Joe Kelly's unfiltered take on White Sox-Dodgers swap: "First person who texted me was probably my wife"

Joe Kelly, a former Chicago White Sox relief pitcher, was recently traded to the LA Dodgers in an unexpected turn of events. He admitted that he learned of the trade in an unusual way.

The news of the trade broke while Ryan Brasier and Kelly were on a podcast. Kelly was caught off guard by the sudden wave of texts that followed the revelation, as he made his way to the field.

Kelly recalled the unexpected series of events in a conversation with Rob Bradford, revealing that he was heading to the field when a barrage of messages began coming in.

As he had not received any notification from team management, Kelly was taken aback by the texts.

“I was doing a podcast with Ryan Brasier leading up to the trade deadline,” Bradford recalled. “In the middle of it, there was a report they’re close on a deal with Joe Kelly and Lance Lynn going to the Dodgers… I texted you saying ‘You’re going to the Dodgers?’ You immediately sprung into action.

"I texted you that and the next thing you know you were calling. When you called me, was that the first you’d heard of it? Or had you heard of it from other people?” Bradford asked.

“You were probably the second person. I think the first person who actually texted me was probably my wife or it might have been Derrick Goold of the St. Louis Post-Dispatch,” Kelly said. “Maybe it was you. You might have the timestamp.”

Kelly mentioned that, to his surprise, neither Dodgers President of Baseball Operations Andrew Friedman nor White Sox General Manager Rick Hahn had officially informed him of the trade.

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Joe Kelly's MLB career so far

Reds Dodgers Baseball

Currently a key player for the Los Angeles Dodgers, Kelly has showcased his talents for the St. Louis Cardinals, Boston Red Sox, and Chicago White Sox in the past.

In 2018, Kelly joined the Dodgers, signing a notable contract and overcoming a challenging start to become a pivotal bullpen asset.

He contributed significantly to the Dodgers' 2021 season, only to encounter a bicep injury during the NLCS. Kelly's White Sox tenure was marked by a tough start in 2022 and mixed performances in 2023.