Dodgers are in Every Trade Rumor; What it Means for 2019

It’s the Winter Meetings and for the first time in what feels like a long time the Dodgers have been extremely active on more than just one or two big name free agents, though they still are reportedly in on Bryce Harper.

The Dodgers have been linked to All-Star catcher J.T. Realmuto and to Cleveland aces Trevor Bauer and Corey Kluber, but beyond these players the team has seemingly been interested in dealing from areas of 25-man roster depth, something that has not been common within their recent moves, barring the Brandon McCarthy and others for Matt Kemp trade with the Atlanta Braves last offseason.

According to Buster Olney of ESPN and Mark Feinsand of MLB.com some of the Dodgers most reliable starting pitchers and outfielders are out on the trade block, and seem at least remotely likely to be dealt to either the Cincinnati Reds or the Cleveland Indians, though mystery teams emerge more often than not in these sorts of scenarios. The most commonly shopped players have been outfielders Yasiel Puig, Alex Verdugo and Joc Pederson, along with starting pitcher Alex Wood.

I want to simply run through each one of these players very briefly, and discuss whether or not I think it is a good idea to trade any one of these pieces at this time, and what trading them would mean about the front office’s view of the team as it is currently constructed.

Yasiel Puig

“The Wild Horse” has been one of the most commonly shopped players for the Dodgers ever since his collapse in 2016. Once Puig seemingly failed to reach some of his lofty upside, the team seemed to decide that despite the fan’s love for Puig, he was expendable.

Not only do I feel that Puig should be kept for 2019, I think Puig should be extended long term. Puig is, to me, a potential Los Angeles lifer as he has performed in the playoffs and during the regular season and has transformed himself from a potential-bust into a clubhouse and community favorite with national appeal.

Despite his reinvention and budding national celebrity, I still feel Puig has more value to the Dodgers than he would to any other team. By taking Puig out of Dodger blue, he loses some of the LA allure and star power that has created his giant personality. It also makes the team who loves him and the fans who adore him question the direction the franchise is going in.

If Puig, an All-Star caliber player with highlight-reel defensive ability and 25-30 home run power, and not to mention a knack for clutch performance, is dealt for prospects and Homer Bailey’s inflated salary, or for an aging ace in Kluber as has been discussed, I feel that the return is not worth it. While it may be worth it purely through an economical lense, the uproar it would create is not worth it.

In the end, Puig and the Dodger clubhouse should not have to be subjected to the swirling flurries of rumors surrounding such a polarizing and exciting figure, as it could end up being distracting and hurt his performance.

If trade rumors persist, there is always the possibility that he may not even want to play for a team that seems so eager to trade him. Whenever the subject of Puig is broached, I would advise the Dodgers’ front office, in my humble and not-so-important opinion, to tread with caution.

Alex Wood

It’s funny for me to think about how quickly fans of successful franchises, like us Dodger fans, can turn on former All-Stars and playoff studs like Alex Wood.  In 2017, Alex Wood was coupled with Kershaw and Rich Hill in a deadly trio of lefties. Wood finished off the 2017 campaign with a sparkling final line of 16-3 with a 2.73 ERA and 151 punchouts in 152.1 innings.

In another 150+ inning season this year, Wood finished with a 3.68 ERA and 9-7 record, with just 135 strikeouts.  Yes, I will concede that he was worse this season, but he still was an above-average major league starter, and he’s only 27!

Wood has spent parts of four seasons with the Dodgers since being dealt to LA, in what should now be considered an amazing trade for the Dodgers, and has never had an ERA above 4.00. Even more impressive, Wood has pitched 150+ innings in each of the last two seasons for the Dodgers, something most of the starting rotation, beyond Kershaw, cannot claim.

My fellow Dodger fans, I implore you to trust that Alex Wood is valuable, and should not be discarded to Cincinnati for less than he is worth just to spite him for his poor playoff performance in 2018.  In the saddening scenario in which Puig, Pederson and/or Wood are dealt, I would hope for a prospect return, even if it means eating a painful contract like Homer Bailey’s, as long as it means obtaining solid prospects.

I feel like prospects are growing somewhat overvalued in today’s game, but if trading from an area of depth while using an expanding budget to sign free agents for the bullpen and second base holes while holding onto prospects is what the front office wants to do, I can get behind that as long as they maximize their returns, rather than just accepting a slow market on Puig or Wood.

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If the Dodgers go through with these trades (of guys other than Verdugo) it will be a signal that the team is not attempting to win in 2019 with the current roster, which has made it to two straight World Series’, albeit without taking home the hardware. Beyond a cosmetic change or two to patch up holes at second base and in the bullpen, the Dodgers should not look to bolster their farm system by dealing core roster pieces like Puig or Wood in favor of shinier, and more expensive, new toys like Bryce Harper or Corey Kluber.

The Dodgers should instead exhibit the focus and financial discipline that has gotten them to this point in the first place.  There are so many cost-effective solutions to the bullpen, namely Blake Parker, Hunter Strickland, and Bud Norris among others, available to help solve any problems, the team should not need to consider making a deal with any team for any caliber of bullpen help.

The same sort of players, namely Jonathan Schoop, Josh Harrison, and Jed Lowrie, exist at second base as well and will most likely go for less than what their 2017 and 2018 WAR amounts would normally suggest. There is no need for any crazy maneuvering, just for a calm, rational plastering over existing holes. No need to create new ones that cannot be filled, especially not ones that leave the silhouette of a horse in the clubhouse wall.