With the Los Angeles Dodgers determined to add an upper-echelon player to their roster this offseason, it will need to be done via trade as the top free agents have all signed.
Josh Donaldson is a potential exception to that, though the Dodgers don’t have a need for a 34-year-old third baseman who is likely to receive a four-year contract in the neighborhood of $100 million and would require the forfeiting of a draft pick in order to sign.
Much of the Dodgers’ focus has centered around a potential trade for Cleveland Indians All-Star Francisco Lindor, and possibly expanding it to include Mike Clevinger as well. The Indians — like other teams — are said to covet Dodgers top prospect Gavin Lux.
According to David Vassegh of AM 570, the Indians’ desire to acquire Lux and the Dodgers’ reluctance to part with him is an impediment to a trade coming together:
“Yes, the Dodgers and Indians have been trying to work out a deal that would bring Francisco Lindor to Los Angeles. I’ve even heard people say a third team may be involved in trying to make that happen. But, the sticking point is the Indians are not budging from their ask of Gavin Lux. And the Dodgers are not budging from not wanting to trade Gavin Lux, so you’re not going to make a deal if the two sides can’t compromise.”
Lux has long been the subject of trade speculation, including at the deadline last season when the Dodgers refused to entertain the notion of dealing him. “Oh man, I was pretty stressed out,” Lux said when reflecting on the trade deadline.
“I was on the phone with my uncle — I think I called him four times that day — up until the deadline. Stress, a little anxiety. Obviously I wanted to stay a Dodger. I’ve come up with them so I wanted to play here at home as a Dodger.
“That was kind of my dream ever since I got drafted. It’s good they didn’t trade me so I get to be here. As soon as the deadline was over and I didn’t get traded, it was a big relief.”
There was some thought if the Dodgers managed to acquire Clevinger in addition to Lindor, that they could be coaxed into trading Lux. However, most indications have been the team prefers to instead deal Corey Seager, who like Lindor, is only under team control through 2021.
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