Dodgers: 3 players most affected by Scherzer-Turner blockbuster

MLB could extend the trade deadline another week and the Los Angeles Dodgers still would have come out on top after their blockbuster deal with the Washington Nationals that sent Max Scherzer and Trea Turner to the West Coast.

For a second there, everyone thought the New York Yankees and their acquisitions of Joey Gallo and Anthony Rizzo were going to steal the show.

Nope, just the defending champs turning the baseball world upside down again. They’re used to this.

Andrew Friedman stuck it to his own division, too.

The Padres were nearing a deal for Scherzer and he swooped in to spoil that for AJ Preller, who was desperately looking for starting pitching reinforcements. And what are the Giants to do? They’re in first place but they need to respond in some way … but they’ll have a tough time because the market is becoming barren.

All good news, right? Well, kind of.

The Dodgers also may have disrupted order within their own clubhouse, though. Nothing detrimental, but it’s clear a few messages were sent to a number of incumbent players who may or may not have a future with the club. Who are they?

These three Dodgers will be most affected by the Scherzer-Turner blockbuster.

3. Trevor Bauer

The MOST obvious. Trevor Bauer may not throw another pitcher for the Dodgers as he’s currently being investigated for some heinous sexual assault allegations. His administrative leave has been extended to Aug. 6 … and you can probably bet it’ll be that way for the rest of 2021.

With this deal, it’s clear the Dodgers are acting as if Bauer’s done for the year. Would Scherzer sign an extension? Maybe. LA would certainly be open to it. And if that’s the case, the Dodgers would fully be planning for life without Bauer.

From a psychological standpoint? This trade is no doubt playing a role in helping the fan base forget all about Bauer, who’s slowly been erased from the organization ever since early July. The Dodgers removed all of his gear from the team store. They cancelled his bobblehead night six weeks prior to it happening. Everyone’s been mum on his situation. Reports suggest none of the players want him back.

The Dodgers avoided having to constantly re-open this ugly wound by shifting the headlines with a monstrous acquisition in the form of a former World Series champ. Would’ve just been easier if they hadn’t signed Bauer, though. He came with enough inappropriate baggage before

2. Gavin Lux

Does Gavin Lux have a true long-term fit on the Dodgers? Probably … but that would mean waiting it out to see what that fit exactly is, and the defending world champs might not want to take that route … especially now that he’s injured.

Lux has been incredibly underwhelming at the plate in 2021 despite being surrounded by All-Star-caliber talent. His defense? Totally adequate. Nothing that’ll blow you away. And that’s a bit of a problem because if there’s trouble producing at the plate, then the defense usually has to be pristine.

Now, with Turner in town and Seager on the mend, there’s going to be a significant shift. Turner has experience at second base and center field. There are a number of scenarios to consider.

• Muncy at first, Turner at second, Seager at short
• Bellinger at first, Muncy at second, Seager at short
• Turner in center field, Seager at short, Muncy at second, Bellinger at first

Where does Lux fit in? There might be room for him in 2022 if Seager leaves and Turner shifts over to shortstop but what’s going to happen this year? Perhaps he could be a bench player and fill in as needed, but wouldn’t the Dodgers be better off using him as trade bait before the deadline? They could wait for the offseason for that, too.

However, consider Lux gone if Seager returns in 2022. There’s no way that’ll work.