3 trade packages that can help Dodgers land Francisco Lindor

The Dodgers are apparently going to explore trading for Francisco Lindor.

Any time a potential trade scenario presents itself, you can count Los Angeles Dodgers president Andrew Friedman in. The man is always looking to at least discuss deals, and now with one of the best shortstops in the league reportedly being placed on the trade block, you can bet the World Series champs will be involved in some capacity.

Do the Dodgers need Francisco Lindor? Not at all. They already have Corey Seager at shortstop and would probably like to extend him if given the chance. But what if Scott Boras (Seager’s agent) plays hardball and either wants a ton of money or opts to wait for free agency? That’s one potential roadblock for LA.

Another? What if the Dodgers don’t retain Justin Turner? That certainly seems like a realistic occurrence, and if they can bring in Lindor, perhaps they move Seager to third for 2021 (and potentially beyond, if he wants to stay with the franchise) to sport an All-World infield? That’s a true Dodgers move if you ask us.

Additionally, the Dodgers easily have the prospect capital to make this happen. They boast arguably the best farm system in the league and even have some major league talent they can part with to provide the best package possible for the Indians, in the event this becomes a bidding war of sorts.

But it might not even have to get that far because of what the Dodgers potentially have to offer. Here are three trade packages that could help the Dodgers land Lindor in a blockbuster trade this offseason.

3. Gavin Lux to Cleveland for Lindor

The Dodgers can pretty much end these discussions before they begin with this offer.

In 2019, Gavin Lux was named Baseball America’s Minor League Baseball Player of the Year and was considered by many the top prospect in the sport heading into the 2020 season (before he exceeded his rookie limits). We understand this might not be a preferred move because there’s a glaring need at second base with Enrique Hernandez hitting free agency and Chris Taylor entering the final year of his deal.

However, shortstop is Lux’s primary position and he’s made five errors in 40 games at second base so far in his MLB career. The Dodgers might not necessarily need him if he’s going to be a defensive liability during his early years.

The Indians would be able to cope with that, because if they’re trading Lindor then they’re certainly expecting to take a step back in the short-term as they re-tool and build around their promising pitching staff.

Los Angeles has an embarrassment of riches, so moving on from Lux would hardly hurt them here, especially with stud Michael Busch in the farm system. He’s expect to rise through the ranks fairly quickly, which would solve the void at second in a couple years. For now, they can use stopgap options if it means adding Lindor.

1. No. 2 Prospect Keibert Ruiz, No. 21 Omar Estevez and No. 27 Brett de Geus to Cleveland for Lindor

The Dodgers can send a group of prospects if that’s what the Indians prefer.

At the end of the day, the Indians might prefer a package of two or more prospects to work their magic and perhaps one day have three contributing major league players. The Dodgers can provide that, too! What do ya know!

If Cleveland wants more than two prospects, then they’re definitely not getting two top-10 guys, so what about a package centered around Keibert Ruiz (No. 2 in Dodgers system), Omar Estevez (No. 21) and Brett de Geus (No. 27)? This hardly hurts LA because they already have Will Smith and Austin Barnes as catchers at the MLB level and have good middle infield/pitching depth in both the MLB and minor league ranks.

Dodgers fans are familiar with Ruiz by now, and at this point it’s likely best he’s used as a trade chip. Estevez is a versatile defender, having logged a lot of time at second base, shortstop and third while improving his hitting every year in the minors. The 22-year-old Cuban still has room to grow, so don’t let his .268 average and .728 OPS serve as a poor selling point. And then we have the 23-year-old de Geus, who converted from a starter to a reliever and was lights out in 2019, logging a 1.75 ERA, 0.94 WHIP and 72 strikeouts in 61.2 innings of work in the lower levels of the Dodgers system.

These three players could fill crucial needs for the Indians. Cleveland has lacked a competent catcher for a while; versatile help in the infield is always valuable for teams with smaller budgets; and pitching coach Carl Willis will have a field day further developing de Geus.

Pick one of these deals. They all work.

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