Dodgers Rumors: Red Sox threatening on possible desired LA trade candidate

If there's one thing the Los Angeles Dodgers covet in their complementary pieces, it's versatility. Positional flexibility to support the stars has been a hallmark of Los Angeles's rosters in recent years, and while there are options that currently exist, the players who fit the bill -like Hyeseong Kim - are still a little green.

The Dodgers also face uncertainty at a couple of different positions, which has created an additional complication. There's a clear need in the outfield, and some uncertainty at second base, where the options are both plentiful and underwhelming at the same time.

Enter Brendan Donovan. Los Angeles has long been linked to the St. Louis Cardinals' versatile sparkplug, and with a 2022 utility Gold Glove Award and a career 119 wRC+ on his resume, his strong two-way performance is exactly what the Dodgers are looking for. Add in the fact that his two strongest positions, second base and left field, align perfectly with the Dodgers' needs, and you can see that this is a match made in heaven.

Unfortunately, they're not the only ones with eyes on the soon-to-be 29-year-old stud.

The Red Sox threaten to swipe Brendan Donovan from the Dodgers' clutches

Earlier in the winter, clubs like the Seattle Mariners and NL West foe San Francisco Giants had been rumored to be frontrunners to land Donovan in a trade. Now, the latest buzz has revealed that the Boston Red Sox have begun discussing a Donovan deal with the Cardinals.

That should be of great concern to Los Angeles. Not only does Boston have a gaping hole at second base, but their newfound aversion to long-term commitments might take them out of play for Ketel Marte, who is signed through 2030 and had previously been viewed as their top target.

Donovan is in his second year of arbitration, projected to make under $6 million in 2026, and doesn't hit free agency until after the 2027 campaign, making him a prime target for the suddenly cheap Red Sox.

There's another factor at play with former Red Sox chief baseball officer Chaim Bloom taking the reins in St. Louis this offseason. Bloom and Boston parted ways at the end of the 2023 season, so he isn't that far removed from that organization, and the two clubs have already come together on two separate trades this winter, with Sonny Gray and Willson Contreras both getting one-way tickets from St. Louis to Boston.

Familiarity means something, and it appears that if all else were equal, Bloom and the Cardinals would prefer a Red Sox package above any other. The question then becomes, do the Dodgers value Donovan enough to overpay? And even if they do, are the negotiations between Boston and St. Louis so far down the line that an 11th-hour prayer from Los Angeles would be too little too late? With things heating up, it seems we'll find out soon.