The Los Angeles Dodgers are looking for answers after being swept in the National League Championship Series, and a former big league general manager thinks he has the answer, though fans might not like his proposal.
Jim Bowden, former GM for the Reds and Nationals and a writer for The Athletic, appeared on “Foul Territory” this week and made the case for the Dodgers to get younger in order to compete in October.
Who should the Dodgers trade away?
It tracks that Bowden targeted one of his former teams, the Nationals, as a trade partner for the Dodgers, and given that the Nats finished last season in fourth place in their division with a 77-85 record, they will indeed need to rebuild with younger talent.
That said, even those who agree that the Dodgers must get younger to compete in October might blanch at this proposed deal, which involves the Dodgers giving up six young players and prospects for two Nationals stars.
“I proposed a blockbuster with the Nationals: if they aren’t going to sign James Wood and CJ Abrams long-term, the Dodgers could offer an eight-player trade,” he explained.
In Bowden’s proposal, the Dodgers would lose:
- Starting pitcher Justin Wrobleski
- Starting pitcher Emmet Sheehan
- Designated hitter Josue De Paula
- Outfielder Mike Sirota
- Infielder Alex Freeland
- Catcher Dalton Rushing
Bowden said the Dodgers could then put Wood in left field and Abrams at second base, fixing what he sees as age issues with Tommy Edman at second and Teoscar Hernández in left.
Bowden added that he also believes third baseman Max Muncy should be platooned.
If this deal were to come to fruition, the Dodgers will have “younger” and “more athletic” players at those positions, he said.
“Get guys that can manufacture runs, get some more speed in there, and it’ll fix it,” he explained.
Is trading young stars the Dodgers’ only option?
Bowden said he believes that this is “a dream trade that probably won’t happen, [though] it represents the exact kind of deal they need.”
So what else can the Dodgers do? Think smaller.
“Alternatively, they could pursue Joey Votto’s idea of packaging De Paula for Elly De La Cruz, or make a smaller deal for a player like the Marlins’ Xavier Edwards to play second base,” Bowden said. “The main point is that the Dodgers must get younger and more athletic in three spots if they want to reach the World Series next year.”
That might not be the Dodgers’ plan, though.
De Paula performed admirably in his limited time in the big leagues, and it’s doubtful that the Dodgers want to part with him.
Could that limit the team’s options? Perhaps. But trading the organization’s future for another World Series run in 2027 could be a short-sighted decision.
Do you think the Dodgers will make a blockbuster deal this offseason?