Dodgers' Top Hypothetical Trade Targets for Early-Season Shakeup
The Los Angeles Dodgers were dealt a major blow before the 2023 season even started when infielder Gavin Lux suffered a season-ending torn ACL.
Miguel Rojas, Chris Taylor and Luke Williams have all started multiple games at shortstop in his absence, and L.A. has even used Mookie Betts there a handful of times to see if he can be a viable option. As a result of that revolving door, the team's shortstop position has produced an ugly .191/.259/.368 batting line with six home runs and 15 RBI in 166 plate appearances.
It's a glaring roster hole on a team with World Series aspirations and a loaded farm system to dangle on the trade market, so expect a move of some sort to be made to add to the list of shortstop options.
Ahead we've highlighted a blockbuster target, a low-cost option, and an outside-the-box potential move that could address the lack of production.
Blockbuster Addition: Tim Anderson, Chicago White Sox
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The fit here is perfect if the Chicago White Sox decide to make one of their faces of the franchise available via trade.
Tim Anderson is in the final guaranteed season of his contract, but he has a $14 million club option for 2024 that is well below his open market value. He would give the Dodgers a bridge to Lux returning from his ACL injury.
The 29-year-old is a two-time All-Star for the South Siders, and he has hit over .300 each of the past four seasons, including a .335 average in 2019 when he won the AL batting title. He is widely regarded as one of the best contact hitters in baseball.
If the White Sox decide to throw in the towel, Anderson is an obvious trade chip along with Lucas Giolito. The likelihood that he jumps ship once he does reach free agency seems to be increasing as the losses pile up this year.
Low-Cost Addition: Paul DeJong, St. Louis Cardinals
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Paul DeJong signed a six-year, $26 million deal prior to the 2018 season, setting a record at the time for a player with less than one full year of service time.
He was an All-Star in 2019 when he launched 30 home runs and had a 5.3-WAR season, but he has failed to duplicate that level of production in the years since. He struggled last season to the point that he was demoted to the minors.
The 29-year-old began the year in a bench role, but he is slowly playing his way back into the mix, hitting .286/.357/.524 with four home runs in 70 plate appearances while posting a career-high 52.3 percent hard-hit rate in the process.
DeJong has club options in 2024 ($12.5 million, $2 million buyout) and 2025 ($15 million, $1 million buyout), so if he does bounce all the way back to his 2019 level, he could be a potential multi-year pickup.
Outside-the-Box Addition: Ronny Mauricio, New York Mets
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Would the Dodgers consider making a run at Ronny Mauricio?
The 22-year-old is hitting .354/.390/.615 with 17 doubles, seven home runs and 27 RBI in 40 games at Triple-A. More importantly, he has made considerable strides with his approach at the plate, cutting his strikeout rate from 23.1 to 16.9 percent.
He is blocked at the MLB level by Jeff McNeil and Francisco Lindor, both of whom are signed to long-term contracts. With Brett Baty settling in at third base, that doesn't seem to be a viable option either.
Prospect-for-prospect swaps are rare, but the Zac Gallen-for-Jazz Chisholm Jr. deal between the Miami Marlins and Arizona Diamondbacks a few years ago could serve as a blueprint for an outside-the-box solution to the Dodgers' shortstop problem.
All stats courtesy of Baseball Reference.
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