In exchange for Ryan Pepiot and Jonny DeLuca, the Los Angeles Dodgers acquired Tyler Glasnow and Manuel Margot from the Tampa Bay Rays, making a major move to strengthen their starting rotation.
The Dodgers signed Glasnow to a $136.5 million contract extension as part of the agreement, which is good through the 2027 season with a 2028 option. The deal starts in 2024, so even though Glasnow had a contract for a total of $25 million through the 2024 season, the extension essentially adds four more years and $111.5 million for the right-hander.
Even though Glasnow, 30, is among baseball’s best pitchers when he takes the mound, it hasn’t always been easy for him to do so.
Only twice in his career has Glasnow hit the 100-inning plateau: first in 2018 and again this past season.
As a result, Glasnow has a reputation for being prone to injuries, but he believes that to be an incomplete picture.
“I mean, to say that is probably fair, given the number of innings and injuries in the previous years,” said Glasnow. “I believe that most of the innings I have missed have been caused by the same issue for me.
“That occurred for the first time in 2019.” That was the initial injury I sustained to my UCL, and it was the same injury that recurred later in 20 and 21. After Tommy John, I was able to get it corrected at last, and it felt fantastic. I briefly experienced the oblique last season. That might have just resulted from taking a break and picking yourself back up.
“Until that UCL sprain or tear, whatever it was in 2019, I’ve never really been prone to injuries or anything else. It’s never really been anything I’ve thought about since I had that corrected. That was then, and this is a world apart.
“I’m eager for a few healthy seasons to come.”
Following Tommy John surgery in 2021, Glasnow missed most of the 2022 campaign. He achieved career highs in 2023 after making a comeback, pitching 120 innings and starting 21 games.
Though Glasnow and the Dodgers are certain that his physical problems are behind him, he was able to grow as a pitcher and gain new insight from his experiences.
Regarding the lessons he learned from overcoming hardship and injury, Glasnow remarked, “Injuries suck, and they definitely test you mentally.” However, I believe that as long as you maintain a daily set of objectives rather than thinking, “I’ll be able to do this and that in five months,” that was the most I discovered.
Setting little, daily objectives for yourself helps you avoid going insane. You can apply that, in my opinion, to both baseball and life. Little wins may sound corny, but they make things easier when you improve a little or reach a goal each day.
It’s quite the rollercoaster, but if you work for your objectives every day, it really helped me. That’s most likely the most important lesson I learned.
The Dodgers are placing a wager on Glasnow’s continued health, and should he do it, their pitching staff ought to be rewarded with an ace.
For Tyler Glasnow, playing for the Dodgers has always been a dream.For Glasnow, who was raised in Santa Clarita, the craft is a return to his roots. In an Instagram post, the product of Southern California congratulated the Rays organization and shared his pleasure at realizing his ambition of pitching for the Dodgers.