Major League Baseball’s annual trade deadline is always a whirlwind for players who find themselves dealt midweek, mid-series, or even mid-game.
Or in Dustin May’s case, four days after he pitched at Fenway Park for the first time in his career.
May started last Sunday’s finale between the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox. Six days later, he was back in Boston. This time, wearing Red Sox warmup gear and meeting the press in the home team’s dugout.
“It was definitely a ride of emotions,” May said as he took questions for the first time since the trade. “Definitely sad leaving, because I’ve been there for my whole career, but definitely very, very excited to be joining this organization and help for a playoff push… I couldn’t be more excited and thrilled to be here and be a part of it.”
Though May wasn’t surprised by the trade, the destination was unexpected. But with last weekend still fresh in his mind, he said he was “thrilled.” Having seen the energy as a visiting player, he’s looking forward to getting on the Fenway Faithful’s good side.
“I hadn’t heard anything about Boston until about three minutes before the deal went down,” he said. “I was thrilled. Especially being here a week before and experiencing it for my first time, this ballpark is incredible. There’s a lot of emotions and a lot of just great history here.”
There’s something else here for May: the opportunity he was about to lose with his former club. The Dodgers were about to add several injured starters back to the rotation and move him to the bullpen.
“I was kind of pushed out,” he admitted. “We had quite a few guys there in that organization.”
The trade also reunites May with fellow starter Walker Buehler, who was a Dodger until last October. May was also in the Dodgers farm system with catcher Connor Wong years ago. He also played with Justin Slaten in summer ball back in high school.
“(Buehler) said it was a great organization, the guys are super excited, and they are definitely a fun group to play with,” May recalled. “Walker had nothing but high praise for these guys, and then my pitching coach over at the Dodgers had a lot of high praise for these guys as well.”
Leaving the only organization one’s ever known can be painful, but it can also help a player grow. To prepare for last weekend’s series, the Red Sox had to look at May from a side the Dodgers never had. That perspective, and a team full of fresh eyes, in general, can make a world of difference.
“Definitely excited to get to work with them and hopefully nail some things out and get some better results,” May said. “Most of my outings, I’m really good and then I have a blow-up inning. So, just trying to limit that blow-up inning and keep it on like, a lower level, like instead of it being like a four or five (run) maybe like a one or none.”
“Especially talking with these guys, and the way that they scouted me,” he continued. “The Dodgers have never scouted me before. So they can prepare you as much as they can prepare you, but coming here they scouted me, they executed a play, so getting to pick these hitters’ brains, see what they saw, see what they think could help, could hurt, what’s good, what’s not as great, I think will be a good thing going forward as well.”
May will make his Red Sox debut Wednesday, in the series finale with the Kansas City Royals.
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