MLB.com's proposed 3-way Dodgers trade seems to be out of its element

The Winter Meetings are nearly upon us, and that means it's time to start thinking about some blockbuster trades. From the Los Angeles Dodgers' perspective, the trade market might seem more appealing than free agency this time around.

With the Winter Meetings in mind, MLB.com's Anthony Castrovince came up with some out-of-left-field blockbusters, and the one involving the Dodgers is so wild it doesn't make sense.

This deal, which involves the Minnesota Twins starter Joe Ryan, Boston Red Sox outfielder Jarren Duran, and a slew of Dodgers prospects, has Los Angeles paying a high price, while the player they receive isn't the one who makes the most sense for the club.

Wild MLB.com mock trade has Dodgers paying high price for Jarren Duran

Here are the full trade details:

Theoretically, the Dodgers need a left fielder more than they need another starter, but that's just on paper. There are ways they can cover left field, but the starting rotation features some brittle pieces like Tyler Glasnow and Blake Snell, a wild card in Roki Sasaki, and the "handle-with-care" Shohei Ohtani — starter edition.

There's a lot that could go wrong there, and any one of those variables going off the rails could cause calamity. Meanwhile, the Dodgers' lineup survived a full season of Michael Conforto, so whatever they do in left field in 2026 can't be worse than that.

Meanwhile, Joe Ryan might be the next best thing to Tarik Skubal that the Dodgers could acquire on the trade market. Unfortunately, though, in this hypothetical, he's going to Boston despite them already landing Sonny Gray.

That's only one part of the deal that doesn't make sense, however. The other part is the price Castrovince has the Dodgers paying.

In a year or two, Zyhir Hope could be everything Jarren Duran is and more. Duran's benefit is his athleticism and do-it-all nature. But as a jack-of-all-trades, he's also a master of none. Moreover, the 29-year-old has only played two full big league seasons (in addition to portions of three others) and took a pretty sizable step back in both the batting average and power departments in 2025.

But more than just Hope, the Dodgers would be giving up their No. 6 and No. 18 prospects, while Boston gets the superior player but only parts with a youngster who is just outside their top-10. Duran understandably does some heavy lifting here, but if you think about this trade as Hope, Ferris, and Harlan for Duran, it is a massive overpay.

To Castrovince's credit, he acknowledges that all parties would say no to this deal. That pretty much says it all, doesn't it? This thought experiment doesn't hold much water, and for the Dodgers it would make far more sense to cut out the middle man and go get Ryan themselves.