The Los Angeles Dodgers announced they’ve traded Gavin Lux to the Cincinnati Reds in exchange for prospect Mike Sirota and a Competitive Balance Pick A in the 2025 MLB Draft.
Lux spent parts of five seasons appearing in games for the Dodgers and missed all of 2023 due to a knee injury. In that span, he hit .252/.326/.383 with 62 doubles, 14 triples, 28 home runs, 155 RBI, 194 runs and 19 stolen bases over 412 games.
Lux went into the 2024 season expecting to be the Dodgers everyday shortstop, but his inability to play the position forced them to make a change and led to his eventual departure from the roster.
During this past season, he struggled for the majority of it and finished the year batting .251/.320/.383 with 10 home runs, 50 RBI and 59 runs scored.
Lux had been involved in numerous trade rumors throughout the offseason with the Milwaukee Brewers, Seattle Mariners and New York Yankees all among the clubs with interest.
After the signing of Hyeseong Kim, Lux appeared to be the odd man out, even with the Dodgers’ front office publicly continuing to back him as their starer.
If Kiké Hernández returns, which is the expectation, that would have made it even more challenging to roster Lux.
Kim and Miguel Rojas figure to be the primary options at second base with where things currently stand, and Hernández could mix in there as well if he returns.
Another option could be the Dodgers move Tommy Edman in from center field to play second base with Andy Pages and James Outman mixing in at center field, but the later would need a strong Spring Training to find himself as an option.
Dodgers acquire Mike Sirota in Gavin Lux trade
Sirota has long been a target for the Dodgers after they drafted him in the 2021 Draft out of high school in the 16th round. The center fielder instead decided to attend college before he was drafted by the Reds in the third round of the 2024 Draft.
He was once projected to be a first round pick but struggled for much of his junior season to decrease his draft stock.
He had a banner sophomore year in 2023, batting .344 with 18 homers and 54 RBI, earning All-America Third Team and All-Region Northeast First Team honors. He finished his collegiate career playing 143 games, batting .324/.458/.577/1.035 with 29 homers and 111 RBI, stealing 48 bases in 57 attempts and walking 120 times against 126 strikeouts.
Still, Sirota has some intriguing traits with plus-bat speed, quality bat-to-ball skills, a patient approach at the plate and plus speed. He is projected to stay in center field for the long-term with an above average arm and the ability to make reads off the bat well.
The 21-year-old has 20-20 potential if he continues to develop, and with his plus defense and speed, it gives him the chance to be a fringe All-Star caliber player at his ceiling with the floor of a fourth outfielder type.
In addition, the draft pick the Dodgers received gives them another pick to add talent to their organization. At no. 37, it becomes their highest selection in the 2025 MLB Draft, however it could move to the no. 41 pick if Anthony Santander does not re-sign with the Baltimore Orioles, which would still be their highest pick.
The slot value of a pick that high is worth more than $2 million, giving the Dodgers extra money to use on their draft picks.
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