Dodgers: The great trade deadline dilemma of 2019

LOS ANGELES, CA - MAY 22: Andrew Friedman, President of Baseball Operations for the Los Angeles Dodgers, walks on the field before the game against the Colorado Rockies at Dodger Stadium on May 22, 2018 in Los Angeles, California. (Photo by Jayne Kamin-Oncea/Getty Images) /

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CLEVELAND, OHIO – JULY 09: Aroldis Chapman #54 of the New York Yankees during the 2019 MLB All-Star Game at Progressive Field on July 09, 2019 in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by Gregory Shamus/Getty Images) /

Past history in adding a top closer

In the last World Series that didn’t include the Dodgers (2016), the Chicago Cubs acquired Aroldis Chapman from the Yankees for Gleyber Torres. At the time of the 2016 deadline trade, Torres was undoubtedly revered as the consensus #1 prospect in baseball. Now he’s the crown jewel centered into the proverbial brick of the Yankees’ foundation and therefore, long-term future.

We all know how that move worked for everyone. The Cubbies won their first World Series in over 400 years and the Yanks acquired the #1 prospect in all of baseball. If you happened to look up the definition of a “win-win” situation, both of their smiling faces will be pictured.

I mention the 2016 trade because the similarities of the two are uncanny. Chapman and Vazquez are arguably ranked #1A and #1B, respectively, in a list of top lefty relievers. With that near-identical comparison, Gavin Lux and Geyber Torres (circa 2016) are just as close.

However, I’d rank Lux now ahead of Torres then. Just because mlb.com had Torres ranked #1 in MLB (in 2016) and Gavin Lux is currently ranked #10, doesn’t mean that Torres is automatically better.