Dodgers Rumors: Twins Once Requested De Leon, Alvarez, Calhoun for Dozier

With the Brian Dozier saga concluded, it was expected we’d hear details of the talks leaked sometime soon.

Jon Morosi dropped an interesting nugget this morning: Minnesota was asking for the moon.

Postscript on Brian Dozier/#Dodgers talks: At one point, #Twins wanted Jose De Leon, Yadier Alvarez and Willie Calhoun in the deal. @MLB

— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 31, 2017

It’s understandable why the Dodgers pivoted to Logan Forsythe if the above report is accurate. That’s three of the top 82 prospects in baseball. Dozier was coming off a career-year, but even then it may have been unrealistic to command that level of value. As the line graph below indicates, 2016 was an outlier that many – apparently including the Dodgers – felt he wouldn’t match again.

Morosi said “at one point,” so it’s entirely possible that package was the Twins’ opening offer. But it matches previous rumors that L.A. wanted to do a one-for-one of Dozier and De Leon, and while willing to include another small prospect, it didn’t match Minnesota’s interest. The Dodgers ultimately got their one-for-one deal with Tampa Bay.

If Minnesota didn’t work its way down significantly from that offer, it appears to have overplayed its hand. The team will likely shop Dozier again in the summer, but it won’t have the Dodgers involved this time.