Last week a former Humboldt Crab was dealt on Major League Baseball’s trade deadline with outfielder James Outman shipped to the Minnesota Twins after being with the Los Angeles Dodgers organization since he was drafted in 2018.
Outman appeared in 230 games as a Dodger, with 151 of those games coming in the 2023 season where he broke out, slugging 23 home runs and stealing 16 bases, which earned Outman a third-place finish in the National League Rookie of the Year award. The last two years haven’t been as fruitful for Outman, batting .137 with six home runs over 75 games since 2023.
Due to his struggles at the plate, Outman has appeared in more games with the Oklahoma City Comets, the Dodgers Triple-A affiliate, than with the Major League club. The outfielder is now 28 years old, but he left Los Angeles with some jewelry, helping the Dodgers win the 2024 World Series even if Outman wasn’t a part of Los Angeles’ postseason roster.
Humboldt Crabs left fielder James Outman connects for a grand slam in the bottom of the second inning of his team’s 16-0 win over the Walnut Creek Crawdads in 2016. (Danny Penza/The Times-Standard file photo)
Outman, who was a member of the 2016 Crabs team, was traded on the deadline, last Thursday, in a one-for-one deal with the Twins in exchange for relief pitcher Brock Stewart. Outman has been playing with Minnesota’s Triple-A team, the St. Paul Saints. Outman has played in three games with the Saints, having gone hitless in three games while drawing two walks and striking out eight times.
“To say the last 7 years were fun would be a huge understatement. The people I’ve met along the way have helped me grow into the player — and man — that my 12-year-old self would be proud of,” Outman said in a farewell post on his social media account. “It was a dream come true to debut with the team that drafted me, and I’ll forever be grateful to the Dodgers for the opportunity they gave me. I was truly proud to wear Dodger Blue every night.”
Outman wasn’t the only member of the 2016 Crabs team to reach the Major Leagues, with teammates David Hamilton and Jason Alexander also reaching the pinnacle of the sport after spending a summer in Arcata. July was a turbulent month for Hamilton as well, after spending the first three months of the season with the Boston Red Sox, Hamilton was optioned down to the Triple-A Worcester Red Sox on July 11.
Hamilton didn’t stay down in the minors for long, getting recalled by the Red Sox two weeks later on July 25. Hamilton then remained on the Red Sox roster through the trade deadline without being moved or seeing any infield additions from Boston. On the season, Hamilton is batting only .176 but has stolen 17 bases while providing solid infield defense at second base and shortstop.
The third member of the 2016 Crabs team that has appeared in MLB this season is right-handed pitcher Jason Alexander, who has pitched for the Athletics and the Houston Astros this season. Alexander has bounced back and forth from Triple-A and the majors this season but had a solid start for the Astros earlier this week.
On Monday, Alexander got a win, pitching six innings of shutout ball against the Miami Marlins. For the season, he’s got a 2-1 record with a 5.97 earned run average.
David Morgan, a member of the 2021 Crabs team, remains in the San Diego Padres bullpen after making his MLB debut earlier this season. Morgan currently owns a 1.80 ERA, with 29 strikeouts in 30 innings.
Dylan McNeill can be reached at 707-441-0526.
Originally Published: August 6, 2025 at 12:18 PM PDT