The Los Angeles Dodgers are very familiar with the MLB Trade Deadline. The good news is, they're usually on the favorable side of it, looking to buy instead of sell. They've been one of the more active teams during the last several deadlines, and they look to be that way again this season.
Apparently, the Dodgers have already been hitting up the phones, inquiring with the less contending teams across the league if they would be interested in trading off some of their best assets. One of those rumored teams is the Chicago White Sox, who, according to USA Today's Bob Nightengale, the Dodgers asked about pitcher Garrett Crochet.
The Dodgers are still one of the best teams in the MLB at 52-33, with a 7.5-game lead in the National League West. But they're bound to be making some new additions to the team before the deadline is up. Since they'll be buyers, the players that will be put upon their trade block are unlike those of the sellers, though. The Dodgers will most likely be reaching into what has been one of the deeper farm systems in the league over the last several years. But besides the prospects, there could be at least one active roster member put on the block.
Would the Dodgers place Gavin Lux on the trade block?
The Dodgers have been as patient as they can be with Gavin Lux, but their patience could be wearing thin. The 26-year-old was one of the top prospects for the team for some time, but since coming up to the majors, he's yet to live up to his perceived talent.
Though he has become a steady infielder with a 79 percent success rate (per Baseball Savant), mostly playing second base, Lux's real potential was supposed to be in his hitting abilities. However, Lux's hitting, or lack thereof, has kept him toward the bottom of the Dodgers' lineup on a nightly basis. Currently, he's slashing .221/.270/.301 with just two homers and 21 RBIs. He's also hitting a putrid .143 with runners on base, per Baseball Reference.
Adding to the Dodgers' concerns, they are still looking for another reliable infielder who can better put the barrel to the ball. Consequently, the Dodgers could include Lux in a deal, hoping that another team believes they can fix him.
Three Dodgers prospects that could be up for grabs
To no surprise, the Dodgers have the No. 3 ranked farm system, meaning they'll have trade suitors taking a long, hard look at their top prospects. That also means the Dodgers will have to move off some of those top prospects if they want to acquire some of the top talent available at the trade deadline.
Rumored names they're looking at, as mentioned, are Garrett Crochet, Luis Robert, Bo Bichette, and even Vladimir Guerrero Jr. Teams like the White Sox are rumored to be wanting a lot in return for someone like Crochet, and rightfully so.
Regardless of the veteran they seek, three prospects come to mind that the Dodgers could deal. One of those would be their third-ranked prospect, right-hander Nick Frasso.
Frasso received a promotion last year, moving up from Double-A to Triple-A, where he combined for a 3.77 ERA, 107 strikeouts, and 31 walks in 93 innings pitched. The one glaring issue with Frasso, though, is that he hasn't pitched all season long due to undergoing shoulder surgery. That would likely keep teams leery, but he should return healthy in 2025.
Another prospect is their No. 7 ranked prospect, catcher Diego Cartaya. Similar to Frasso, he moved from Double-A to Triple-A. His promotion hasn't been as great, though. He went from batting .236 in 46 games in Double-A to just .190 in six games in Triple-A. He's still just 22, so he probably just needs more at-bats.
Finally, there's No. 13 prospect Maddux Bruns. The hard-throwing lefty has a fastball that tops out at 98 mph, and his breaking pitches are well above average. The unfortunate part is that Bruns has still found himself at the Single-A level since he was drafted back in 2021. He's also still just 22, so he could require just more development.
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