Dodgers Acquire Second-Generation Outfield Prospect in Dustin May Trade

As part of the trade that sent pitcher Dustin May to the Boston Red Sox on Thursday, the Dodgers will acquire second-generation outfielder Zach Ehrhard in addition to James Tibbs III. Christopher Smith of MassLive.com was first to report the inclusion of Ehrhard in the deal Thursday on Twitter/X.

Ehrhard, 22, was a fourth-round draft pick by Boston a year ago. In 57 games at Double-A Portland, he had a .232/.310/.420 slash line.

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Dodgers general manager Brandon Gomes said Thursday that Ehrhard "is somebody really intriguing," and complimented his outfield defense and athleticism.

"We're excited about adding both of those guys as future talent," Gomes said of Tibbs and Ehrhard.

Ehrhard's father, Rod, played four years in the New York Yankees' minor league system from 1987-90.

Tibbs, the No. 13 overall draft pick last year, is the marquee name in the deal. Gomes said he was high on the Dodgers' draft board when he was picked 13th overall out of Florida State University last year, but was gone by the time the Dodgers had their first pick.

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In acquiring Ehrhard, the Dodgers get a three-year college starter for the Cowboys who improved his standing at OSU after being drafted in the 13th round of the 2021 MLB draft by Boston.

Ehrhard's older brother, Drew, played baseball at the University of Tampa and signed with the Red Sox out of college. The two were teammates at Double-A Portland up until Thursday's trade.

Zach Ehrhard began the 2025 season at advanced Class-A Greenville. He had an impressive .342/.471/.459 slash line in 31 games before his promotion to Portland.

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Tibbs was the Red Sox's No. 5 prospect, per MLB Pipeline. Ehrhard was not ranked.

Both outfielders might need years to reach the majors, if they ever do. The immediate impact of the trade to the Dodgers' major league club is the loss of May.

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Had he remained with the Dodgers, May was ticketed for the bullpen this weekend after going 6-7 with a 4.85 ERA in 19 games (18 starts). Blake Snell is set to be activated off the injured list in anticipation of his Saturday start in Tampa.

With Yoshinobu Yamamoto, Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw and Shohei Ohtani all healthy, and Emmet Sheehan (2-2, 3.60 ERA) pitching his way into a larger role since returning from the injured list, the Dodgers ostensibly liked their chances better with the two outfield prospects rather than May.

More Gomes: "Trying to understand his desire to start, we took that into consideration. If there was a deal that made sense, we were open to do it."
— J.P. Hoornstra (@jphoornstra) July 31, 2025

Considering the Dodgers had fielded calls from rival teams about May for years, and stuck with him amid injuries and inconsistency all the while, the pressure on Tibbs and Ehrhard to make Thursday's trade a "win" is not small.

And yet, with May eligible for free agency at the end of the season and perhaps reduced to a bullpen role for the remainder of 2025, the return does not need to be large to jusify the trade.

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