Proposed Dodgers-Bo Bichette trade package feels like massive overpay

Trade deadline speculation season sort of unofficially kicked off with Jeff Passan's big deadline preview for ESPN (subscription required), but some Dodgers-specific outlets were way ahead of the curve. LA's issues have been noticeable for some time (clears throat): the bullpen is better but could still use some help, the bottom of the lineup and bench don't produce at the plate, andthe team really needs a new shortstop so they can actually allow Mookie Betts to be reaching his full potential in the outfield (or even just look marginally better at second base). But other than that.

As the chips have fallen this season and some teams have emerged as clear buyers and others as clear sellers, it's been easy to try to get into the heads of Dodgers' management to make educated guesses about how they might improve in the back half of the season.

To the "Betts at shortstop" question, Dodgers Nation had an eyebrow-raising answer. Host Doug McKain proposed a trade for Bo Bichette that would send Gavin Lux, No. 1 prospect C/1B Dalton Rushing, and No. 9 prospect OF Payton Martin to Toronto.

Dodgers Nation's proposed trade for Bo Bichette sounds like a bad idea on all fronts

Yes, the Dodgers need a new shortstop, and yes, they also need to find a way to shed Lux — whose defense at second has improved but who's still hitting .210 — but giving up their top prospect (or No. 2 or 3, depending on which outlet you read), even if his path the majors seems blocked with the Dodgers now, isn't worth it for Bichette.

Bichette's a two-time All-Star and a three-time recipient of MVP votes, but he's hitting .238 with a dismal .288 OBP so far this season, and his struggles are a huge contributing factor to the Blue Jays' fifth-place standing in the AL East. It's a tough division, sure, but they're also below .500 against opponents outside of it. He also has a -4 OAA this season, the exact same as Betts' dismal mark. He's never been an elite defensive player either, only ever finishing a season with a positive fielding run value once, back in 2020.

The Dodgers may not have a lot of options for shortstops by the time the deadline rolls around, but any price tag that looks anything like that, if Bichette even is on the table, should repel LA.

Worst-case scenario, they find a second baseman, ditch Lux, let Miguel Rojas go back to short, and move Betts back to the outfield.