It’s practically a given that the Los Angeles Dodgers will be active buyers and sellers in the offseason. Currently, the Dodgers have 46 players signed to their 40-man roster, but in a few short days, with nine free agents and the start of free agency, that number will drop to 37.
Players on team options may reduce the number even more. Justin Turner, Hanser Alberto, Danny Duffy, and Jimmy Nelson are all on team options. Furthermore, Los Angeles has 12 players under team control who are set to go through salary arbitration. Those players include Julio Urias, Cody Bellinger, Will Smith, Walker Buehler, Tony Gonsolin, Brusdar Graterol, Caleb Ferguson, Dustin May, Edwin Rios, Evan Phillips, Yency Almonte, and Trayce Thompson.
The Dodgers are likely to agree with all of those players except for Cody Bellinger, who has not regained his 2019 MVP form and has seen his role diminished to a platoon player.
With all this in mind, analysts at Casino Reviewers have named three players that General Manager Andrew Friedman and the Dodgers brain trust may consider moving in the off-season.
Miguel Vargas
This is a challenge. Vargas has the tools to be a great big-league hitter, so it’s not hard to imagine the Dodgers gave him a regular slot in the starting order. Put him in the left field regularly, accept that your defense will be worse off, and watch him rake.
You might also picture Los Angeles using Vargas as the centerpiece in a massive deal for a starting pitcher. Baseball America named him the Dodgers’ 2022 Minor League Player of the Year after he slashed .304/.402/.511 for Oklahoma City. Unless the organization finds a defensive role for him in Los Angeles, they may try to cash in on his rising value.
Andy Pages
For the Dodgers, Pages is a top prospect thanks to his light-tower power and cannon for an arm. He’s Rule-5 eligible this summer, plays the same position as Mookie Betts, and has a history of excessive strikeouts. The Dodgers would have to add him to their 40-man roster, trade him, or risk losing him for nothing if they didn’t protect him from the Rule 5 draft. Since he won’t be able to contribute much to the active roster moving ahead, a trade may be in order.
Gavin Lux
The inclusion of Lux on this list is a yearly occurrence. And, much like the two years prior, he probably won’t be dealt. With a strong 2022 campaign, though, he restored some of his trade value and became another player who may be the focal point of a significant transaction. With Michael Busch knocking on the door to take over as the Dodgers starting second baseman, the Dodgers may look to trade Lux if a suitable offer becomes available.
