Lately, the Dodgers have been known for three things—being the best team in the National League in 2017, introducing the two most recent NL Rookies of the Year to Major League Baseball, and refusing to trade their top prospects. Their commitment to keeping the top prospects in a Dodgers uniform has already proved to be a good strategy. Had they held on to the common theme of “win now” several years back, Cody Bellinger and/or Corey Seager probably wouldn’t be wearing Blue right now.
Now that Bellinger and Seager are in the majors, Walker Buehler and Alex Verdugo are the top two prospects in the Dodgers organization. Chances are they’ll stay Dodgers for a while, but there may come a time when Los Angeles needs to trade a top prospect for a potential playoff boost.
Here are a few trade scenarios that could help the Dodgers down the stretch.
Trade with: NEW YORK METS
METS GET: Matt Kemp, Alex Verdugo, Yasmani Grandal, Julio Urias
DODGERS GET: Jacob deGrom, Seth Lugo
Trade with: SEATTLE MARINERS
MARINERS GET: Will Smith, Gavin Lux, Trayce Thompson, Kyle Farmer
DODGERS GET: James Paxton, Mitch Haniger
Trade with: DETROIT TIGERS
TIGERS GET: Alex Verdugo, Brock Stewart, Yasmani Grandal
DODGERS GET: Mikie Mahtook, Shane Green
Trade with: BALTIMORE ORIOLES
ORIOLES GET: Alex Verdugo, Gavin Lux, Ross Stripling, Matt Kemp
DODGERS GET: Zach Britton, Mychal Givens
Trade with: PHILADELPHIA PHILLIES
PHILLIES GET: Julio Urias, Matt Kemp
DODGERS GET: Aaron Nola and cash
The Dodgers shouldn’t trade Buehler. The only players would I would trade Buehler for are already on contenders, and they wouldn’t trade those players, anyway. Baseball evolves by teams rebuilding. It evolves by teams who have fallen out of the playoffs for the foreseeable future trading away their stars and restocking their farm systems with prospects.
It’s no secret that the winter hot stove has been wildly cold as of late, but the Dodgers could be the team that kickstarts things by trading away a few prospects and players for guys that could help them win the World Series this year.
I have never been more confident in this team than I am right now, and so I think that now is as good a time as ever to make some trades. No matter what, the Dodgers’ farm is very strong. They could trade Verdugo and still have one of the best minor league systems in baseball. In a single season, there are two perfect times to make trades; the offseason and the trade deadline.
In any event, the Dodgers could stand to make a few upgrades; and if they do, they’ll be unstoppable.
(FOLLOW SARAH ON TWITTER: @SARAHMANINGER)
That Seattle trade is more than ludicrous. I can see Seattle management rolling all over the floor laughing at that one.
They really, really liked Zach Lee, though.
Did they really, really like Lee? or was it let me see if I can throw some ish to the wall and see if it sticks? No team would consider trading away a solid/better than average ML pitcher and a young OF with all star potential for 3 guys whose ceiling is solid career backup and another guy whose ceiling is quality ML starter (who is also at least 3 years away)…..I could be wrong about Smith, his ceiling could be mediocre starter.
The great part about Hot Stove is putting together prospective trades and then having everyone disagree with you. There is no right or wrong, just each person’s opinion. This is my response to some of your suggestions Sarah and just because I disagree with you that doesn’t mean that I’m right and you aren’t. Here goes.
Seattle deal – In order to get them to even think about that deal we’d have to be willing to reverse the Taylor-Lee trade, and even then they might not do it.
Mets deal – you are asking a team with very little payroll room to absorb almost 30 mil in salary between Kemp and Grandal. You are giving them a good outfield prospect, a pitching prospect who is coming off a very serious injury and probably won’t pitch until mid season and you are asking them to give you their #1 (at worst #2) starter and a guy who probably figures as their #5 or 6 starter or a decent long man in the bullpen. Not gonna happen.
Phillies deal – you are asking them to give us one of the best young pitching prospects in baseball, a guy who was worth over 4 WAR last year and pitched close to 170 innings and in return you’re giving them a pitcher with tremendous upside but, as mentioned above, is coming off a very serious injury and won’t pitch until mid season. Also, he’s never pitched over 120 innings in a season. On top of that you want them to take Kemp. You mentioned that they would include cash. How much, 21 million?
I think fans tend to over value their players when putting together trades and I’m as guilty as the next guy when it comes to that.
Yeah, but Gabe and The Bison go wayyyyy back. Old school, man.
I hear that Gabe was the one who got Bison to give up Twinkies. Major career turning point.
On a serious note, the Carlos Santana acquisition took me totally by surprise. Still can’t figure out the reasoning behind that one.
Yeah, I found that one interesting also. Although I’ve always been a Santana fan it doesn’t make a lot of sense to me unless they sign another couple of good veterans and actually think they can challenge in the next couple of years. Maybe that’s their mindset. They’ve got money, maybe they’ll swoop in and sign JD Martinez and Yu.
Any trade involving a Mets pitcher, I would prefer Syndergaard…I love THOR! He just looks like a Dodger…and given the fact that he is also coming off an injury, he would probably be easier to pry loose.
“I have never been more confident in this team than I am right now, and so I think that now is as good a time as ever to make some trades.” That’s just illogical. If you (and me too) are confident in the team, that is a reason NOT to make trades.
But…I would definitely find a way to move Grandal, Ryu and Forsythe before the trade deadline as they are in walk years and it would be nice to get something before they hit FA. Grandal likely will be too expensive to re-sign and what team couldn’t use one of the top catchers in baseball besides the Dodgers – that have two top catchers?
Ryu seems like a good fit for Baltimore who needs 2-3 starters, and I’d like to see Stewart/Stripling/Buehler take his slot in the rotation. Don’t know what the Dodgers get back unless it would be part of a package to get Zach Britton.
Once Kemp shows he’s “still got it” I’m sure he’ll have a new home in the American League where he can DH.
I rather see the Dodgers go after OF Kevin Pillar of the Blue Jays. In his prime, low-cost option, GG-defense, solid power, and most important: CAN RUN THE BASES EXTREMELY WELL!!! Send Toronto Joc Pederson (maybe they can straighten him out) and Alex Verdugo (in case Joc flames out over there, plus I like Andrew Toles more) to complete the deal. I do like the Kemp/Urias for Nola/cash trade proposal because it gets the Dodgers out from under that bloated contract they gave Kemp all those years ago and pairing Nola along with Buehler in that rotation??? SICK!
Haha, I don’t think Seattle will be dealing with the Dodgers anytime soon after getting absolutely spanked in that Chris Taylor/Zach Lee deal…