The Houston Astros were in the NL Central, Clayton Kershaw was finishing his first season of minor league baseball and Cody Bellinger was 12-years-old.
The Dodgers wanted to shift things around on the roster. Then general manager, Ned Colletti told ESPN that the Dodgers needed someone who could work well off the bench, someone who could be a change of pace in the lineup and provide quality plate appearances without the luxury of consistent playing time.
His solution was in Giants’ outfielder and first baseman, Mark Sweeney.
The trade was simple by the eye test. The Dodgers acquired a guy that played sparingly, one that even Giants’ GM, Brian Sabean knew was necessary, telling ESPN that, “[the Giants] aren’t a good enough team to even have Mark on it as a premium pinch hitter.