Full details of Gavin Lux trade finalized after Dodgers draft monster lefty slugger

The Dodgers farm system grows.
Miami Marlins v Cincinnati Reds
Miami Marlins v Cincinnati Reds | Jeff Dean/GettyImages

The Los Angeles Dodgers traded longtime infielder Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds back in January in exchange for outfield prospect Mike Sirota and a 2025 competitive balance round draft pick.

The Dodgers completed the trade by selecting Arkansas outfielder Charles Davalan during Sunday's 2025 MLB Draft with the 41st overall pick.

Davalan was an absolute monster during his time with the Razorbacks. He finished the season hitting .346 with a .994 OPS. He drew more walks (35) than he struck out (27) over his 65 games. Arkansas made it to the semifinals of the CWS, and Davalan was a First-Team, All SEC honoree. He dominated the conferece and led Arkansas with 93 hits and 10 stolen bases.

LA Dodgers finalize Gavin Lux trade with Reds after 2025 MLB Draft selection

The Dodgers drafted Lux in the first round in 2016 and he lasted nearly 10 years in the system. He never achieved the offensive potential LA hoped for, with a .252/.326/.383 slash line over parts of five seasons (412 games) in the majors. When they signed Hyeseong Kim and extended Tommy Edman, two infielders, they ran out of room for Lux on the roster (and out of patience for his breakout).

Lux quickly fell into rhythm with the Reds, and he batted .327/.416/.439 through April 30. He's since cooled down severely at the plate, and is slashing .261/.354/.375 on the season. Cincinnati moved Lux to the outfield and he hasn't adjusted well, with -6 outs above average, a third-percentile metric among left fielders.

LA had previously drafted Sirota, its player return in the Lux trade, in the 16th round of the 2021 MLB Draft, but he didn't sign with the club. Even before their 2025 draft pick, the Dodgers emerged as the early winners of the Lux trade by eliminating a logjam in the infield and landing a prospect they always wanted. Sirota is slashing .333/.452/.616 with a 1.068 OPS over 59 games between High-A and Single-A.

Now that the Dodgers have drafted Davalan and the Lux trade is officially complete, it will take some time for a true winner to be determined. Lux may break out for the Reds, and Sirota may not pan out as the Dodgers hoped. Still, LA seems to have the upper hand as of now, especially with the upside Davalan possesses.