The Los Angeles Dodgers seem to be busy every offseason, and this year is no different. After failing to reach the NLCS for the second-consecutive season, the Dodgers likely want to make some moves that will improve their chances in 2024 and beyond and make some noise in the process.
One way to do that would be signing Shohei Ohtani, which the Dodgers are expected by most to do before spring training begins next February. If that doesn’t happen, though, LA will probably have a backup plan in place to make a splash deal. Whether it be via trade or in free agency, the Dodgers always seem to come out a winner.
It was not rumored before Juan Toribio's report that the Dodgers were interested in Bo Bichette, and in all likelihood he isn’t on the trade block. Circumstances change, though, and one signing or trade can alter a team's strategy just like that. The Dodgers could be interested in acquiring the All-Star shortstop, and with the Blue Jays hesitant to hand him an extension, they could be persuaded to move Bichette while he still has plenty of value.
Why Bichette to the Dodgers makes sense
Almost every year the Dodgers are linked to a star player. If LA has a position of need, the rumors of players at said position who can even be remotely available pop up. The Dodgers have such a need at shortstop after an inconsistent 2023 season from Miquel Rojas and the uncertainty surrounding Gavin Lux as he recovers from a torn ACL.
The Dodgers don’t necessarily need any more superstars to compete for a World Series. But if they're in on Ohtani, why wouldn’t they be in on any other star player who could be available? Of course, the landscapes behind acquiring Ohtani and Bichette are different but all in the same is the sort of impact the two players can have on the Dodgers' lineup.
No, Bo Bichette is not Shohei Ohtani, but both players are All-Stars who are above most players in the MLB.
Bichette is one of the best pure hitters in the league and has consistently been in the hunt for a batting title. He led the American League in hits in 2021 and 2022, following it up with a .306 batting average in 2023. Bichette is regularly on the field as well as he played 159 games in both 2021 and 2022 and played 135 last season.
The Dodgers have traded for a star shortstop before, plucking Trea Turner from the Washington Nationals in a deal that also netted them Max Scherzer in 2021. They may not be able to swing a trade for two bonafide All-Stars again, but LA has the means to satisfy Toronto in a trade for Bichette.
The trade
Trading for Bichette will require the Dodgers to give up some prospects and top ones at that. Luckily for LA, it has one of the best and deepest farm systems in the MLB. The Blue Jays won’t be cheap with their demands, especially considering Bichette has multiple years of control left.
Still, the Dodgers should manage to get out of this deal without feeling the Jays robbed them blind. LA can be a little more lenient when it comes to doling out its prospects given most of its roster is set for the foreseeable future.
Dodgers get: Bo Bichette
Blue Jays get: Miquel Rojas, Diego Cartaya (LAD No. 3 prospect), Jorbit Vivas (LAD No. 10 prospect), & Payton Martin (LAD No. 11 prospect)
The Dodgers come out with only Bichette in this deal, but they don’t give up a ton in terms of MLB-ready talent. Rojas has two years of team control left, and the Blue Jays could opt to keep him, but Toronto is likely to find another suitor for him if they don’t have him in the season's plans.
Rojas struggled in his first season with the Dodgers, finishing the year with a .612 OPS and a 1.2 WAR in 124 games. He played way below the standard of LA shortstops before him, although it's hard for anyone to follow up Trea Turner and Corey Seager.
Cartaya is one of the highest-touted catching prospects in baseball at the moment. The 22-year-old closed out his fourth professional season on a dismal note but should still be knocking at the door of an MLB debut next summer. He's a right-handed power-hitting backstop who has room for improvement on defense but has the tools to succeed.
Vivas signed with the Dodgers as a 16-year-old in 2017 and has worked his way through the ranks over the last six years. The Venezuelan infielder debuted in Double-A in 2023 before finishing the year in Triple-A. He fared better in the lower lever but should earn the chance to have consistent major-league at-bats at some point in 2024.
The Blue Jays have a need in the infield and could deploy Vivas rather quickly next season at several positions. Though not the highest-rated prospect Toronto could net in the trade, he could end up being the most impactful.
Martin is an added bonus and sort of the wildcard of the deal. A projected front-end starter down the line, the right-hander impressed during his first professional season in 2023. He finished with a 2.04 ERA in 14 games (12 starts) and struck out 48 batters while walking 15. He'll need a few years to develop.
Summary
There are a lot of layers behind this trade, one that will not happen overnight or maybe at all. What the Dodgers get in the move is more security in their lineup and stability in the middle of their infield. Seeing Bo Bichette flip it to Mookie Betts on double plays for the Dodgers will be fun for some and a nightmare for others.
The lackluster production from the shortstop position last season was not LA's downfall. But the Dodgers would certainly like their chances more if they had a surefire everyday star at arguably the most important position on the diamond. Bichette would be that star, and he has the look of an LA athlete.
The Blue Jays have to be willing to part with one of their most beloved players. And if they do so, what does that mean for Vladimir Guerrero Jr., who is a free agent after the 2025 season along with Bichette? In turn, will the Dodgers be okay dishing off three of their Top 10 prospects for one player?
These are the type of scenarios that fans dream of during the MLB offseason. It's not every year we get a big blockbuster trade like this, and of course with all the headlines revolving around Shohei Ohtani, a move of this magnitude would surely rock the baseball world.
In theory, it makes sense for both teams. But there is also a world where a Bo Bichette-Dodgers trade is never discussed and both teams remain playoff contenders. It's fun to speculate though, and how fun would it be seeing Bo Bichette man shortstop at Dodger Stadium?
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