Division-by-division Dodgers trade targets: AL Central

The Rest of the AL Central

Outside of the Indians and Twins, there are few solid targets to be found in the AL Central, at least upon first look, but these teams all have some interesting depth pieces and bullpen arms.

As of today, the White Sox two highest-paid players are relievers (Alex Colome and Kelvin Herrera), which could prove problematic for their pocketbooks, as they seek to sign a major free agent after missing out on Manny Machado last offseason.

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Both Colome and Herrera are set to make $8.5 million or more in 2020, but while Colome is only under contract for this coming season, Herrera, a World Series winner with the Kansas City Royals, has an extra year, as he’s set to hit the market after the 2021 season.

For the Dodgers, Herrera’s postseason pedigree and the extra year make him more exciting, though Colome has as much closing experience and will likely allow the Dodgers to forgo giving up any major prospects to eat his contract.

The Tigers are in a similar situation to the White Sox, with two players making the majority of the payroll, but the Tigers have $55 million locked up instead of less than $20 million. In theory, they’d want a chance to dump some of that salary, making Jordan Zimmerman the perfect player for them to move. The Dodgers could take a shot on Zimmerman, who has a no-hitter and plenty of experience being successful in the National League.

Adding Zimmerman for some mid-level pitching prospects could give the Dodgers the next Brandon Morrow or Wade Davis, as both of these star relievers were converted starters. Adding Zimmerman would mean a significant salary would leave Detroit, which, like the Cincinnati Reds last offseason, could lead to a decent prospect haul, something like Jeter Downs and Josiah Gray, back to LA.

Regardless of which AL Central team the Dodgers ultimately deal with, or not, there are plenty of intriguing pieces to choose from.