MLB writer predicts Dodgers pull off blockbuster Tim Anderson trade

The Los Angeles Dodgers' shortstop situation, in both the long- and short-term, remains almost entirely unsettled. It's safe to say that serving as a rehab facility for Gavin Lux while importing stopgaps wasn't the plan a year after letting Corey Seager seek greener pastures in Texas.

At the moment, with Lux out for the season, the Dodgers seem inclined to roll with utility man Miguel Rojas logging most of the reps at short, as well as outfielder Chris Taylor in his wake. That's less than ideal, given the expectations attached to the franchise (and the star power in the Padres' infield).

Maybe it's time for the Dodgers to change all that with the acquisition of a perennial All-Star/one of the current faces of Team USA?

If the only predicted cost is a prospect they've edged out of their long-term plans anyway (it would seem...), then the Dodgers would be foolish not to make Bleacher Report's prediction a reality and trade for White Sox star Tim Anderson.

The package heading Chicago's way, in Bleacher's ideal world? Michael Busch, Landon Knack, OF Jose Ramos, and pitcher Joel Ibarra.

Dodgers Trade: Tim Anderson to Los Angeles?

Anderson has become slightly underrated in recent seasons as he's lost a bit of his 2019-20 shine. Theoretically, he's a player who hits for a remarkably high average, leading the league in 2019 with a .335 mark and posting an OPS+ of 128 during that season and 140 during the shortened 2020 campaign.

The last two years, as he approaches free agency this offseason (pending a 2024 team option), Anderson's seen a bit of a downturn in the power department; his OPS decreased 60 points from 2019 to 2021 and an additional 70 points in his injury-plagued 2022 campaign.

This should be his peak, though ... right? Anderson turns 30 years old this summer, and in the wake of Xander Bogaerts' recent contract, there's no reason to believe he won't be able to earn a nine-year contract (if not more) once he's set free. What do the White Sox think they are? The ascendant team from 2019? Or a team on the decline, wondering what happened to Yoan Moncada's star?

Busch doesn't appear to be a prospect the Dodgers are dreaming on, as evidenced by his demotion despite the obvious need for an advanced infield bat in the bigs right now. Is he an enticing enough option when the White Sox are forced to make their midseason Anderson call? It's tough to predict this type of splash right now, but the Dodgers would absolutely approve if Chicago came calling.