As the 2018 Winter Meetings began in Las Vegas, the Los Angeles Dodgers faced needs at second base and catcher. If they are to find answers on the trade market, it may entail moving one of their outfielders, which is an area of surplus on the roster.
As it stands, the Dodgers have Matt Kemp, Joc Pederson, Yasiel Puig, Andrew Toles on their 40-man roster. So too are Cody Bellinger, Kiké Hernandez and Chris Taylor, giving the team eight viable options in the outfield.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman acknowledged the excess of outfielders could allow for the team to tap into it for potential trades. According to Jon Heyman of Fancred, one option may be moving Alex Verdugo in a marquee trade:
Alex Verdugo is a very good talent but the Dodgers seem willing to include him in a big deal, surely Realmuto and probably Kluber or Bauer. Verdugo would fit the Marlins or Indians, who both need an OF
— Jon Heyman (@JonHeyman) December 10, 2018
Verdugo spent the past two seasons shining for Triple-A Oklahoma City and is considered Major League ready. That proves somewhat problematic for the Dodgers, as there isn’t necessarily a clear spot for him on the roster.
If not Verdugo, they could look to trade Kemp or Puig, both of whom reportedly are facing such a possibility. Kemp is entering the final year of his contract, while Puig is due to reach free agency next year.
