The Los Angeles Dodgers are going to be active at the trade deadline this season. The only question is which teams help president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman get the deal(s) across the finish line, and which players will change teams.
While Friedman will certainly kick the tires on players with multiple teams, is it possible this year’s deadline features a one-stop shop?
Former major league general manager Jim Bowden, writing in The Athletic, seems to think a megatrade is possible between the Dodgers and the majors’ worst team: the Chicago White Sox. Here’s the proposal Bowden put forth:
Dodgers acquire CF Luis Robert Jr., LHP Garrett Crochet and RHP Michael Kopech from White Sox for RHP Nick Frasso, LHP Justin Wrobleski, RHP Kyle Hurt, RHP Payton Martin, C Dalton Rushing, OF Andy Pages and SS Emil Morales
Where to begin?
Breaking down the White Sox’s side of the deal is fairly straightforward. At 21-58, they’re headed nowhere fast and would gladly welcome the infusion of seven big league prospects from a farm system as deep as the Dodgers’. The two teams have already done business before, although the deal to land Nick Nastrini and Jordan Leasure at last year’s deadline was done before Chris Getz was appointed general manager.
Nastrini and Leasure have both seen big-league time this season. Perhaps that would only encourage Getz to take another chance on the likes of Morales, Rushing, Martin, Hurt, Wrobleski and Frasso (who’s out for the season with an injury).
Pages, no longer a prospect, is hardly a risk at all. At 23, he’s got an everyday spot in the Dodgers’ outfield and a 108 OPS+ in his first 59 games — giving him an outside shot at collecting Rookie of the Year votes.
The key is how much the Dodgers believe the talents of Robert, Crochet and Kopech can help them win now (mostly) and in the years to come (Kopech can become a free agent after the 2025 season, Crochet after the 2026 season, and Robert after the 2027 season if all his options are exercised).
A quick look at the pros and cons for each:
• Robert, 26, has been a replacement-level player in an injury plagued 2024 season. Last year, however, he broke out for 38 homers, 80 RBIs, and a 129 OPS+ in 145 games. If the Dodgers believe a change of scenery (or a change of swing) can help Robert revert to his 2024 form, there’s a strong argument to be made for any deal that includes Robert as the centerpiece. Dodgers outfielders have a collective 99 wRC+ this season despite the All-Star worthy heroics of Teoscar Hernández (.254/.321/.492). Adding Robert would give the Dodgers an everyday center fielder to flank Hernández in right and either Miguel Vargas, James Outman, or Chris Taylor (if his recent uptick is no fluke) in left field.
• Crochet, 25, looks the part of a power lefty at 6-foot-6 and 230 pounds. His track record as a starter is short (he never started prior to this year in five professional seasons) but stellar. In 2024, he’s 6-6 with a 3.25 ERA and 12.59 strikeouts per nine innings while walking only 2.03 per nine. The Dodgers might have to clear space in their current rotation if Tyler Glasnow, Clayton Kershaw, James Paxton, Bobby Miller, Walker Buehler and Landon Knack are all healthy, but the upside is clear. Crochet could team with Glasnow, Yoshinobu Yamamoto (assuming he returns to health), and Miller or Kershaw to form arguably the deepest postseason rotation in baseball.
• Kopech, 28, converted to the bullpen this season after working the last two seasons as a starter. Again, the track record is short but strong if you believe in it. His fastball has ticked up to 99 mph and allowed the right-hander to strike out 13.21 batters per nine innings. His walk rate (5.46 BB/9) might need to come down to earn work in high-leverage situations, however.
The verdict? This trade is a bit too unwieldy for a Dodgers team that has better roster depth than perhaps Bowden thinks they have in the rotation and bullpen. Robert is worth a look as a bounceback candidate, but Kopech is redundant to the Dodgers’ other bullpen options — particularly if Brusdar Graterol and Dustin May are contributing in that capacity come September/October.
As for Crochet, the temptation is understandable. The Dodgers don’t have a power lefty of that ilk who will be able to complement Glasnow in a three-man October rotation. But a smaller deal around Crochet, Robert, or both, would mitigate the risk of giving up on Pages and six prospects in a deal of this size.
Judge for yourself — the Dodgers open a series against the White Sox in Chicago this afternoon — and drop a comment below with your thoughts.
