Dodgers Rumors: Reporter’s Bryan Reynolds Trade Package Should Have LA Fans Salivating
After a busy week and weekend out of the Dodgers front office, there’s a feeling that they may be ready to pack in for the holiday and get back into reshaping the roster early in 2023. The club addressed a need in the starting rotation with the signing of Noah Syndergaard and filled a hole in the lineup with the addition of JD Martinez. Plus they inked several depth pieces to minor league deals.
Nothing has quite been the top-of-the-market splash fans were hoping for this offseason, but still a good start to lead into the end of the calendar year.
So while not much is expected to happen over the next week or two, that won’t MLB pundits from punditing (which is totally a word).
Over at Sports Illustrated, writer Will Laws took to task pitching five win-win trades for this winter. A fun filler when news is slowing down. In the column, Laws finds a match between the Dodgers and Pittsburgh Pirates and the trade package is sure to have fans in LA absolutely ready to pull the trigger.
The hypothetical proposal
Dodgers acquire OF Bryan Reynolds
Pirates acquire IF Michael Busch, OF Andy Pages, RHP Ryan Pepiot
Now, this would be the type of move Dodgers fans should want to see done immediately. Reynolds is an All-Star-caliber player that would fill a need in center field and, in this scenario, the club would be giving up players that likely wouldn’t break camp with the team out of Arizona this coming spring.
Yes, Michael Busch can hit with the best of them… at Triple-A. But he’s an untested, unproven asset that, frankly, does not and likely will not have a position open for him in LA any time soon.
With Pages, the Dodgers already tried to trade him once before. The slugging outfield prospect was part of a deal that would have sent Ross Stripling and Joc Pederson to the Angels for infielder Luis Rengifo. But that deal was nixed by Anaheim. He’s good… but not good enough to be a Dodger.
Pepiot would hurt most in the immediate future for the Dodgers, but with more top talent emerging in the system (Bobby Miller, Gavin Stone, Michael Grove), he’s an asset the team can stand to part with.
Back to Will Laws, here was his thinking on this trade proposal.
The Pirates have reportedly been holding out for a “Juan Soto–type” haul on Reynolds, who issued a trade demand earlier this month. That’s a pretty absurd ask by Pittsburgh (and an entirely reasonable ask by Reynolds), but this return wouldn’t be too far off. This deal would land the Buccos three of the Dodgers’ top six prospects, per MLB.com. Los Angeles would hang onto its top three prospects, though, and get the premier center fielder thought to be on the block.
For the folks who might not know as much about Reynolds, Dodgers Nation’s Noah Camras talked about him at length here. Additionally, our Doug McKain shared his thoughts in the video below.
In all likelihood, the Pirates shoot down this trade while attempting to pry one more top prospect (we call it the Dodger tax) which quickly would make the deal a non-starter for LA. But on paper, it does help the Pirates as the club attempts to re-legitimize itself in the National League. Plus it sends a player that doesn’t even want to be there out of town for a nice return.
Will this happen? No. But hey… it’s the offseason. Let’s have some fun.
Of course, whenever someone says the player doesn’t currently fit in the Dodgers plans, the immediate thought is, like Yordan Alvarez? But this deal would make sense for both teams, which means, of course, it won’t happen. We probably can’t fleece Cherington like we seem to have fleeced Bloom, which is ironic because the Sox fired Cherington to only then fire Dombrowski and then hire Bloom.
The guy is a bad defensive centerfielder. No thanks. The Dodgers are already taking a defensive hit at SS replacing T. Turner with Lux. The Dodgers CF spot needs plus defense.
Honestly, I don’t think Turner was great at SS. Perhaps above average but Lux may be on par defensively as that is his natural position.
I don’t like the idea of trading Pepiot.
Pepiot, Pages, Miller, Cartaya, Stone. Untouchable. Pepiot has great stuff. Terrible Command. It can be fixed. He still had a 3.47 ERA and .4 WAR. That would be 2.0 WAR for whole year. Just think when command is solved. Pages projects as a 30 homer guy. Average corner OF defense. He flat out raked in the minors. The other three? They have high projections too. Like the man said; “Don’t Sell them Farm!”
They have no need to give him away somebody will pay. And unless a large long extension comes he’ll go free agent. California and New York have to include enough to cover increased living expenses and state income taxes in their offers.
only to people who don’t value being in a high tax area. most pay and wine because it is admission to a place that isn’t free to enter. Rich people want to be here, and pay. Places that are free would charge if the market was there. The tax argument has a flip side.
Do it!
Maybe swap Busch with Vargas. Then they will for sure do the deal.
DP, that switch would sweeten the deal. No problem using Reynolds in LF. We already have 3 good options for CF.
This trade proposal ignores the fact that several other teams want Reynolds..it’s more of a start point for discussions than a reality. However, those of you who recognize that Brian is more of a left fielder than center fielder in any spacious park are right on. We ought to talk trade as if he is a left fielder who brings significant offense to the game.
one word….no
Why no mention of James Outman? He is ready. Play him in right field, and play Mookie in center if no other options.
We don’t need to risk Mookie’s health by moving him to center.
I’d rather have Varsho. Better CF AND backup catcher. Steals bases and is younger.
Dodgers need to do something this off-season. They let the best SS in the market walk for someone who is average. Turner had great batting skills and his speed was dangerous. We need relief pitchers, starting pitchers cause we all know someone’s going to get hurt and we need a good OF. We can’t have Betts although he’s the greatest play every position out there he needs a little help