Dodgers Digest Los Angeles Dodgers Baseball Blog
Two years ago, the Dodgers traded for Matt Kemp in the famed Charlie Culberson trade. It was also two years ago that Star Wars: The Last Jedi hit theaters. These two pair in my memory because I was waiting on a Saturday morning to go see The Last Jedi when the Culberson trade broke. I had to write it up quickly before going to the show.
So, as I sit here today — a Saturday morning waiting to go see Star Wars: The Rise Of Skywalker, I’m almost certain the Dodgers are going to make a trade in the next couple hours. Of course, this is all anecdotal and based on a sample size of 1, so don’t hang on these words too much. However, it would have been somewhat reasonable to expect a trade this week.
Today is Dec. 21, so there’s still time for it to happen! I know, I know it’s more hopeful than anything, but we are dying for something to happen.
The two biggest names on the trade market are Mookie Betts and Francisco Lindor. I’ve written about both at length and both would be fantastic additions to the Dodgers. They would be acquired under different circumstances.
The Red Sox, whose owner sits atop a sports conglomerate of $6.6 billion, is looking to shed payroll by trading one of the Top 5 players in baseball because he’s projected to make $27.7 million in his last year of arbitration. They’re also trying to attach David Price‘s $31 million salary to him, which Cody wrote about earlier this week. That would reduce the acquisition cost to predominantly money, of which the Dodgers have plenty.
Cleveland, for an organization that isn’t looking to trade its franchise player, sure is trying to trade its franchise player. It is asking for “final” offers for Lindor so that it may assess the situation this weekend. The Dodgers, Reds and Padres have the most known public interest in him, but if Cleveland is truly making Lindor available, nearly every MLB team should be in the sweepstakes. And this is on top of trading Corey Kluber last weekend. In March, Paul Dolan — Cleveland owner — said, “Enjoy him. We control him for three more years. Enjoy him and then we’ll see what happens.” That basically means, “We’re not going to sign him to an extension, so enjoy him while you can.” That’s why Cleveland is looking to move one of the game’s best players.
The Dodgers should be able to benefit from these penny pinching owners (and yes, I fully recognize the irony in that statement), seeing as they missed out on Gerrit Cole, didn’t offer a contract to Anthony Rendon, and never really had a chance at Stephen Strasburg. They’re probably not going to sign Josh Donaldson, so the best way for the Dodgers to improve the top of the roster is via the trade market.
Here’s hoping for something significant in the next few days. And here’s hoping for an enjoyable film, which I’ll be seeing in about three hours (when a trade is almost assuredly to go down).
