The Los Angeles Dodgers have had a clear need at second base since trading Howie Kendrick to the Philadelphia Phillies in November. At the time, Kendrick appeared to be a viable option to return to his natural position, considering Chase Utley reached free agency.
With Kendrick no longer part of the equation, Los Angeles has been connected to the likes of Brian Dozier, Logan Forsythe and Ian Kinsler. Of the trio, trading Dozier has seemingly been the most likely scenario.
The Dodgers and Minnesota Twins are believed to have agreed upon Jose De Leon as the cornerstone of a trade package for the 29-year-old second baseman, but don’t see eye-to-eye on which other prospects should be included.
While the Dodgers have a stockpile of pitching prospects that satisfies what the Twins are seeking, Los Angeles reportedly is not willing to include the Yadier Alvarez or Walker Buehler in a trade.
Talks between the Dodgers and Twins are believed to have been ongoing since November, and according to Jon Morosi of MLB Network, the situation may soon come to an end:
Sources: Brian Dozier trade talks expected to resolve, one way or another, in next week. #Dodgers still one of teams in talks with #Twins.
— Jon Morosi (@jonmorosi) January 4, 2017
At the end of the December the Twins reportedly asked teams to submit their best trade offer for Dozier. It was previously reported the San Francisco Giants, St. Louis Cardinals and Washington Nationals were among the teams with interest in the second baseman.
None of those clubs figured to pose a real threat to the Dodgers, however. The Giants lack the necessary prospects to swing a trade, the Nationals have Daniel Murphy, and the Cardinals’ reported interest was later explained to be an attempt from the Twins to gain leverage on the Dodgers.
Thus, Los Angeles is left as the best trade partner for Minnesota. That’s lent to a widespread belief the teams will eventually agree to a deal, no matter the Twins’ stance of being content heading into the 2017 season with Dozier still on their roster.
