The Los Angeles Dodgers have an opening in left field this offseason, and the consensus was they’d look to bring in a top free agent, such as Kyle Tucker or Cody Bellinger, to fill that hole.
Now, though, The Athletic’s Fabian Ardaya and Katie Woo report the Dodgers are likely to pursue their outfield replacement via trade.
“At this stage of the winter, it seems that, if the Dodgers are going to address their outfield, it will likely be on the trade market,” they wrote.
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While the Dodgers ordinarily go for big names on the free agency market, they still have plenty of pieces to trade. LA has one of the strongest farm systems in baseball, with seven prospects currently ranked in MLB’s Top 100.
Additionally, The Athletic’s Ken Rosenthal and Patrick Mooney report the Dodgers could look to part with veteran All-Star Teoscar Hernandez in the offseason to trade for a center fielder.
“An interesting possibility has surfaced for the two-time defending World Series champion Dodgers: A trade of right fielder Teoscar Hernández,” their article reads.
“Hernández’s name is coming up in trade conversations, according to league sources. The Dodgers view a deal as unlikely, but the idea of it, at least, is not without logic.
“…If the Dodgers trade Hernández, they could move Andy Pages to right, where he could be elite, and try to acquire a center fielder.
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On top of their multitude of assets, the Dodgers have several options they could pursue on the trade market, with players like Jarren Duran, Steven Kwan and Byron Buxton — all of whom have made at least one All-Star game in the last two seasons — all potentially available this offseason.
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Whether it be through trade or free agency, the Dodgers have a clear problem in the outfield, and they’ll look to solve their predicament by the end of the Winter Meetings.
Photo Credit: Kiyoshi Mio-Imagn Images
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