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Dodgers: Does Alex Verdugo Have More Value as Trade Bait?
The Dodgers are having another youth movement due to their long list of injuries. Alex Verdugo is among the youngsters who have seen expanded playing time due to injuries.
The Dodgers have a good assortment of young talent even after the graduation of big names like Cody Bellinger, Walker Buehler, Corey Seager, and Austin Barnes. One of their most prized prospects at the moment is Alex Verdugo. The question is, does Alex Verdugo have more value as trade bait; then he does to the Dodgers? Let’s take a deeper dive into this.
Top Prospect
As it currently stands, Alex Verdugo is the Dodgers top position prospect according to MLB’s top 100 prospects list. The Only Dodger ranked higher than Verdugo was Walker Buehler. Verdugo turns 22 years old in one week and is a very solid prospect. One question is just how good of a major leaguer will Verdugo be? He is a solid fielder with a rocket arm, he has the speed to steal about 10-15 bases a season, and he is a hard batter to strike out unless he presses as he did in the Mexico games.
Verdugo doesn’t have much home run power as his career high for home runs in the minors was thirteen home runs in 2016 at Double-A Tulsa. While there is a chance that Verdugo can develop more power as he fills out, there is a strong likelihood that he will never hit more than 10-12 home runs a season in the big leagues. Verdugo has a lot of solid tools, but he is not great at any of them except for his strong outfield arm.
The Future of the Outfield
The Dodgers’ outfield picture of the future is in flux right now. Yasiel Puig has one more season left under team control, but he is yet to have a true breakout season. Last season he made progress, but he has been slow to start this season and is dealing with injuries. Matt Kemp is signed through next season, and then he will be gone. He could be released in the off-season depending how the rest of his 2018 season goes. Then there is Chris Taylor who the Dodgers could keep in centerfield, left field, or move him to second base. He could begin next season at short if Corey Seager is slow to rehab.
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There is a chance the Dodgers could dip into free agency to bolster their outfield this winter with big names like Bryce Harper and AJ Pollock as free agents. Down in the minors, there are also solid prospects like Andrew Toles, DJ Peters, Jeren Kendall, and Yusniel Diaz among others. For all the possibilities that exist for the Dodgers, there is still a lot to be determined for the future of their outfield. This winter will go a long ways in determining the future landscape of the outfield depending on who the Dodgers go after or get rid of.
Trade Value
Where this all leads to is the fact that Alex Verdugo has a good amount of trade value for the Dodgers. The Rangers asked for him in Darvish talks, the Padres asked for him in Brad Hand trade negotiations, and if the Dodgers decide to go after Manny Machado, Chris Archer, or another big name, then you can bet the house that Alex Verdugo’s name will come up in trade discussions. The Dodgers were reluctant to trade Verdugo last season but it doesn’t mean he is totally off limits.
Next: The Dodgers season is coming to a crossroad
Regardless of how the slow start affects the Dodgers’ season, there will come a time when they look to bolster this year’s squad. Alex Verdugo has a lot of value for the Dodgers if they decide to pursue a big time player. Whether they decide to deal Alex or not will go a long way in determining what the future Dodgers’ outfield looks like. All we can do is hope Andrew Friedman and Farhan Zaidi get a good read on Verdugo and either capitalize on his trade value or his potential to start in the Dodgers’ outfield for many seasons to come.