Dodgers three best trade chips to use this off-season

The Dodgers have plenty of trade chips to use this winter.  These three players may be their best trade chips to use this winter.

The Dodgers enter the off-season with a myriad of ways they could improve their club for the 2020 season.  The bullpen and starting rotation figure to get the most attention but the offense could also use another slugger, especially a right-handed hitter with a lineup full of powerful left-handed hitters.  With almost $40 million in space under the luxury tax, the Dodgers could make their biggest free-agent signing in years.

That is if Andrew Friedman gets approval from ownership to go out and sign Anthony Rendon or Gerrit Cole.  Stephen Strasburg could also be in the mix if he is interested in pitching closer to home.  If the Dodgers stick to their conservative approach then there won’t be a big signing and the move could come through a trade.  With Mookie Betts and Francisco Lindor on the trading block, this could be an off-season where several stars get moved.

If the Dodgers do go the trade route, here are three prospects that could help them land a star player via trade.

3. Tony Gonsolin

Tony Gonsolin ranks as the Dodgers’ sixth-best prospect according to MLB’s prospect pipeline. Although he will turn 26 in 2020, he still many more seasons of control left and could be a nice middle of the rotation starter for a team looking to add to their rotation.  In 2019, Gonsolin made six starts pitching to an ERA of 2.89 while limiting the opposition to a .192 average.  He even shut down the Yankees’ potent lineup over five innings, showcasing his potential.

With Julio Urias, Walker Buehler, Dustin May, and Josiah Gray all ahead of him, Gonsolin could be the young starter that the Dodgers add to a deal to acquire an upgrade this winter.  He could fall into the Ross Stripling role if the Dodgers decide to keep him but with so many young starters he could be better utilized in a trade while he still has plenty of value.

1. Keibert Ruiz

The Dodgers’ biggest trade chip this winter is the one that seems to find himself in every Dodger fans’ hypothetical trade on social media.  That is the Dodgers’ current number three prospect and former number one prospect, Keibert Ruiz.  While the Dodgers could deal Ruiz, he still has a ton of value and should not be traded unless the deal lands an impact player for LA.  Think Francisco Lindor, Brad Hand, etc.

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While Will Smith broke into the big leagues in 2019, he did struggle in September and his slump continued into the postseason where he went just 1-13.  There was a time when Ruiz ranked ahead of Smith on the prospect pecking order but Smith leaped ahead of him with a strong minor league season in 2019.

If Will Smith struggles in 2020, it could lead to Ruiz being called up late in the season and taking over for him if he is not traded this winter.  So the question you might be wondering is why would the Dodgers think about trading him away?  The Dodgers boast one of if not the deepest catching depth in baseball.

After Will Smith, the Dodgers have Keibert Ruiz, Diego Cartaya, and Connor Wong.  Cartaya is only 18 years old but he may end up the best catcher out of the bunch.  If the Dodgers believe Will Smith will end up a better catcher than Keibert Ruiz, it would make sense to use Ruiz to headline a blockbuster deal while his value is sky-high.  It remains to be seen if they believe that though.

While every prospect is available for the right player, Tony Gonsolin, Jeter Downs, and Keibert Ruiz are the three prospects that the Dodgers could trade without giving up their top two prospects in Gavin Lux and Dustin May.  Now it remains to be seen whether the Dodgers get aggressive in free agency or pursue their upgrades through trades.