opportunity unlike what the Padres provided Ryan last season, the Dodgers will also give the infielder an opportunity to throw off the mound in 2022.
He hit .308/.349/.436 with one home run in 43 plate appearances for the Arizona Complex League Padres, the team's Rookie-level affiliate that plays out of spring training home.