Gavin Lux's comments on Dodgers departure at Reds camp will hit LA fans in the feels

When you have a starting lineup like the Dodgers', the margin for error is tiny. The goal is to win another World Series, and everything about their offseason said exactly that. While they added a few supplementary pieces and have some spares on the bench (*cough* Chris Taylor *cough*), most of the guys we'll be seeing on a regular basis are among the best in the league.

Gavin Lux didn't really fit into that matrix. The Dodgers' MO, over the last few years and with position players especially, isn't to give homegrown top prospects a long leash. Instead, they upgrade wherever possible, no matter how much money it costs. If they were any other team, they might've kept him around for a few more years to wait to see if he'd improve, but the Dodgers are in win-now mode for the foreseeable future, and Lux just didn't fit that vision.

They traded him to the Reds on Jan. 6 in return for a minor leaguer, a draft pick, and some international bonus pool money. He struggled to seem all that jazzed about it in the immediate aftermath, which was fair, but he's since opened up more about his feelings surrounding the trade. Per Fabian Ardaya, here's what Lux said:

"It was emotional at first. I mean, we just won the World Series, too. It’s pretty much the only place I’ve ever known and the only staff I’ve ever known. I’ve got a lot of love for those guys over there and the staff and I’ve got a lot of good relationships with those guys. It was emotional at first, but once it kind of dies down, you just kind of get excited to be around your new team and meet the guys and just try to get past all that so you can go win games."

Former Dodger Gavin Lux seems to be coping a little better with his trade to the Reds

Lux's everyday role in Cincinnati is still yet to be determined. They'll probably put him at second base, but new manager Terry Francona seems high on Matt McLain's presence there, so Lux could also see time at third and even in the outfield depending on how spring training goes.

Lux said it himself; the Reds are a young crew, while he's going into his sixth major league season this year and just won a World Series. Whether Lux ends up on the bench or assumes an everyday role, his .296 average and .873 OPS at Great American Ballpark (albeit over just eight games) could be a difference maker for Cincy.

The Dodgers have yet to determine who their everyday second baseman will be (Hyeseong Kim, Kiké Hernández, and Miguel Rojas are all available), but they felt they had to move on from Lux, who added, "It's a business." Indeed.