Dodgers: Ranking the Most Expendable Players on the Team

The Hot Stove is in full stride, meaning the Dodgers will be looking to make some moves to improve the team, making us wonder who could be traded and who shouldn’t.

The Dodgers have been linked with both Giancarlo Stanton and Shohei Ohtani. One would require parting with players and the other would not. But beyond them, they may be and should be, looking around the league to see how they can improve themselves.

Los Angeles has quality trade pieces that may look appealing to other teams, and even if they were not, the Dodgers could use some of the current players to make a move or two. But then you have to ask “who should be untouchable and who should not?”

The untouchables are obvious. Clayton Kershaw, Corey Seager, Cody Bellinger, Justin Turner, Kenley Jansen, and maybe Yasiel Puig and Chris Taylor? But after them, everyone else should be up for grabs.

Being expendable in this situation is not just not being needed but whether or not that player has some semblance of value in a trade. Here are the most expendable players the Dodgers have.

Hyun-Jin Ryu/Scott Kazmir/Brandon McCarthy

Remember the guy in the picture? Ya, well, he is still around, but should not be. And it is hard to separate Ryu, Kazmir, and McCarthy from each other because they are in eerily similar situations. Either of the three in Hyun-Jin Ryu, Scott Kazmir, and Brandon McCarthy should be viewed expendable. They may not have much value, but the Dodgers could help with that if they eat a lot of the money.

The trio is entering contract years, and expiring contracts are always valuable trade chips in sports. That and the Dodgers may just want to move on from them and see what they can get for any of them before they (most likely) let them walk.

And the fact that all three have had injury problems in recent years and have been dead weight financially, the front office may feel that moving on from them and relieving themselves from the financial burden as soon as possible.

Even with Yu Darvish’s likely departure, Los Angeles still has Clayton Kershaw, Rich Hill, Alex Wood, Walker Buehler, Ross Stripling, Kenta Maeda, and possibly Trevor Oaks, all competing for starting spots. Add in these three, and you have perhaps ten guys for five spots, not to mention the possible return of Julio Urias later in the season.

Thus, there is no glaring need for Ryu, Kazmir, or McCarthy. It would be nice to see Ryu stay, but Kazmir and McCarthy have done more harm than good for the Dodgers at this point in their Dodger tenures. And if the Dodgers can land Ohtani, it’s a good bet that one of the starters are moved. It’s only a matter of time before they leave. Just up to the front office if they want to do it earlier.

Yasmani Grandal

With recent reports about the Dodgers willing to move Yasmani Grandal, it only confirmed the belief that 2018, if he is still around, will be his last season with the Dodgers before he becomes a free agent and leaves for more money.

Grandal is arguably the best defensive catcher in baseball and easily top ten overall. His pitch-framing is elite, has a gun behind the plate, and can hit for good power. He is the definition of a starting-caliber MLB catcher.

One problem is he is entering a contract year, and all signs point to the Dodgers not wanting to pay him top dollar. But the main reason he is truly expendable is the catching depth the organization has.

Coming into 2017, the position catcher has not been considered a position of strength for the club. But the breakout season of Austin Barnes in the show and Keibert Ruiz in the minors, the emergence of Kyle Farmer, and the presence of 2016 first-rounder Will Smith show that Grandal is not needed as we once thought.

The Dodgers are deep and set for years behind the plate. Austin Barnes has proven to be starter-worthy, and Kyle Farmer flashed glimpses that he could take on Barnes’ role from last year. And Los Angeles needs space on the 25-man roster for everyone, so why not trade arguably your best trade chip?

Speaking of which, another reason why Grandal is expendable is he is a valuable trade chip. This was a down year for him offensively, expect in the home runs department. He slugged 22 long balls, but a walk rate of 8.3% is easily a career low.

But there is a reason to believe that it’s just an aberration. He’s never posted a walk rate in the major leagues below 13.1% until this year, which is remarkable. Grandal is ultimately a guy who will hit around .240-.250, walk a good ton, hit around 25 home runs, and play elite defense. Not bad for an expendable trade chip.

The Dodgers can maybe use him to bring in a third team in the Giancarlo Stanton sweepstakes, but that is just a guess.

Joc Pederson/Trayce Thompson

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These two were hard to separate because they too are in the same situation. Both struggled in 2017 but are still young, on long, cheap contracts and still have power and potential that may be intriguing for teams. But the Dodgers should not fall victim to this.

They have enough outfield depth where their departure would not matter if we are completely honest. The Dodgers can do much better than them in left field so these two would be better for other teams.

Trayce may be harder to move because of his struggles with health and production, but these are the exact reasons why he is expendable. Joc was in the same boat but had a breakout World Series, which should help his stock a little bit.

Either or both could be part of a big and robust trade package for a superior player. It should not be like a few years ago when Joc Pederson was viewed as an untouchable. He is far from that now, and his role with the Dodgers is unclear at the moment.

Next: Dodgers Should Avoid Arrieta

So as it stands right now, Joc Pederson and Trayce Thompson are easily the most expendable players the Dodgers have, and LA should capitalize on that.