Dodgers: Four players they could trade for in 2020

CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 12: Starting pitcher Chris Archer #24 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers the ball against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 12, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
CHICAGO, ILLINOIS - JULY 12: Starting pitcher Chris Archer #24 of the Pittsburgh Pirates delivers the ball against the Chicago Cubs at Wrigley Field on July 12, 2019 in Chicago, Illinois. (Photo by Jonathan Daniel/Getty Images)
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4) 2B Tommy La Stella

If there is one position in the lineup that presents a question mark for the Dodgers it is at second base. While Gavin Lux seems poised to become the next great infielder to wear blue and white, he is still only 22-years old. He has played in 23 major league games. No matter what the scouting reports or projections tell us, until Lux plays a full major league season, it’s impossible to know how he will react to big league pitching, or how quickly he will reach his potential.

The Dodgers might also decide to be careful with the infielder’s service time over a shortened season. Based on a recent agreement between MLB and the players union, service time will be pro-rated in 2020, allowing young players to earn a full year of service without needing to accumulate the typical 172 days in the majors.

This means Lux can earn his first year of service while appearing in a relatively small number of games in 2020, which would push him one year closer to arbitration and free agency. Would Andrew Friedman consider saving Lux’s first full year of service for a regular 162-game schedule?

If so, acquiring another second baseman becomes important. Tommy La Stella is  a great option at only $3.25 million and due to become a free agent after this season. He would be a rental addition that probably wouldn’t cost much in outgoing assets, even though he is coming off a career season in Anaheim. He broke his tibia at the end of 2019, and still needs to prove he can stay healthy for an entire season. The Angels have super-utility man David Fletcher sitting in the wings and looking for at-bats after the team acquired Anthony Rendon to play third base, where Fletcher saw action last season. A Freeway match can be made.

La Stella is a left-handed batter, like Lux, so he isn’t the perfect complement to the young second baseman, which is why I would envision him taking on a platoon role with a veteran like Enrique Hernandez, while Lux continues to get at bats in the minors.

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