After a season in which they won a franchise-record 106 games but were sent home early after being defeated by the Washington Nationals in the National League Division Series, the Los Angeles Dodgers will need to make changes if they want to get back to the World Series in 2020.
With some money coming off the books, the Dodgers will certainly be in position to spend this offseason with stars like Anthony Rendon and Gerrit Cole hitting free agency.
Dodgers president of baseball operations Andrew Friedman has also shown he is not afraid to improve his team through trades as well, and he currently has the farm system to do that.
One player that could be on the trading block this winter is Cleveland Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor. He has two years remaining on his contract and is expected to command a large extension.
According to Jon Morosi of MLB.com, Lindor could be someone the Dodgers target if they want to make a big move:
Sources say the Dodgers are expected to pursue a trade for Indians shortstop Francisco Lindor as one possible addition to an offense that managed only a .303 on-base percentage during this month’s National League Division Series loss to the Nationals.
The Dodgers already have a shortstop in Corey Seager, of course, so if they acquired Lindor, that would mean that he would either be moving to third base or traded to another organization. If the former were to happen, Justin Turner would likely move over to the right side of the infield.
Lindor and Seager both came up around the same time and quickly developed into two of the best shortstops in all of baseball. Lindor has been able to stay more healthy though, leading to more consistent play.
He is coming off a season in which he hit .284/.335/.518 with 32 home runs, 101 runs scored, 74 RBI and 22 stolen bases in 143 games. If Lindor was added to the Dodgers’ lineup, his ability to hit leadoff while also being a switch-hitter would help balance a team that if mostly comprised of left-handed power hitters.
Considering Lindor is one of the top players in the game, he would not come at a cheap cost. It would likely take one or multiple top prospects to get him, with Keibert Ruiz, Josiah Gray and Jeter Downs being the primary names that could be in a deal considering they are not yet Major-League-ready.
Friedman hasn’t been afraid to make big trades in the past, and he said after the end of the 2019 season that he is going into the offseason with an open-minded approach, so perhaps that could lead to one of the best infielders in baseball ending up in Los Angeles by Opening Day next year.
