Dodgers’ Dustin May farewell message sparks emotional fan reactions

The Los Angeles Dodgers dealt starting pitcher Dustin May to the Boston Red Sox ahead of the trade deadline Thursday. May spent his entire career with the Dodgers after being drafted by LA out of high school in 2016. He’ll now join a Red Sox team that’s hoping to build on a mid-summer surge and reach the playoffs.

Following his 2019 debut, when he logged four starts for the Dodgers, May finished fifth in Rookie of the Year voting in 2020. He helped Los Angeles win the World Series that year and the team remains grateful for his contributions.

After the Red Sox trade was finalized, the Dodgers shared a message thanking May for his time in Los Angeles. “Two-time World Series champion, Dustin May. Thank you for being a part of two championships and bringing the energy every time you took the mound. Best of luck in Boston!” the team wrote on its Instagram account.

May traded to Red Sox after nearly a decade with Dodgers organization

May returned to the mound in 2025 for the first time in nearly two years. An elbow injury landed 27-year-old righty on the IL after just nine starts in 2023. May then underwent season-ending surgery and needed a second procedure to address a UCL sprain.

The pitcher opened the following season on the Injured List while recovering from multiple surgeries. He then suffered a life-threatening esophageal tear and underwent emergency surgery to repair the damage. This forced him to miss the entire 2024 season.

May rejoined the Dodgers rotation in 2025. However, the results through 18 starts have been inconsistent. He’s gone 6-7 with a 4.85 ERA, 1.346 WHIP, 84 ERA+ and 8.4 K/9. While May has struggled to return to his pre-injury form, he has remained healthy this season. He’s thrown a career-high 104 innings, racking up a career-best 97 strikeouts.

The talented starter drew trade interest from a number of teams in the lead up to the deadline. The New York Yankees inquired about May but their AL East rivals got a deal done first. May will now join an improving Red Sox rotation anchored by ace Garrett Crochet. Boston also boasts veteran Lucas Giolito, fourth-year starter Brayan Bello and former Dodger Walker Buehler.

Los Angeles was relatively quiet at the trade deadline. The team is banking on injured stars returning from the IL and helping with a second-half push into the postseason. With Tyler Glasnow rejoining the rotation and Clayton Kershaw contributing, the Dodgers could once again boast a formidable staff when Blake Snell and Roki Sasaki return from injury.

It’s possible that Los Angeles would have kept May if he was willing to switch to a bullpen role. While May didn’t ask to be traded, it was made clear to the Dodgers that he wanted to continue starting.