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3 blocked Dodgers prospects LA should consider trading
The Los Angeles Dodgers are in the enviable position of having a wealth of talent, both on their big league roster and in their minor league ranks. While they have been picking near the bottom of every round in the draft for years, the Dodgers have still managed to find quality players on a consistent basis to keep the talent pipeline coming. Case in point: James Outman was a seventh-round pick back in 2018, and that has turned out quite well for LA so far.
However, hard choices have to be made sometimes, and the Dodgers are usually very good at understanding where they have prospect depth and making moves to improve their club using that depth. Here is a look at some prospects that may have a tough path to regular playing time with the Dodgers, whom the team should consider moving in the right deal.
3 Dodgers prospects who might be traded soon
Diego Cartaya
Okay, okay...I know you are already mad at seeing Cartaya's name here, but hear us out. Cartaya is one of the better catching prospects in the league thanks to his very high offensive ceiling. This isn't an argument against that. However, the reality is that Will Smith is under team control through at least the 2025 season and also seems like a prime candidate for a contract extension at some point because he has been awesome. Does having Cartaya on the big league roster getting the smaller end of a time share at catcher seem like the best use of his talents to you?
The answer is probably not. Cartaya may end up being great, but the better value decision may be to use him as a trade piece. Premium catching prospects are valued very highly across the league, as there are very few players that can handle both catching defensively and mashing. Seriously, go look at the top 10 catchers in the league...things drop off VERY quickly. The Dodgers have some roster holes that need filling in the short and long-term, and Cartaya could help net them a high quality return. If the team DOES end up needing a catcher in the future, they still have Dalton Rushing in the system, who is already making a strong argument for being the better prospect of the two at present anyways.
Michael Busch
Another weird case here because, on the surface, it seems like Michael Busch SHOULDN'T be blocked from a major league call-up. Miguel Vargas hasn't exactly put a stranglehold on the second base job. Also, Busch can flat-out rake, as he hit 32 home runs last year and has a .967 OPS through 21 games at Triple-A this season. So what is the hold up?
The problem is his defense or lack thereof. While the reports are that Busch has worked hard to be a better defender, you will struggle to find anyone that thinks he can be an adequate infield defender in the big leagues at second or third base.
If the Dodgers didn't pull the trigger and promote Busch immediately after Gavin Lux got hurt, then one has to wonder if they ever will find a role for him on a fully-healthy club. The Dodgers don't have a shortage of guys who can DH, but there are other teams that are not quite as flush with offensive talent, and trading Busch to one of them seems like something the team should consider if he doesn't have a path to playing every day with them.
Ryan Pepiot
It wasn't that long ago that Ryan Pepiot seemed like a guy that could cement a spot in the Dodgers' rotation for a long time, thanks to a fastball/changeup combo that looked ready for prime time. It also does seem a bit silly to consider him "blocked" when a team can never have enough pitching; the Dodgers' rotation does not looking imposing right now or in the immediate future. However, follow along for just a bit.
First, Pepiot is hurt right now, as he has been rehabbing from an oblique injury. He is finally throwing to live hitters again, but he is still a ways away from taking the mound again.
He also isn't the cream of the crop of the Dodgers' starting pitching depth in the minors, as Bobby Miller and Gavin Stone are arguably better pitching prospects, and folks should not be sleeping on Nick Nastrini if he sticks as a starter, either. The Dodgers need high-end trade capital, and Pepiot seems like an easy sell as a plug-and-play big league starter once he gets healthy.