The Los Angeles Dodgers made their first move of the 2018 offseason on Thursday, trading Manny Bañuelos to the Chicago White Sox in exchange for Minor League infielder Justin Yurchak. The White Sox then added Bañuelos to their 40-man roster.
The Dodgers signed Bañuelos to a Minor League contract last offseason, and he went on to spend the entire 2018 campaign with Triple-A Oklahoma City. He had a very solid season with OKC, going 9-7 with a 3.73 ERA and 1.39 WHIP in 31 games (18 starts). He struck out 127 and walked 42 in 108.2 innings.
Bañuelos was selected to represent the Pacific Coast League at the Triple-A All-Star Game and was also named to the post-season PCL All-Star Team. At 27 years old, the Dodgers presumably did not feel he had a future with the organization at the Major League level.
Yurchak was a 12th-round pick of the White Sox in 2017 out of Wake Forest University. He has the ability to play both corner infield positions and bats left-handed.
In 95 games with Class-A Kannapolis in 2018, Yurchak slashed .256/.348/.326 with 17 doubles, one home run, 36 RBI and 44 runs scored.
The 22-year-old is a ways away from reaching the big leagues but will provide the Dodgers some organizational infield depth that they have come to value so much.
While it is not a major move, this is the first of what should be many trades and signings this offseason for the Dodgers coming off a season in which they lost in the World Series for the second straight year.
