3 Dodgers prospects that should be untouchable, 2 that should be traded

Untouchable Dodgers prospect: Dalton Rushing

Just like Pages, Dalton Rushing has become a hot name to throw into mock trades for the Dodgers. On paper, it makes all the sense in the world to trade Rushing if the price is right. He's a catching prospect and is blocked by Diego Cartaya ahead of him.

With Will Smith at the big-league level and Cartaya in the wings, the Dodgers have a surplus at the catcher position and Rushing becomes the guy to trade. Better yet, he's a top-tier prospect in the sport so he could warrant a legitimate return for the Dodgers as the centerpiece of a deal.

That all makes sense, but in the grand scheme of things, keeping Rushing around at least for now makes more sense. That doesn't mean he won't be traded in the future, but the worst thing the Dodgers could do is rush into a trade now, especially in a barren market.

Look what the team did with Keibert Ruiz, who was thrown in every single trade idea for years because of Smith's ascension to the big-league club. The Dodgers stood pat, waiting until something made sense, and traded him to the Washington Nationals in the Trea Turner/Max Scherzer deal.

If Los Angeles is going to trade Rushing, then the team needs to wait until it actually makes sense. There's not a reasonable trade on the market this season (at least right now) that would warrant trading Rushing, who will likely only continue to climb the prospect leaderboards.

Plus, there's room for Rushing on the big-league roster. He has been playing first base as well, and two years down the line he could provide a versatile option that can catch, play first, and DH depending on the day and situation.

Rushing is also older than Cartaya by a year. For that reason, he could get the first shot at the big-league club as early as next season. Austin Barnes' tenure with the Dodgers is likely over after 2023 while Smith is not the best defensive catcher and might play more DH, so bringing up one of the top-tier prospects who can fill a void makes more sense than trading him.