Dodgers should eye Indians’ Jose Ramirez before trade deadline after latest buzz

Could the Los Angeles Dodgers get even better? It’s disgusting to even think about that, but it’s certainly a possibility.

The Dodgers still boast the league’s best MLB roster AND farm system, so any reinforcements they may need before the trade deadline can easily be obtained.

There’s no need for them to tinker with anything right now, but perhaps Gavin Lux doesn’t take the necessary steps in his progression. Maybe Justin Turner deals with injuries again.

You never know what can happen, especially now that the 162-game campaign is back. That’s why the Dodgers need to keep tabs on Cleveland Indians star Jose Ramirez, who was a rumored trade target of LA earlier this offseason.

According to ESPN insider Jeff Passan, the Indians are “interested in extending” the All-Star slugger, but he “has resisted” as of late.

They already got him under a criminally team-friendly deal, so there’s no way he’s going to do business with them again, especially after they just traded the best shortstop in the sport instead of giving him a contract extension.

Ramirez can play second and third base and hits from the left side of the plate. That fits the Dodger mold — versatility and power/contact consistency.

Such a trade wouldn’t be cheap, however.

Ramirez is owed $9.4 million in 2021 and has club options for $11 million and $13 million in 2022 and 2023. The Indians will no doubt ask for a considerable haul if they indeed decide to put him on the block in the event they’re out of contention or he expresses any willingness to want out of town.

Forget the price, though. Ramirez perfectly fits the Dodgers’ current window of potential domination. And LA has a ton of money coming off the books after 2021. The organization’s surplus of top talent in the minor leagues could sway the Indians perhaps more than any other team if things were to come to a head with Ramirez.

But again, things would really have to sour on the Dodgers’ end in regards to Lux or Turner, and fans certainly don’t want to see that happen. Looking further ahead, this could be a move to “replace” Corey Seager if he leaves in free agency, which feels like a real possibility since the two sides have yet to discuss an extension. Acquiring Ramirez for the second half of the year and shifting around the infield would make them a playoff juggernaut, and then if Seager leaves in the offseason, Ramirez can take over at second base while Lux shifts over to short.

Yes, it’s a lot to think about. A lot of stressful topics. But they can’t be ruled out, and Ramirez would be a near-perfect solution should any of these issues arise between now and the end of the 2021 season.

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