Dodgers: Which Prospects are Tradable and Which Are Not

The non-waiver trade deadline is just three weeks away. This year’s trade extravaganza figure to be landscape changing due to the level of available talent on the market and the Dodgers have already been rumored to be at the center of almost every rumor out there. But, with these rumors ramping up, the front office must soon decide which of their prospects are keepers versus those they can trade.

Trades in baseball have always worked under the same guidelines. One team, the contender, gets the big name player and the smaller, rebuilding team, is rewarded with a bounty of prospects fit for a king, a return that they hope will change their organization for years to come. This format for trade is an age-old method in baseball and one that is not going anywhere any time soon.

But, this year, the Dodgers find themselves between a rock and a hard place on the market. The Dodgers have the minor league to talent to acquire practically anyone they want. Their farm system ranks as one of the best in the league and that provides them with options on whom they should and should not trade. But, this year especially, with so many teams involved in the rumors for players like Manny Machado, the front office needs to know when enough is enough and who he can and cannot trade.

With the Dodgers heavily rumored to be in the mix for several big names, here are the prospects that are untouchable and touchable, the best and the worst to trade from the farm in 2018.

There is a case both ways for Verdugo’s status on the trade market. Many people regard him as the next great player that will join the Dodgers permanently at some point either this season or next season. His ability to make contact to all fields paired with his strong defense in every outfield position makes the 21-year old prospect a hot commodity and it comes as no surprise that his name has been used in trade talks early in the 2018 trade season.

But, the question still remains, is he tradable?

The answer, quite frankly, is yes. Verdugo is undeniably a good player. We have seen his unsuppressed talent in Triple-A and flashes of that same talent during his short spurts with the big league club.

But, talented or not, Verdugo, who is certainly major league ready, has not stuck in the majors for very long and the reason for that is there is just no room for him. The Dodgers have Puig, Pederson, Taylor (when Seager is healthy), Kemp, and Toles to play the outfield and that is a pretty long list when you are trying to find playing time for a top prospect. Anything less than an everyday starting role is a waste of Verdugo’s skills so perhaps the best usage the team can get out of him is on the market.

Trade status for Alex Verdugo: Tradable

Here we have two different players with two different skill sets. Keibert Ruiz, the 19-year old catcher out of Venezuela is known and regarded for his defense and contact-oriented bat. Smith, a 23-year old catcher who has college baseball experience is known for his powerful swing and elite defense.

Why are they paired in the article you ask because they have been paired in their rise through the organization.

Currently, in Double-A, the dangerous catching duo of Will Smith and Keibert Ruiz have turned heads enough so that their names are constantly being thrown around in trade rumors.

That comes as no surprise as Smith is hitting .289 on the year with 15 home runs and has looked unstoppable on defense not only at catcher but at second base. On Ruiz’s resume is a fantastic season in 2017 and while his statistics are way down this year, he is just 19-years old and has tons of room to grow due to his youth.

In terms of trade, one can stay and one can go. The Dodgers are stacked on the farm at the catching position and one of these two backstops will one day be the feature catcher on the ballclub. But, like with Verdugo, the other one of the two, who is not used as the regular catcher, is just too good to use in a reserve role thus a trade serves the team better.

If you are wondering which prospect of the two is more tradable, I would have no good answer. Ruiz is attractive for opposing teams because of his age and potential and that will probably work to get the team a nicer player. Smith’s age and talent prohibit how much the team can get in return but it is well known the Dodgers and other teams are very high on Smith.

Trade status for Keibert Ruiz and Will Smith: Pick one to keep and one to trade.

This past offseason, the Dodgers missed out on an opportunity to trade for Giancarlo Stanton at what was arguably a discounted rate for a super-star talent. Instead, the Yankees got the 6’6 slugger and paired him with fellow 50 home run hitter, Aaron Judge.

So, now that Stanton is a Yankee, the Dodgers can look internally at 22-year old slugger, DJ Peters, to fill the power void they had once hoped to fill with Stanton.

Standing at 6’6 and 225 pounds, Peters is built to the dimensions of the newest Bronx Bomber and draws comparisons to Stanton almost regularly.

Peters has slugged 18 homers in Double-A this season, just a year after hitting 25 home runs with the Quakes in High-A. Peters is a classic boom or bust player and he couples it nicely with very good defense in right field where he features his cannon of an arm.

Peters could play a role in the Dodgers’ offense that has not been played in a few years, a pure power hitter. With the game transitioning to the wall-ball era, having someone like Peters on the roster could certainly be helpful.

The Dodgers should not trade the former Cal-League MVP as his skills could prove very valuable down the road.

Trade status for DJ Peters: Untradable

If there was one prospect in the organization that is easily tradable it would be Yadier Alvarez.

The now 22-year old pitcher has progressed through the organization at snail’s pace and has fallen lower and lower in the organization’s prospect ranks as he has gotten farther in the system.

Alvarez has undeniable talent, his fastball is rated with a score of 70 on the scale of 80 and his Slider sits at 60 points but the one tool that cannot be measured, attitude, is perhaps his worst weapon.

Alvarez does not have a good reputation amongst players or media and greatly hurt both his trade value and the Dodgers’ desire to keep him in the organization.

In the last three season, Alvarez has fallen from a top five prospect to number eight in the Dodgers’ system and it would be best if the Dodgers got whatever value they could get now before his stock totally drops.

Trade status for Yadier Alvarez: Very Tradable