At the 2024 trade deadline, the Los Angeles Dodgers made a massive trade for some reinforcements that would help them eventually become World Series Champions.

In a three-team deal with the St. Louis Cardinals and Chicago White Sox, the Dodgers landed utility man Tommy Edman and right-handed pitcher Michael Kopech.

Edman had been out with an injury for all of 2024, but returned in time for the home strecth of the regular season and slugged six home runs in 37 games with Los Angeles. In the postseason, Edman hit .328 with two home runs and five stolen bases. He was named NLCS MVP.

Kopech was nothing short of dominant after being traded. In 24 appearances with the Dodgers, Kopech posted an ERA of 1.13 with 29 strikeouts over 24 innings. He pitched in 10 playoff games with a postseason ERA of 3.00.

All in all, a great trade for the Dodgers. When a contending team makes a move at the deadline, the goal is to put your roster over the top and eventually win the World Series. The rest of it really doesn’t matter. The Chicago Cubs only got half a season from closer Aroldis Chapman when they traded for him in 2016. They gave up two-time All-Star infielder Gleyber Torres in that deal…but when you win the World Series for the first time in 108 years, nobody really cares.

Los Angeles won’t look back on this trade with any regrets. However, they may have accidentally given up a future star in the deal.

Former Dodgers prospect Jeral Perez shining with White Sox

Infielder Jeral Perez is one of three pieces that went from the Dodgers to the Chicago White Sox in the Edman-Kopech trade. Former top prospect Miguel Vargas and minor league infielder Alexander Albertus were also included in the deal.

Back in 2023, Vargas was the No. 3 prospect in the Dodgers’ organization and the No. 37 prospect in all of baseball. Perez was the No. 17 prospect in the Dodgers farm system at the time of the trade while Albertus ranked 23rd.

Now with Chicago, Perez is off to a red hot start in 2025 and is looking like a future star. His prospect ranking will probably reflect as much in the next update.

Perez is only 20 years old playing at Double-A Birmingham. In 26 games and 98 at-bats, he already has nine home runs and a .919 OPS this season. MLB.com’s prospect write-up on Perez before the 2025 season got underway cites his “lightning-quick hands” and potential future 20-homer power as he learns to harness his elite bat speed.

We are certainly seeing that 20-homer power on display in the White Sox minor league system. This is probably a player that will stick in the middle infield and be a highly-productive offensive asset.

It doesn’t make the trade a loss by any means. Like I said before, the Dodgers already won the deal when the won the World Series. But we still may look back on this trade when Perez is a perennial All-Star and wonder what might have been.