“I was waiting for the phone call all day” - New Rays pitcher Ryan Pepiot details amusing tale in anticipation of being traded away from Dodgers

Ryan Pepiot was a top Los Angeles Dodgers prospect before he was shipped off as the key piece in the Tyler Glasnow trade. He was once a part of the NL team with eyes on winning it all, but it all went away one day as the Dodgers attempted to upgrade their rotation immediately.

Pepiot, thanks to reporting and communication from the team, had a feeling the deal was coming and he was a bit excited for it. He spoke with MLB Network on what it was like waiting to officially be dealt.

Pepiot said:

"It was a fun little night, but immediately, it was sit down. I was waiting for the call all day that Friday. Sit down for dinner, everybody gets their drinks, sits down. Immediately, phone rings. I'm like, 'I should've went to lunch earlier in the day, it probably would've gone through earlier.'"

He continued:

"I'm hopping in and out of phone calls, but it was an exciting night. I kinda knew what was happening, the Dodgers kept me in the loop a couple days prior to that saying still finalizing some details but it's looking likely. That Friday night, I got a call that it was going to be announced tomorrow."

Ultimately, Pepiot was officially shipped to the Tampa Bay Rays, where he will likely be a key part of their rotation. Since they offloaded Glasnow, there's a void there and they believe Pepiot can be part of the fill.

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Ryan Pepiot was key piece to Dodgers World Series hopes

The Los Angeles Dodgers didn't make it to the NLCS last year. They've consistently been a great team, but they're looking to cement themselves as World Series contenders with few obstacles, hence why they've gone so all in this offseason.

It began with the addition of Shohei Ohtani, and the signing of Yoshinobu Yamamoto was a big part as well. However, the deal for Tyler Glasnow is an underrated addition. That's how Ryan Pepiot played a big role.

Ryan Pepiot was key to the Glasnow trade

The Dodgers likely wouldn't have got Glasnow if they weren't willing to part with Pepiot, so while he won't help them in their pursuit, he did help them get an elite pitcher who will help them pursue that championship.