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Brian Dozier Traded from Twins to Dodgers for Logan Forsythe, More
July 31, 2018
After falling out of playoff contention, the Minnesota Twins have reportedly traded star second baseman Brian Dozier to the Los Angeles Dodgers, according to ESPN's Jerry Crasnick.
According to Jon Heyman of Fancred, Los Angeles will send utility man Logan Forsythe, outfielder Luke Raley and left-hander Devin Smeltzer to Minnesota.
The Athletic's Ken Rosenthal and Dan Hayes first reported a deal was close.
The Twins were a surprise playoff team last season after winning just 59 games in 2016. They started this season with high expectations because of that postseason appearance and signing starting pitcher Lance Lynn and closer Addison Reed to shore up the pitching staff.
Dozier has been a mainstay for the Twins since his MLB debut in 2012. The 31-year-old made the All-Star team in 2015 and set an AL record in 2016 by hitting 40 of his 42 homers while playing second base.
From 2014 to 2017, Dozier ranked second among all second basemen with 18.8 FanGraphs wins above replacement. His offense has taken a step back this season with a .224/.305/.402 slash line for a Twins team that has disappointed with a 49-56 after making the postseason last year.
With Dozier being in the final year of his contract, the Twins were forced to decide if they wanted to play out this season before trying to re-sign him or add long-term assets they can build around in the future.
Dozier is not an old man and is still in the prime of his career. He has hit all over the lineup in the past, primarily leading off for the Twins, so he gives Dodgers manager Dave Roberts more versatility in a lineup that also includes the newly acquired Manny Machado and Cody Bellinger.
The Dodgers got off to a slow start this season, so they needed to do something if they hoped to get back to the World Series. With Dozier's potent bat in their lineup, they have the depth to hold off the Arizona Diamondbacks, Colorado Rockies and San Francisco Giants in the National League West.