Dodgers: Three Reasons They Should Not Trade for Ryan Braun

Trade rumors linking the Dodgers and the Milwaukee Brewers’ outfielder, Ryan Braun, have been circulating since last season. Despite continuing to struggle against lefties, Los Angeles should not look to trade for Ryan Braun at the moment.

Many will disagree that the Dodgers don’t need Ryan Braun, including some of my colleagues. But, let’s look beyond names, big bats, and big stats for a minute. The Dodgers’ front office has been known for not making big acquisitions ever since they took over the reigns right after the 2014 season had ended.

The only thing close to a blockbuster trade was the one made last year, which brought Rich Hill and Josh Reddick over to Los Angeles. This does not include re-signing players though.

So far, the sealed wallet, dry ink method is working. The Dodgers have managed to stay competitive, while also rebuilding their farm system and cutting down on payroll each of the last three seasons.

However, Los Angeles was close to getting Braun last season. Apparently, a deal involving Yasiel Puig was lined up last August, but it never came to fruition. The rumor mill about Braun to the Dodgers started up again last month, but recently, the rumors have come to a stand still which is a good thing for the Dodgers, and here is why.

Trust the Youth

The first reason why LA should not trade for Braun has been made clear in the last week. The Dodgers’ youth is strong. Julio Urias proved to be a future ace late last season and has only confirmed that status so far this year. He’s struggled with command, surrendering eight walks, but in 10.2 innings he holds a 0.84 ERA.

Cody Bellinger is the main reason why the Dodgers don’t need Braun. It’s only been 11 games, but the Dodgers’ number one prospect has exploded onto the scene. He’s hitting a scalding .357 with an outrageous OPS of 1.199. He’s quickly surged to tie for the lead in home runs on the team with five and is fourth in RBI with 14.

Despite doubts about his contact rate due to his long swing, he’s only struck out eight times in 42 at-bats. These days, that’s relatively low. Another bonus is that he seems to do equally well against left-handed pitching. In a small sample size of 12 at-bats, he’s collected four hits. If Bellinger continues to rake, the Dodgers would have an extremely crowded outfield, assuming Adrian Gonzalez returns to first.

Chris Taylor earned a spot on the team in Spring Training but was left off because he couldn’t play center. Well, since his call up he’s proved to everyone why they were wrong to send him down in the first place. He’s hitting in the .350s while collecting a couple of homers and posting a 1.077 OPS. Again, it’s a small sample, but he’s shown improvement in hitting since March. He’s also 6-12 against lefties. Now, Taylor won’t be a starter, but he could be a good counter move to a left-handed reliever.

A Braun for Puig swap doesn’t seem likely either. The Brewers will want more to build upon. The Dodgers have one of the best farm systems in the MLB, but that was with Bellinger and Urias in the minors. Now that they’ve made their debuts the Dodgers will need to continue to build their system and not deplete it.

Contract

Braun is expected to earn $19 million in 2017 and 2018, $18 in 2019, $16 million in 2020, and $15 million in 2021. The Dodgers have already given long contracts to several “aging” stars such as Justin Turner and Rich Hill. Adding Braun, who’s already 33, would tie the Dodgers’ hands financially in the future.

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One thing that might force the Dodgers to keep an eye on Braun is the San Francisco Giants’ interest in him. You know what though? They can have him.

The Giants have done worse when relying on big outside names. Johhny Cueto, Jeff Samardzija, and Matt Moore have ERA’s over four right now, and Mark Melancon isn’t nearly as good as he was in Washington. Their heroes, other than ones that came up in their system, have been names like Marco Scutaro, Cody Ross, and Connor Gillespie.

The Dodgers have something good going for them. They are both competitive and have a strong farm system. It’s their youth, not their acquisitions, that are helping them hit left-handed pitching. Frustration and anxiety are growing in the Southland which has overcome one drought, but one remains.

Next: Dodgers: Let's Address the Big Elephant in the Room

However, it’s not the time to be rash and sign an aging star and condemn the organization into a financial prison and set up a quagmire for Dave Roberts. If the Dodgers are to overcome their problems, it should be on their own terms in their own way.