3 Gavin Lux trades Dodgers should consider this offseason

We’re not saying the Dodgers *should* trade Gavin Lux, but if it strikes their fancy, they could entertain these deals this offseason.

Just one year ago, Dodgers super-prospect Gavin Lux was a shoo-in National League Rookie of the Year favorite, on par with his American League counterpart Luis Robert in Chicago.

About that…

The season was shortened to 60 games, Lux barely participated after being shoved off the Opening Day roster, and the honors went to Brewers reliever Devin Williams and Mariners outfielder Kyle Lewis, two completely unexpected candidates.

Lux will still very likely emerge as an infield stud in the coming years, and Dodgers fans shouldn’t be deterred by his .175 average and trio of homers in 63 at-bats as a 22-year-old. But at this moment, he doesn’t have a clear path to 600 at-bats next season if Los Angeles opts to bring back Justin Turner and Kiké Hernández, and we’re not sure exactly how patient both parties are willing to be here.

Holding Lux and banking on a bounce-back is by far the most likely option, but what if the Dodgers opt to win now (er, win even more now) instead? These trades could create a change of scenery and add another superstar or two in Dodger blue.

3. Gavin Lux in a Francisco Lindor Trade

The Dodgers still might pursue Francisco Lindor this offseason, and Gavin Lux might be a part of it.

Now, obviously, a Francisco Lindor trade is awfully complex, and might result in Corey Seager shuffling over to second base this season and the departure of Justin Turner. You also can’t extend both Seager and Lindor, so, uh, this would get weird.

But that hasn’t stopped the drama from circulating in this direction, and it’d likely take Lux to get it done.

The Dodgers would rather surrender suddenly-redundant infield depth than their top pitching prospects like Josiah Gray, who will be necessary insurance as veterans like Clayton Kershaw and David Price age. Lux would doubtlessly be this deal’s MLB-ready headliner, as Alex Verdugo was last year in LA’s very similar Mookie Betts trade.

For a lower-caliber superstar in Lindor with just one year of control, expect a package like Lux, Bobby Miller (No. 7 prospect), DJ Peters (No. 11), and Devin Mann (No. 19) to get the job done — if, that is, it becomes a job the Dodgers feel like doing.

1. Gavin Lux in a Max Scherzer Blockbuster

Could Gavin Lux pry Max Scherzer away from Washington if the Nationals threw in a little something?

Max Scherzer to the Dodgers would be akin to late-career stars teaming up with LeBron James in an effort to maximize their personal ring total, but it would also be…incredibly exciting!

The burden of the final year of Scherzer’s massive deal, encompassing his age-36 season, is falling on a Nationals team that feels pretty far away from contention just a year after their title. Patrick Corbin is still very much available, but Stephen Strasburg succumbed to more injuries in 2020 and isn’t a sure thing. Perhaps the Nats would like to build for the future instead of sitting on Scherzer during an 81-81 season?

Since Scherzer is only controlled for one season, a prospect like Lux would be too hefty an ask. So perhaps Andrew Friedman asks Washington to throw in top infield prospect Carter Kieboom, whose big-league struggles have been similar to Lux’s? Maybe it’s top pitching prospect Cade Cavalli (Washington’s No. 2) instead.

Adding Scherzer would give Los Angeles a jaw-dropping 1-2-3-4 punch next season, and replacing Lux with more prospect capital would be a far-reaching trade for both sides. It won’t happen, but a blogger can dream, right?

Dodgers: 3 free agent replacements for Justin Turner

The Los Angeles Dodgers have to address Justin Turner this offseason, one way or another. They could replace him in free agency.