The Cincinnati Reds traded former Los Angeles Dodgers infielder Gavin Lux to the Tampa Bay Rays in a three-team trade on Thursday.
Lux, who won the 2024 World Series with L.A., accompanied Los Angeles Angels prospect Chris Clark in the move to the Rays. The Angels received outfielder Josh Lowe in the deal, and the Reds received left-hander Brock Burke.
The Dodgers sent Lux to the Reds following the end of the 2024 season in exchange for third-round draft pick Mike Sirota, who is now L.A.’s No. 5 prospect and MLB’s No. 64 prospect.
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When Did Gavin Lux Play For the Dodgers?
The Dodgers drafted Lux in the first round of the 2016 MLB amateur draft, and he stayed in the minors until the last month of the 2019 regular season.
He played 23 games for the Dodgers in 2019, managing an OPS just above .700 during his brief stint in the majors to end the season. He had an equally short stay in the majors during the 2020 season, but his numbers took a sharp dip that season. He recorded a career-low .595 OPS in the majors, batting just .175 in 19 games.
Despite his shortcomings the prior season, Lux began the 2021 season at the MLB level and immediately improved upon his previous season. He played 102 games in 2021 and had an OPS just short of .700. The utility man swatted seven homers and drove in 46 RBIs, becoming an integral piece of a solid Dodgers lineup.
Lux continued his improvement into the 2022 season, where he had his best season to date. He had a career-high .745 OPS and managed seven triples over the course of 129 games. The following season, though, Lux missed all 162 games while rehabbing from surgery on his right knee.
He came back in 2024 and played a supporting role in the Dodgers’ World Series title run, though they traded him to the Reds the following January.
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What Does the Trade Mean for Gavin Lux?
Lux, after another season hovering around league average with the bat, joins an exciting Tampa Bay team in need of positional versatility.
The utility man will likely see the most time at second base, as the Rays’ everyday second baseman from 2025 — Brandon Lowe — is now with the Pirates after a three-team trade.
Photo Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-Imagn Images
